- Wavegarden won the consolidated business category, while Multiverse Computing took the young business award.
- Tecnalia took an award this year for its commitment to research and technology, putting the city’s name on the international map.
The DSS INN prizes were awarded today in Hotel María Cristina’s Sala Ibaia as the culmination of the 11th Innovation Week organised by Fomento de San Sebastián in association with numerous agents operating in the city’s R+D+i ecosystem.
The Innovative Company Awards were created nine years ago to acknowledge organisations with a clear focus on innovative business which have now consolidated their activities and have not only made a name for themselves in the sector, but have also promoted the city.
There were also prizes for start-ups which have been running a successful business in our city in emerging sectors, companies representing the business model of the future, on the basis of talent and a technology base.
During the prizegiving ceremony, Donostia / San Sebastián’s Mayor, Eneko Goia, explained the importance of these awards which “round off a week focused on innovation, science and knowledge, three interrelated concepts which in this city constitute reasons for a sense of pride and acknowledgement. Pride in our City, pride in our Territory, and in all the people of Donostia whose know-how has turned this city into a hub of innovation and a magnet for businesses that have placed their trust in us as the centre of their operations to continue to innovate and generate new knowledge”.
He went on to say that “businesses such as Wavegarden, Multiverse Computing and Tecnalia are fine examples of this pride and know-how. Examples of hard work and dedication to research and innovation, bringing them to the fore in the State, in Europe and part of the World, as in the case of Tecnalia, whose applied research and technology development unit is located here, in our city. Wavegarden is an example to be imitated in the surfing world, with facilities reaching far beyond this beautiful sport itself. And Multiverse Computing’s quantum software makes Donostia a cutting-edge city which is about to introduce a quantum computer in Ibaeta, an eagerly awaited milestone for the city”.
In the opinion of Local Economy and Employment Councillor Ane Oyarbide, “society is increasingly aware of the daily contribution made by businesses operating in the science and innovation sector to move our city and the world forward. Moreover, as we have discovered in the course of this WeekINN, they are opening up a whole range of job opportunities and development of talent for young people from the city who want to spend their professional career in Donostia. These awards are one way of acknowledging this task, which also assists in terms of publicity and the social and economic development of San Sebastián”.
The businesses taking awards at the 9th prizegiving ceremony were:
MULTIVERSE COMPUTING – Young innovative company.
Fomento de San Sebastián’s managing director, Iñigo Olaizola, presented the award to this Donostia start-up incorporated in 2019, which provides quantum and quantum-inspired IT solutions to be used on conventional computers, making it the European Union’s leading quantum software business
It already boasts a portfolio of 95 patents and intends to secure over 150 in the years ahead, and has also published more than 40 research papers, demonstrating its commitment to investigation and innovation.
Diversification of its business also targets new markets such as the energy sector, mobility and smart manufacturing worldwide. It now has offices in San Sebastián, the company’s headquarters, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy.
WAVEGARDEN – Consolidated innovation business.
Local Economy and Employment Councillor Ane Oyarbide presented the award to this Donostia company set up in 2005 by Josema Odriozola and Karin Frisch, who decided to merge their love of surfing with their experience in the design of sport facilities. Wavegarden is a cutting-edge engineering company focusing on research, design, manufacture and installation and operation of wave-generation systems and lagoons for this sport.
After more than a decade of R+D and a number of patents and major progress, Wavegarden is now considered the leader of the artificial wave market. Moreover, its technologies have enabled a number of entrepreneurs to create new surf destinations by setting up tourism and business ecosystems anywhere in the world, either by the sea or nowhere near it.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
For the seventh year running, a special award was also presented in recognition of hard work by an individual or a company in the field of research or innovation in our city, with a business activity impacting Donostia’s economy.
The prize was awarded by San Sebastián’s Mayor Eneko Goia to Tecnalia, one of Europe’s leading R+D corporations, and Spain’s largest applied research and technology development facility.
Tecnalia still has its headquarters in Donostia, and has 11 offices in Spain and 5 overseas delegations in countries such as China, Colombia, France, Italy and Serbia. It has a portfolio of over 740 patents, and holds a stake in more than 17 deep tech start-ups, and deploys deep tech technology most especially in smart manufacturing, digital transformation, energy transition, sustainable mobility, health and foodstuffs, the urban ecosystem, and the circular economy.
In short, Tecnalia has won recognition as a leading institution associating its name and the city brand with a focus on research and technology worldwide.
Innovation Week in figures
- Eleventh Innovation Week, with a turnout of almost 3,000 participants.
- EKINN Fest opened up the doors of EKINN, the innovation and enterprise space, to hundreds of families.
- Almost 2,000 students joined us at workshops in 14 centres in San Sebastián and tours of laboratories.
- EKINN Talent gathered over 350 Donostia students at the Reale Arena to connect them to the job market.
- The city’s scientific community was proactive with almost 150 agents at San Sebastian Science Society to discuss science with an impact.
- The San Sebastian EKINN Entrepreneurship Summit put the spotlight on innovative enterprise, and Donostia start-ups engaged with national and overseas corporates, with networking sessions to round off the event.
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- +18 speakers, from national institutions, foreign cities and local organisations.
- +150 start-ups, entrepreneurs, businesses and organisations working on enterprise and innovation
- +50 B2B encounters between start-ups and investors, expected to yield positive outcomes in the short term.
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- “Emakume Zientzilariak, atzo eta gaur” - a habitual event to publicise new STEAM vocations assembled over 100 attendees in the main plenary meeting chamber.
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- +45 local, national and overseas associate organisations were in attendance to make this 11th Innovation Week possible.
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