The Innovation Week establishes itself as a meeting point between research, business and society

Knowledge transfer, as a mission and commitment, is articulated through the creation of an ecosystem where academic research meets market demand and social need.

Research as a driver of socio-economic returns

The most direct link between the academic and business worlds materialised at the Innovation Fair, one of the highlights of Innovation Week. This space managed to mobilise more than 70 R&D groups, 10 start-ups and 120 companies, with the explicit aim of connecting the business, investment and research ecosystems.

The true value of the Fair lies in its ability to generate tangible synergies: during the event, more than 400 meetings were held between institutional, business and academic actors. These meetings are crucial for promoting the transfer of knowledge and technology that results in social and economic returns.

Innovation today is not linear, but open, and Innovation Week has highlighted that the greatest social challenges require adaptability and multidisciplinary collaboration. A clear example of this cross-cutting approach was seen in Carme Artigas' lecture on Artificial Intelligence (AI), where she emphasised that AI policies must ensure equal access, security and responsible use in order to make it an ally in solving challenges.

Talent that transforms society

The mechanism that allows research to be transformed into innovation and business is talent, especially entrepreneurial spirit. The University acts as an incubator for new companies, as demonstrated by the Emprèn UAB: Generating Spin-offs and Start-ups from the University meeting. During the event, experiences were shared and emerging UAB projects were highlighted, such as OPTICmizing, TECOUS, BrainMapp and HeliCure, which are already offering innovative solutions in fields such as optical technology, biomedicine and digital health. The importance of early-stage investment in bringing these ideas to fruition was also discussed.

To ensure that talent is nurtured with a vision for the future, the Week also focused on practical training to develop disruptive ideas, placing special emphasis on two key pillars. Firstly, social and sustainable innovation, with the Eines Awards Gala, which recognised six social innovation projects. In addition, conferences such as BarbEmprèn 2025 promoted sustainable entrepreneurship and the transition to a circular economy, where participants worked in a hackathon format to come up with creative solutions to real environmental impact challenges proposed by local companies.

Secondly, female leadership, with the Ciència i Emprenedoria en Femení conference, which closed the Week by highlighting the role of women in research and scientific entrepreneurship, with a panel of highly relevant speakers who inspired with their success stories.

Innovate without disciplinary boundaries

A highlight of Innovation Week was the way it broke down the barriers between pure science and creative disciplines. The transformation of the artistic and cultural world through AI was explored at the Arts, Innovation and Artificial Intelligence conference.

Likewise, the application of immersive technologies such as virtual reality (VR) showed its transformative potential in multiple environments. From improving clinical practice, especially in primary care and community health, to the uses of VR in teaching, outreach, veterinary medicine and the digital humanities. These examples illustrate how knowledge transfer improves the way we create, teach and transfer.

In conclusion, Innovation Week is not just a calendar of activities; it is a practical demonstration of the University's model for connecting knowledge with business. Through matchmaking events, the promotion of entrepreneurship and the recognition of diverse talent, a powerful ecosystem is consolidated that is capable of turning research into real solutions with social and economic impact.