Over three days, the BDTS gathers the scientific, entrepreneurial, corporate, and financial community to accelerate the transfer of cutting-edge technology from research labs to the market. The event features Deep Tech Canada as the invited international ecosystem and the participation of over a hundred startups and spin-offs presenting disruptive solutions.
The institutional inauguration was attended by Raquel Gil, fifth deputy mayor and president of Barcelona Activa; Teresa Riesgo, Secretary General for Innovation of the Spanish government; and Maria Galindo, Secretary of Digital Policies of the Generalitat de Catalunya. Gil highlighted that Barcelona possesses the necessary ingredients to be a relevant player in the deep tech ecosystem but stressed the importance of connecting them, a task undertaken by the BDTS.
The first day included a presentation by Carlos García-Galán, director of NASA's Lunar Base program, who presented the project as key for future missions to Mars. The rest of the session focused on human augmentation technologies, aimed at improving, restoring, or enhancing human capabilities, both physically and cognitively or sensorially.
Speakers such as Aureli Soria-Frisch (Starlab Barcelona), Carolina Aguilar (INBRAIN Neuroelectronics), Francesco Ferro (PAL Robotics), Alessandro Zaccaria (360 Capital), and Almudena Trigo (BeAble Capital) shared the latest advancements in medicine, robotics, and photonics, as well as investment challenges for innovation.
In the coming days, the congress will address topics such as quantum technology, computing, technological and scientific integration, new business models, and European governance, with contributions from figures like Dirk Didascalou (Siemens), Jan Westerhues (Bosch Ventures), and Elisenda Bou (Cala.AI), among others.
The event also fosters B2B meetings, pitch sessions for startups and spin-offs, and open innovation challenges, connecting investors, corporations, and emerging talent. The BDTS is held for the third consecutive year at the Fira de Barcelona venue, integrated within the Smart City Expo World Congress, underscoring the link between frontier scientific research and the construction of sustainable cities.
The Barcelona Deep Tech Summit is organized by the Ajuntament de Barcelona through Barcelona Activa, in collaboration with several Catalan universities (UB, UAB, UPC, UPF, UOC) and with the support of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Spanish Government.
