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The Mayor of Salamanca, Carlos García Carbayo, and the Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Salamanca, Juan Manuel Corchado, who is also the President of the AIR Institute ( International Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science Foundation), today signed a collaboration agreement to continue developing the Salamanca Tech strategy with the aim of positioning the city as a technological benchmark in southwest Europe, specialising in the fields of biotechnology, logistics, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Signing of the agreement for the Salamanca Tech initiative
As Carbayo explained, through this agreement, initially valid until 31 December 2024 and with a municipal contribution of 150,000 euros through the Society for Tourism, Trade and Economic Promotion, both parties agree to collaborate in a programme which is capable of channeling and increasing the processes of research, innovation and technology transfer to the business sectors of the city and its sphere of influence, creating advantages and capacities to generate value and high quality employment.
In this regard, Juan Manuel Corchado, Professor at the University of Salamanca, commented that this strategy aims to promote the development of new companies, attract large national and international companies to Salamanca, improve the competitiveness of existing companies and open doors to new sectors in emerging markets. In addition, the Professor underlined the excellent conditions of Salamanca to consolidate its position as a technological city, and said that new and important projects in this field will soon be launched.
The activities to be carried out include the organisation of an international scientific-technical and business congress, with presentations by researchers and companies of recognised prestige in the field of technology and computing, and the design of a Technology District to facilitate the arrival in Salamanca and the establishment of companies in the technology sector.
On the other hand, this collaboration agreement will enable the consolidation of Salamanca as one of the major national and international centres of specialisation in creative activities linked to Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things and different developments in the communication technologies sector, as well as in the creation of digital content, which have acquired great weight and projection.
Salamanca Tech, a national and international benchmark
The Mayor pointed out that this agreement is part of the actions planned within the protocol signed between the Junta de Castilla y León, the Provincial Council, the City Council and the University, to turn Salamanca and its area of influence into an economic engine linked to the knowledge industry, innovation, research and logistics.
"Salamanca Tech is not a project for the future. It is a reality that is already a national and international reference which Salamanca can boast, because it is creating quality employment, it provides our young people with opportunities to pursue their life projects here, in addition to attracting talent from outside", added Carbayo.
As a result of this institutional collaboration, Salamanca is moving steadily towards a complementary economic model based on knowledge, the bio-health industry and the green economy, which reinforces and coexists with the tourism and services model. Under the Salamanca Tech brand, the new industrialisation of the city is based on a network of infrastructures specialised in the transfer of R&D to the productive sector, with the capacity to promote the development of new companies and improve the competitiveness of existing ones, opening the doors to new sectors in emerging markets.
Carbayo highlighted the intense activity in the talent and innovation triangle that allows for the transformation of ideas into life projects, especially among young people. Thus, next to the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence Centre, the Tormes+ Training and Entrepreneurship Centre is already fully operational in the Chamberí neighbourhood, to which the Technological Innovation Space will be added; and in La Platina, the construction of Abioinnova, the Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Health Business Incubator, is nearing completion, within the new Agro-environmental Campus of the University of Salamanca.
"It is our moment. Salamanca's moment. Our city is going through a very exciting period when it comes to project implementation, which will enable Salamanca continue to be the capital of talent and knowledge, and for our city to be associated with innovation and job creation, placing the enormous talent that the city possesses at the service of the people of Salamanca to improve their quality of life and build a better Salamanca together," concluded the Mayor.
