Author: administrador

• The project seeks to generate a solid ecosystem that provides a lasting impact on the tourism sector, promoting its resilience to future challenges, aligning with the objectives of the EU’s European Green Pact.

• Funded with 4 million euros by the COSME program and with a duration of 36 months, its main objective is to support the transition of European small and medium-sized tourism enterprises towards a green and inclusive economy in tourism sustainability.

On International Tourism Day, September 27, 2023, the Valencia Exhibition Palace was the venue for the presentation of the European project “FU-TOURISM 5.0 – Future-Ready Business Support Ecosystem for Tourism SME Transition to Green and Digital Resilience”, which seeks to develop a support ecosystem for tourism SMEs, promoting greater cooperation in innovation between these companies, incubators and accelerators.

The presentation was part of The Tourism Innovation Day organized by Finnova, a day that brought together three events to promote the attraction of talent in the tourism sector, position Valencia as a laboratory of best practices in tourism in the framework of its distinction as European Green Capital 2024 and share funding opportunities for this industry through European funds.

Valencia, towards sustainable tourism with the FU-TOURISM 5.0 Project

The “Fu-Tourism 5.0” Forum presented the European COSME project, which emerges as a transcendental opportunity for the city of Valencia and its thriving tourism industry.

After a networking coffee, the event started with a first block in which Juanma Revuelta, CEO of Finnova presented the “COSME Fu-Tourism 5.0 Project”, where he explained the main objectives of the project, among them, the acceleration program that will identify and support 102 tourism SMEs from six participating European countries: Spain, Greece, Croatia, Belgium, Austria and Poland through support services for sustainability, inclusive business models and direct financial assistance.

Revuelta assured that, “with the European Agenda for Tourism 2030, the competitiveness of the tourism sector must be consolidated, understood as an engine of sustainable growth, employment and social cohesion in the EU for the next decade as it must also be, above all sustainable, resilient, digital, global and social.” “At a crucial time when sustainability is imperative, this project offers strong support to local small and medium-sized tourism businesses to transition to a greener and more resilient approach.”, he concluded.

Paula Mª Llobet Vilarrasa, Deputy Mayor Valencia, offered the European Green Capital in 2024 as a municipal laboratory of good environmental and sustainability practices.

Likewise, Juan José Cortés Vélez, General Director of Innovation of the Regional Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism of the Valencian Region; highlighted that European projects are an essential ally in the materialization of a vision of responsible tourism, thus boosting economic growth, the preservation of the environment and the positioning of Valencia as a leading destination in the European context. “Tourism has five challenges to face right now: the new consumer, sustainability, digital transformation, the use of data and governance,” Cortés concluded.

With the distinction of Valencia as European Green Capital 2024, FU-TOURISM 5.0 stands as an essential ally in the materialization of a vision of responsible tourism, thus boosting economic growth, the preservation of the environment and the positioning of Valencia as a leading destination in the European context.

This was confirmed by the different actors participating in the Table of Synergies and projects.

The next speaker was Juan José Cabrera, CEO of Alstenda, who focused his presentation on sustainability and the effect of digitalization on tourism. Cabrera remarked the relevance that digitalization must have when transforming the tourism industry towards a sustainable industry, as digitalization was a catalyst for other previous changes in the tourism industry in the 90s. In addition, Cabrera insisted that fighting tourismphobia is another of the industry’s current challenges. “It is important that the benefit generated by tourism stays in the tourist sites, in the businesses in those areas, since tourism phobia appears when the enclaves only suffer a negative impact from this activity,” Cabrera concluded.

Francisco Contreras, director of the Parador de El Saler, also insisted on the need for a paradigm shift, leading to a transformation of tourismphobia into tourismphilia. “We must take advantage of the synergies that can arise from tourism, and think that tourism is not only a source of economic value, but tourism also allows us to create intercultural ties,” concluded Contreras.

On the other hand, Contreras explained another of the structural changes that are taking place in the industry, which is moving away from agglomeration tourism to focus on more sustainable tourism, “a sustainability that is here to stay, as this is what the client is looking for”.

Alberto Galloso, head of the HOSBEC Valencia delegation, also insisted on the importance of sustainability and its connection with technology for a faster transformation. Galloso indicated the steps to be followed when working from a sustainable perspective: identifying aspects of sustainable tourism, providing healthy working environments, providing management tools, generating agreements and collaborations and communication.

The second block was closed by Juanma Romero, director and presenter of TVE’s “Emprende”, who stressed the importance of communication methodologies for entrepreneurship as an added value for European projects.

In short, this event has laid the foundations for the creation of a Laboratory of Best Practices through projects such as FU-TOURISM 5.0 as essential allies in the materialization of a vision of responsible tourism.

This Laboratory aims to promote economic growth, environmental preservation and the positioning of Valencia as a leading destination in the European context, laying the foundations for a resilient and prosperous tourism industry in the future.

Fu-Tourism 5.0

Funded with 4 million euros by the COSME program and a duration of 36 months (3 years), the Fu-Tourism project involves eight partners from seven European countries. To develop a support ecosystem for tourism SMEs, promoting greater cooperation in innovation between these companies and incubators and accelerators in the sector.

This project takes on special relevance in the EU scenario where the tourism sector, according to the latest European Parliament Factsheet, encompasses 2.3 million companies, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and employs some 12.3 million people.

ABOUT THE FINNOVA FOUNDATION

Finnova is the Spanish-Belgian foundation based in Brussels and Spain (headquartered in Valencia), which works for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. Finnova’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities of European projects is combined with a solid proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programs, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.

• The event served to check the progress made during these last 2 years
• Finnova celebrates the presentation of the online course platform that crystallizes the objectives of the project

26/09/2023, Brussels. The final meeting of the transnational project DESTINE was held in Berlin on Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 September. The Erasmus + DESTINE (DivErSity and Tolerance IN E-Environment) project aims to promote online vocational training that ensures support for diversity, inclusion and tolerance by providing the necessary tools for all professionals and students to adapt to the e-learning methodology. DESTINE focuses especially on those vocational training students who need a learning environment adapted to their needs.

The meeting allowed all the partners, including the Finnova Foundation, to discuss the results obtained during the project and the progress it has made in its two years of existence. Throughout the two days, the partners presented the progress made in the project, with the presentation of the online courses as the main highlight. They also updated the contributions they have made to the project and the objectives they intend to achieve at the end of the project, as DESTINE will close on November 1 after two years of activity.

The launch of the online platform was the main event of the day, a platform that crystallizes the objectives of DESTINE. Destine MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is the name of the platform on which online courses and educational materials are delivered and made accessible to everyone. Destine MOOC contains video resources, reading material, assessments, quizzes and a discussion forum that make up the 7 modules into which the platform is divided.

The project aims to equip all professionals and students with the essential tools to effectively adapt to an e-learning approach. DESTINE specifically prioritizes the creation of a learning environment that is adapted to the needs of vocational training students.

In line with the project’s objectives, the platform contains material focused on methods for fostering tolerance and diversity in virtual spaces. The DESTINE project aims to address the challenge of raising the issues of inclusion, diversity and tolerance in the online and distance learning environment. In addition, DESTINE also targets vocational students, and in particular students with fewer opportunities, who need a diversity-friendly learning environment.

Finnova Foundation, as an entity committed to innovation, inclusion and diversity, celebrates the presentaion of the online courses platform that will allow to meet the objectives on which this project has pivoted. The work of Finnova and all the partners has allowed this project to achieve its goals, and the final meeting has allowed the partners to share their experiences in the project in situ. Finnova is a partner in this project together with Osengo (France), AKMI (Greece), BK CON (Germany), Centrul Pentru Promovarea Invatarii Permanente – CPIP (Romania), Symplexis (Greece) and Future in Perspective (Ireland), with a budget of €284,697.

About ERASMUS+

Erasmus+ 2021-2027 is the European Union’s renewed program in the fields of education and training, youth and sport, offering opportunities for all people and in all educational sectors (School Education, Vocational Education, Higher Education and Adult Education). This new Erasmus+ is more international, more inclusive, more digital and greener, supporting digital transformation, inclusion and diversity, as well as the environment and the fight against climate change. With a budget of over €28 billion, it will fund learning-related mobility and cross-border cooperation projects for 10 million people of all ages and backgrounds. “This project has been funded with the support of the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”

About DESTINE 

The Erasmus + DESTINE project (DivErSity and Tolerance IN E-Environment) was created with the aim of promoting an online professional training online vocational training that ensures support for diversity, inclusion, and tolerance, providing the necessary tools for all professionals and students to adapt to the e-learning methodology. students to adapt to the e-learning methodology. DESTINE focuses especially on those vocational students who need a learning environment adapted to their needs. learning environment adapted to their needs.

About FINNOVA

Finnova is the Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation based in Brussels and Spain, working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. Finnova’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities of European projects is combined with a solid proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programs, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.

• The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has conveyed a message of unity in the face of the challenges facing the EU.
• The topics covered in the speech are areas in which the Finnova Foundation works and aligns itself with the EU’s objectives.

13/09/2023, Brussels. Today, Wednesday 13 September 2023, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg (France) to give her speech in the debate on the State of the Union (SOTEU). The President of the European executive took stock of the actions carried out by the Union during the last year and presented to the MEPs the challenges that the 27 will have to face during the next year.

Von der Leyen began her speech by focusing on the next European elections, which will be held from June 6 to 9, 2024. In view of the elections, Von der Leyen encouraged young people to go to the polls, many of whom were born under the economic crisis of 2008, to contribute to the future of the EU they want. The Commission president stressed the importance of young people being able to share their concerns about issues that concern them, such as climate change, the influence of artificial intelligence, and the problems of access to housing and entry into the world of work.

On this last topic, Von der Leyen highlighted two current problems of the European labor market: the lack of labor and skilled workers and the number of young people who neither study nor work. “At present, there are 8 million young people who do not study, do not receive training, whose dreams are on hold causing them great distress,” concluded the German leader. To solve this problem, Von der Leyen defends the benefits of social dialogue, a tool that made it possible 4 decades ago to shape the Union of today, and has announced the holding of a social summit during the Belgian presidency of the Council.

Climate change

The ecological transition has taken up a large part of the speech, and has been present in all the topics mentioned by Von der Leyen. The president of the European Commission has put on the table the temperature records that have been recorded in the old continent during the summer and the fires and floods that have recently affected Spain and Greece as examples of the devastating effects of climate change. Von der Leyen stressed the work that has been done during the legislature, such as the approval of the European Climate Law, the zero emissions target for 2050 or the European Green Pact. “Europe has turned the climate agenda into its political agenda, providing this direction for investment and innovation”, concluded Von der Leyen. In this line, he stressed the need to provide industry with the necessary tools to carry out the ecological transformation, in turn strengthening the competitiveness of the European business fabric.

Gender equality

Equality was also a recurring theme during her speech. In this space, Von der Leyen highlighted the accession of the Union to the Istanbul Convention and the approval of the directive on the presence of women on boards of directors, a law that will oblige companies to have at least 40% of positions occupied by people of the least represented gender. In addition, she has also put on the table the difficulties that women have in terms of reconciliation and their entry into the labor market, pointing them out as challenges to be faced by the Union within the aforementioned social dialogue summit.

Artificial intelligence

Digital sovereignty was another of the pillars on which the speech hinged, and artificial intelligence was the star topic in this section. The president was pleased that Europe is working to become a world leader in this area, as regulations are being negotiated to establish obligations for providers and users depending on the level of risk of AI. Without questioning the benefits that AI can bring to the daily lives of Europeans (higher productivity, better healthcare, combating climate change, etc.), Von der Leyen proposed three lines of work to address the problems that can arise from the use of artificial intelligence: a legislative approach that puts people at the center, the development of a system of global governance that can provide a global vision (as is done with climate change) and the orientation of innovation from the point of view of responsibility.

In addition to the topics developed during the speech, Von der Leyen also had time to speak about the role of the EU in the world order, competitiveness and fairness in world markets, biodiversity, ongoing global conflicts and enlargement. After the speech, the leaders of the European Parliament’s political groups gave their views on the topics covered in the President’s speech.

Finnova, committed to European affairs

The Finnova Foundation has been working for more than 10 years to support innovation financing for companies, regions and municipalities, by promoting European funds that support the causes highlighted today at SOTEU. Finnova works in several of the areas mentioned this morning, demonstrating its commitment as an entity aligned with European values.

Finnova is committed to the promotion of young talent, with more than 550 young people trained at both the Brussels and Spanish sites. The LIFE projects of which Finnova is a partner (Ecodigestion 2.0, NextFUMIGREEN and COSTAdapta) promote the ecological transition that is shaping the economic and social agenda of the Union. The Woman4Tech project has initiatives that promote female entrepreneurship and advocate for a greater female presence in STEM careers, objectives related to the pursuit of equality that Von der Leyen mentioned in her speech. Finally, in the field of artificial intelligence, the LivAI project is aligned with the use of artificial intelligence from an ethical perspective.

About Finnova Foundation

Finnova is the Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation based in Brussels and Spain, working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. Finnova’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities of European projects is combined with a solid proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programs, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.

• The winners of Innobus have visited the workspaces of the Foundation
• Our team has received a talk about the Innobus initiative

21/09/2023, Brussels. Today, Thursday September 21, the winners of Innobus 2023 have visited our offices in Brussels. Innobus is an initiative of the Agency for Innovation and Knowledge of Baix Llobregat and L’Hospitalet, which tests the skills of young people to propose innovative solutions and allows them to see the importance of entrepreneurship through experience.

The winning teams of Innobus 2023 have received as a prize a trip to Brussels to visit the European institutions and entities such as the Finnova Foundation, which are committed to innovation through European funds. Today, the Finnova team in Brussels accompanied the Innobus winners on their visits to the European institutions and shared experiences about what it means to work in the heart of the European Union.

The day started with a visit to the European Parliament where the winners of Innobus have known one of the most media spaces of the European Union. Then, the winners of Innobus 2023 visited our offices in Brussels and learned the details of the work carried out at our headquarters in Brussels. During the meeting, Juan Castilla and Laura Benítez, CEOs and Co-Founders of Talent Factory and Natàlia Mir, General Director of Innobaix, explained the basis of the Innobus initiative to our team.

Finnova, committed to the young talent

Finnova, as an entity committed to the promotion of young talent, is pleased to be a reference in this field and that young people continue to see the foundation as a reliable entity to start their professional careers. During the last 13 years, Finnova has hosted more than 550 young people who have been trained in our offices in Brussels and Spain, with the aim of addressing the lack of professionals in European affairs.

About Talent Factory

Talent Factory is an initiative that seeks to encourage entrepreneurship in a pedagogical way, helping young people to understand and prepare for the future of work. They create talent detection programs in the classroom, and, in the last 8 years, they have already trained more than 15,000 young people in entrepreneurial skills.

About Innobus

Innobus is an initiative of Innobaix (Agència per a la Innovació i el Coneixement del Baix Llobregat i L’Hospitalet) that promotes the importance of entrepreneurship through experience to help young people how to imagine a real scenario of job opportunities for their future.

About Finnova Foundation

Finnova is a foundation working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship at EU level. Based in Brussels, it operates through collaborations and partnerships in all countries of the European Union. Finnova’s experience in leading European project communication and dissemination activities is combined with a strong proven expertise in start-ups and business support programs, such as accelerators, incubators and ceremonial event selection and awarding.

• The project took part in the event “Innovation in Green Cities through European Funds”, organised by Finnova
• During the event, the simulation game Serious Game and the project accelerator Accelerathon were presented

Brussels, 21/09/2023. Yesterday, Wednesday 20 September 2023, the RES4CITY project was presented at the event “Innovation in Green Cities through European Funds” organised by Finnova. This activity was part of the Greencities and S-Moving Fair held at the Trade Fairs and Congress Centre of Malaga and its main objective was to promote the development of renewable energy and fuel technologies in urban environments.

The event started with the welcome given by Juanma Revuelta, CEO of Finnova, and with the presentation of the project by Patricia Tejada, EU Project Officer at Finnova. Tejada stressed the importance of this project, a consortium of 18 partners from 9 countries that stands as a crucial initiative to promote sustainability and circularity in the urban environment. RES4CITY aims to implement an innovative educational programme, promoting the use of renewable energy sources and sustainable fuel technologies in cities.

Julio Andrade, director of the International Centre for Training of Authorities and Leaders CIFAL, then opened the round of presentations. Andrade sent a message of awareness about climate change, picking up on the latest UN warnings of a two-degree increase in global temperatures. “This warning worsens the already negative prediction of a 1.5 degree increase, so it is key that cities become sustainable spaces, in line with the eleventh Sustainable Development Goal,” Andrade concluded.

Next to take the floor was Cirlet Bando, representing Kunak Technologies. The aim of this company is to measure pollution in cities, creating greener and cleaner cities. Kunak Technologies uses a network of sensor stations to collect pollution data, allowing street-by-street monitoring, with real-time information and evaluation of the impact of the actions implemented by the institutions. “In addition, this system is able to identify patterns and hotspots, so we can offer new strategies in the fight to reduce pollution,” Bando concluded.

John David Babyack, Smart Cities Sales Manager at Libelium, focused his speech on the application of technologies that contribute to the environment in people’s daily lives. “Our intention is that the administration invests with knowledge, and we have the information that serves and should improve people’s quality of life,” said Babyack. Libelium, a company with 17 years of experience and with headquarters on all continents, has applied Smartcities technology in those places where it has a presence. Among the projects managed by the company from Zaragoza, the environmental corridor installed in Vizcaya stands out, a network of 20 air quality devices that sends information on pollution, the influx of cars and noise levels to a platform managed by the Provincial Council of Vizcaya.

To close the block of talks, Juanma Revuelta spoke about the synergies between European projects. To this end, Revuelta gave as an example the LIFE ECOdigestion 2.0 project, a consortium between Finnova, Global Omnium and Águas do Centro Litoral, which is committed to innovation aimed at ecological transformation, by focusing its scope of work on the production of biogas through efficient waste management.

After the presentations, Laura Velasco, EU Project Officer at Finnova, presented the Serious Game simulation, a role-playing game that simulates a specific business scenario related to renewable energy and fuel technologies. Playing the main character, the player must make decisions, organise work, manage information and solve problems related to sustainability, circular economy and renewable energies.

The event concluded with Patricia Tejada’s presentation of the Accelerathon, a methodology for accelerating innovative projects promoted by Finnova, which aims to find solutions and funding. It is carried out through an open and applied innovation competition that brings together the innovative ecosystem of the circular economy sector. The next call will be launched between November 2023 and January 2024.

Startup Europe Awards Greencities

With the organisation of this event, the Finnova Foundation reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development and the circular economy. The RES4CITY project, in which Finnova Foundation is a partner, is another example that confirms Finnova’s good work in this area.

About RES4CITY

The RES4CITY project, funded by Horizon Europe, aims to boost the development of sustainable renewable energy and fuel technologies in cities. This objective will be achieved through the promotion of sustainability and circularity, as well as through the implementation of an innovative educational programme designed in collaboration with stakeholders. This programme aims to train highly skilled professionals, enabling the replicability of results in various educational systems. The project is led by Maynooth University in a consortium of 18 organisations from the European Union and Switzerland, including Finnova.

About Startup Europe Awards

Startup Europe Awards (SEUA) is the open innovation methodology of public-private collaboration that was created in 2016 with the support of the current Vice-President of the European Commission Mariya Gabriel and the Finnova Foundation and that promotes the identification of innovative solutions by entrepreneurs to SDG and EU challenges. The process fosters collaboration between the different actors in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and aims to accelerate companies through the tools and mechanisms offered by the EU: networking and access to investors, training in EU legislation and funds and mentoring to turn the idea into a real demonstration project such as Horizon Europe or Life, subsidised by the EU with up to 5 million euros per project. Startups awarded in other competitions have obtained subsidies for their internationalisation – up to 2.5 million through the EIC programme – or access to grants such as Erasmus entrepreneurs or registration of trademarks and patents. SEUA also creates a network of contacts that will inspire and give visibility to all local startups so that, through this network, they can scale their services and products globally. The Startup Europe Awards will accelerate the creation or consolidation and internationalisation of companies with funding from the European Union as well as offering legal advice, networking, and international communication, among other benefits.

About FINNOVA

Finnova is the Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation based in Brussels and Spain, working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. Finnova’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities for European projects is combined with a proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programmes, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.

• This day seeks to raise awareness about the importance of the exchange of resources, technology and knowledge between countries in the global South.
• The Finnova Foundation aligns itself as an entity committed to South-South Cooperation.

12/09/2023, Brussels. Today, Tuesday, September 12, 2023, marks the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation. This day, which has been celebrated since 2012, seeks to raise awareness of the importance of sharing resources, technology and knowledge among developing countries, also known as countries of the global South.

In such actions, developing countries share knowledge, skills, experiences and resources that can accelerate progress towards the implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is precisely within this framework, which aims to achieve the SDGs, that the day is being celebrated this year under the theme “Solidarity, equality and partnership: unlocking South-South cooperation to achieve the SDGs”. Another modality of South-South cooperation is triangular cooperation, a partnership in which traditional donor countries and multilateral organizations facilitate South-South initiatives by providing funding, training, management and technology systems, and other forms of support.

South-South cooperation has several objectives that are aligned with the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda. First, it seeks to foster and strengthen the self-reliance of developing countries by increasing their creative and technological capacity to address them. Second, in line with the collective self-reliance of these countries, it promotes the exchange of experiences leading to greater awareness of common problems and greater access to available knowledge. Finally, the most vulnerable countries (landlocked countries, small island states, those affected by natural disasters and other crises, etc.) are targeted to respond to their needs and provide them with greater participation in international economic activities.

Finnova, committed to South-South cooperation

The Finnova Foundation commemorates the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation transmitting its firm commitment to this cause. An example of this commitment has been the participation of the foundation in initiatives such as “Sustainability in the fashion sector for its internationalization”, a triangular cooperation project thanks to the work of Finnova, the Chamber of Commerce of Bogota and the Sustainable Fashion Cluster of Peru. The Alliance entities combined their knowledge to generate tools to support business growth through internationalization to the European market, while contributing to environmental sustainability and respect for human rights.

The project was financed by the European Commission, within the ADELANTE 2 Triangular Cooperation program. In order to approach the program from different perspectives, ADELANTE 2 contributed to the program with different components: operational support to articulate the European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean Triangular Cooperation ADELANTE Window; analytical support to develop the analysis and studies of Triangular Cooperation together with the Ibero-American General Secretariat; and institutional support that allowed the development of bilateral Triangular Cooperation funds between the EU and selected Latin American and Caribbean countries.  In this way, the program was able to meet the Sustainable Development Goals to leave no one behind thanks to Triangular Cooperation.

About Finnova Foundation

Finnova is the Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation based in Brussels and Spain, working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. Finnova’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities of European projects is combined with a solid proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programs, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.

• Finnova, as an entity committed to the creation of talent, has hosted more than 550 young people since 2010
• The foundation collaborates with the promotion of talent also through the online training platform EU Training Platform.

Brussels, 06/09/2023. Today, Wednesday, September 6, 2023, marks Global Talent Acquisition Day. As every first Wednesday in September, it pays tribute to those people who are dedicated to talent acquisition, a process by which qualified workers are recruited and required by organizations.

The search for human talent by professionals or specialized companies is a comprehensive strategy used by organizations to fill vacant positions or positions required to contribute to the fulfillment of its mission and vision, as well as to increase productivity levels. It is a strategy for identifying and attracting potential employees that might contribute to the achievement of a company’s objectives.

The main objective of this practice is to find the right person to hold a position or perform a job with specific functions. Among the main benefits of talent acquisition services, there is the creation of a talent pool or a list of potential candidates, reducing the time spent searching for people.

Finnova, committed to talent

The Finnova Foundation is committed to the creation and dissemination of talent; therefore, it has more than 50 collaboration agreements with various European entities for the reception of young talents. The Foundation is aware of the importance of betting on young people, giving them a first job opportunity that allows them to start their professional career and, at the same time, develop the skills they have acquired during their studies.

Over the past 13 years, Finnova has welcomed more than 550 young people who have been trained in our offices in Brussels and Spain, with the aim of addressing the shortage of professionals in European affairs. To this end, the Foundation has established multiple agreements that have facilitated the insertion of young talent.

The Finnova Foundation works hand in hand with different mobility programs promoted by autonomous and regional governments. Examples are the GENIUS program of the Tarragona Provincial Council, the TALENTIUM program of the Jaen Provincial Council or the Catalan Talent Factory program, which allow young people from these territories to specialize in European issues. The Finnova Foundation also collaborates with national entities such as the National Youth Guarantee System, which offers through the Chambers of Commerce and the Mobility Plan of the PICE Program stays abroad. On the other hand, Finnova Foundation hosts entrepreneurs from the Erasmus + Young Entrepreneurs program, a transnational exchange program that offers new entrepreneurs and people who want to create a business the opportunity to learn from experienced entrepreneurs who run small businesses in other participating countries. Finally, Finnova also offers employment opportunities through the NextTalentGeneration platform.

Apart from the face-to-face work in our offices, Finnova Foundation instructs young people through courses on European issues on the EU Training Platform. Now, courses focused on European funds 2021-2027 and on the LIFE program of funds for the environment are available, and courses on funds for the circular economy, start-ups, the social field and communication of the European Union will be open soon.

About GENIUS

The GENIUS program is a project promoted by the Provincial Council of Tarragona that promotes, through professional training stays abroad, the labor market insertion of unemployed people with university degrees or higher vocational training. With a monthly financial endowment of 9,300 euros for the 7 months of the program, the areas of professionalization cover areas such as communication, tourism, information management, agriculture, culture and cooperation projects and networks in the European Union.

About TALENTIUM

The sixth edition of the Talentium program, developed by the Provincial Council of Jaén, within the Employment and Enterprise Plan for the Province of Jaén has 25 scholarships consisting of internships in public or private European entities according to the personalized training itinerary adapted to the training and preferences of young people. The scholarship has a duration of 5 months from January 2022 and represents a first professional contact in Brussels with the European Union and aims to train young people who can return to Jaén to help territorial development with the management of Next Genaration EU funds in municipalities, business associations and third sector. The total budget of the call amounts to 168,750 € and the economic endowment for each young person is 6,750 €. Some of them, in a second phase, will be able to complete their training with internships in European institutions before the return of talent program.

About EU – Training Platform

It is an e-learning training platform, which offers a wide variety of courses, always around the theme of European background. The learning methodology combines interactive games, tutorials, and constant support throughout the training. Once completed, you have the possibility of an official certificate issued by Finnova.

About Finnova Foundation

Finnova is a foundation working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship at EU level. Based in Brussels, it operates through collaborations and partnerships in all countries of the European Union. Finnova’s experience in leading European project communication and dissemination activities is combined with a strong proven expertise in start-ups and business support programs, such as accelerators, incubators and ceremonial event selection and awarding.

• The program will help selected startups get off the ground, scale their business, explore new models and improve sustainability practices starting in January 2024.
•  The deadline to apply is October 31, 2023.
• The first information day of the accelerator program that is part of Creative Europe’s “CulturalDeTour” project will be held on Wednesday, September 27 in Valencia.

Empowering small or early-stage sustainable cultural tourism businesses in Greece, Spain or Slovenia to scale and thrive in a constantly evolving market. This is the main objective of Creative Europe’s CulturalDeTour Accelerator Program (CDTA), a 6-month acceleration initiative that offers an unprecedented opportunity for sustainable cultural tourism businesses to gain valuable insights and develop essential skills to grow and expand their businesses through digitization, technology and sustainability using the Earth-Centered Design Methodology. The deadline to apply remains open until October 31, 2023.

The CDTA Program seeks to boost innovation, sustainability and business creation in the tourism sector through a design-driven process. To this end, it will select 30 innovative teams, SMEs and early-stage sustainable cultural tourism companies based in Greece, Spain and Slovenia, operating within the cultural tourism sector, to grow and learn, expand their business, explore new models and improve sustainability practices from January 2024. Emphasizing new business models, the program will provide participants with the competencies needed to thrive in the sustainable cultural tourism industry.

Resources, guidance, networking.

Between January and June 2024, participants will be able to benefit from four national workshops in the language of each participating country, two transnational workshops for cross-border understanding and collaboration; five hours of one-on-one mentoring on sustainability business modeling, access to industry experts for personalized guidance and advice, thematic courses and webinars from partner organizations and networking opportunities to share best practices

Applications through October 31, 2023

Applications can be submitted online for new companies through https://bit.ly/CDTAapply

. The deadline for submission of applications is October 31, 2023

InfoDay on September 27

Coinciding with World Tourism Day, on September 27, 2023, “The Tourism Innovation Day” will be held in Valencia, a day that will host three international events in the tourism industry with the aim of establishing an ecosystem to support entrepreneurs and SMEs in the tourism sector, promoting innovation, growth and business creation in this industry.

The day will kick off with the event “CulturalDeTour Forum: cross-border cooperation for regional and innovative tourism with EU (European Union) funds”, a side event of the EU Regions Week, approved by the European Commission. It will launch the CDT Boost Acceleration Program to support cultural entrepreneurs in expanding and improving the sustainability of their activities. This event will be the first information day of the accelerator program that is part of Creative Europe’s “CulturalDeTour” project, which aims to support cultural entrepreneurs to expand their activities and improve sustainability.

An overview of the program will be provided, highlighting the benefits and opportunities it offers for your tourism business. This innovative event is part of the actions to achieve the overall objective of the project: to drive innovation, sustainability and business creation in the tourism sector through a design-driven process.

At the second event “Fu-Tourism 5.0” Forum: Valencia, towards sustainable tourism, the European COSME project “FU-TOURISM 5.0- Business support ecosystem for the transition of tourism SMEs towards green resilience” will be presented. With a budget of €4 million, it aims to support European tourism SMEs in their transition towards a green economy by launching an acceleration program that will support 102 SMEs through sustainability support services, inclusive business models and direct financial assistance.

The day will end with the presentation of the Social Founders Award 2023: tourism and women, aimed at projects driven by women in the idea, startup or entrepreneur phase. In this year’s edition, awards will be given to those projects and successful cases of female entrepreneurship in Tourism and Social that support and create a better world.

About the Cultural DeTour project

The Cultural DeTour project aims to use design-driven innovation and sustainability integration to drive collaboration and entrepreneurship in the cultural tourism sector, and to create a strong cross-sector and transnational innovation network to enhance economic resilience during the recovery phase of COVID-19.

Cultural DeTour is the product of a unique collaboration between three heterogeneous but complementary partners from across the European Union: Envolve Entrepreneurship (Greece), Finnova (Spain) and Arctur (Slovenia).

• The event was attended by Pedro Barrionuevo, director of tourism and business development in tourism and planning of the Costa del Sol.
• The Finnova Foundation supports the initiatives that Tourism and Planning Costa del Sol is implementing to boost the tourism sector.

4/09/2023, Brussels. Last Thursday 31 August 2023, the headquarters of the Finnova Foundation in Brussels hosted the III Next Talent Generation Forum – Costa del Sol Tourism Sector, a space in which the situation of tourism in Malaga and Spain was analysed. Pedro Barrionuevo, director of tourism and business development in tourism and planning of the Costa del Sol, gave an hour-long conference, followed by a round of questions in which attendees were able to resolve and discuss in depth some topics of interest.

The conference focused on the challenges and opportunities that the Costa del Sol is facing in terms of tourism, giving a brief overview of the processes of planning, development and promotion of initiatives that promote the sector. Firstly, Barrionuevo highlighted a changing trend in the tourism industry, in which tools such as the metaverse and artificial intelligence are being introduced that could bring about a paradigm shift in the short to medium term.

In addition to the tools that are coming to the industry, Barrionuevo warned of a general change in the sector. “Before, the tourist was a sun and beach tourist; now, the tourist is more experiential, he wants to get to know the environment and the Costa del Sol,” concluded Barrionuevo. For this reason, he stressed the importance of adapting to new developments in the tourism market.

Along these lines, Barrionuevo explained that another of the challenges facing the Costa del Sol as a tourist centre of reference is the offer it can provide to visitors who come for work purposes. For this reason, he highlighted the work being done by Tourism and Planning Costa del Sol for these visitors who can stay or even settle in the area thanks to the growing implementation of teleworking or remote work. “It is a way of aligning ourselves with the technological Malaga that we want to achieve, it is a door that the pandemic opened, an opportunity to which we are adapting.

In the final part of his lecture, Barrionuevo stressed the importance of maintaining and developing the tourism industry as a source of economic development. “Tourist development is not an end in itself, but must be oriented towards the economic and social development of the province and the creation of jobs.

Finally, Barrionuevo underlined the role that Costa del Sol Tourism Hub is playing as a national reference entity as an accelerator and incubator of tourism projects. The Finnova Foundation, as a partner of this project, welcomes the success of these initiatives that underpin such an important industry for the Spanish economy as tourism. Furthermore, the project is in line with several of the Finnova Foundation’s objectives, such as entrepreneurship, the creation of business fabric and the promotion of innovative ideas.

The Tourism Innovation Day

Within the field of tourism, the Finnova Foundation is organising, in collaboration with the Valencia City Council, on Wednesday 27 September, World Tourism Day, “The Tourism Innovation Day”, to be held at the Palacio de la Exposición in Valencia. The day, which will bring together leading projects in the tourism industry that focus on culture, sustainability and female entrepreneurship, will feature three forums:

• The forum CulturalDeTour, cross-border cooperation for regional and innovative tourism with EU funds, framed in a side event of the European Week of Regions and Cities, approved by the European Commission. It will launch the CDT Boost Acceleration Programme, which is part of the “Cultural DeTour” project and aims to support cultural entrepreneurs in expanding their activities and improving their sustainability.
• The “Fu-Tourism 5.0” forum: Valencia, towards sustainable tourism as European Green Capital 2024. The European COSME project “FU-TOURISM 5.0 – Future-Ready Business Support Ecosystem for Tourism SME Transition to Green Resilience” will be presented. With a budget of over €4 million, it aims to support European tourism SMEs in their transition towards a green and inclusive economy, focusing on the application of the principles of the regenerative economy.
• Call for the 2023 Fundadoras Sociales Awards, which focuses on those social projects that support and create a better world and continues with the structure of awarding projects driven by women in the idea, startup or entrepreneur phase.

About the Finnova Foundation

Finnova is the Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation based in Brussels and Spain, working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. Finnova’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities of European projects is combined with a strong proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programmes, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.