Category: News

• The European LivAI Project Handbook serves as a guide to understanding ethics in the field of data and artificial intelligence.

15/11/2023, Brussels. The Handbook for Understanding Ethics in the field of data and AI of the Erasmus+ LivAI project, Making Adult Education Lively Through Artificial Intelligence, of which Finnova Foundation is a partner, is now available. This is an important milestone in the first phase of the project, which aims to address technology and data from an ethical perspective, within a certification framework that ensures standards for all types of learning and work.

It has been created by the education and emerging technologies experts of the LivAI project consortium with the aim of identifying limitations in adult education on artificial intelligence and data ethics and offering practical ideas for their responsible use.

The handbook is addressed to adult educators, students and those interested in AI and data ethics. It is also aimed at educational institutions, teacher training centres and other organisations with a growing interest in AI.

Furthermore, the purpose of this handbook is aligned with the objectives of the project, which are the following: to increase institutional commitment to the implementation of the EU guidelines on ethics in artificial intelligence, to create Open Educational Resources (OER) that provide and validate competences in the field of data and AI, and to promote the ethical use of data in education at all levels.

The Finnova Foundation, as an entity specialised in areas such as development and innovation, promotes projects within the Erasmus+ programme related to these fields, as is the case of LivAI.

About LivAI

LivAI is an Erasmus+ project funded within the framework of the Adult Education Cooperation Partnership action. The two main objectives of the LivAI project are to promote the creation of educational resources, such as a handbook to understand ethics in the field of data and artificial intelligence, and the implementation of an e-learning platform with the possibility to validate or certify the acquired competences. The project has a budget of 250,000 euros and is led by the Universitat Jaume I  (Spain) in collaboration with the Finnova Foundation (Belgium), Konnektable Technologies Ltd (Ireland), EFCoCert (Switzerland), Project Consult (Italy) and UBITECH (Greece).

About Finnova Foundation

Finnova is a Spanish-Belgian non-profit 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 EU countries. Finnova’s expertise in leading European project communication and dissemination activities is combined with a strong proven track record in start-ups and business support programmes, such as accelerators, incubators and ceremonial event selection and awarding.

• The Finnova Foundation organised a meeting in collaboration with the Benaguasil Town Council at the headquarters of the Comunitat Valenciana in Brussels
• The aim of the event was to strengthen the knowledge of the municipalities of Camp de Túria about European funds and to promote possible public-private partnerships that can be developed into new projects.
• Finnova Foundation presented the European projects Res4City, SETOFF, LivAI and LIFE ECOdigestion 2.0

10/11/2023, Brussels. On Thursday 9th November an institutional visit was held at the offices of the delegation of the Comunitat Valenciana in Brussels led by the City Council of Benaguasil in the framework of its commitment to the development of municipalities through European funds. The event was attended by 19 mayors and councillors from municipalities in the Camp de Túria region, accompanied by Stephane Soriano, Director General for Diversity of the Department of Social Services, Equality and Housing of the Generalitat Valenciana. In addition to informing about European funds, Finnova Foundation presented four European projects in which it is a partner.

The introductory speech was given by Leticia Casañ Jensen, coordinator of the Delegation of the Comunitat Valenciana in Brussels, who presented the mission and functions of the Delegation of the Comunitat Valenciana in Brussels.

This was followed by José Alberto López Moreno, Head of Policy at the Fundación Comunidad Valencia Región Europea in Brussels and responsible for relations with the Committee of the Regions, who spoke about the opportunities offered by the Committee of the Regions (CoR) to municipalities and provinces and the mechanisms for political participation available.

Patricia Tejada, responsible for vocational training, Erasmus+ and training and youth at Finnova, introduced the European funds, highlighting the Multiannual Financial Framework and NextGeneration and the different programmes offered by the EU, such as the Horizon, LIFE and Interreg programmes, among others.

The next speaker was Laura Velasco, European Project Manager at Finnova, who explained the European project Res4City, whose main objective is to address the skills shortage in the EU in the renewable energy sector, accelerating the energy transition. Res4City has a budget of 2.5 million euros and brings together 17 partners from eight countries, including the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

Velasco went on to present the Erasmus+ SETOFF project, which aims to improve the preparedness and occupational safety of civil protection and security personnel, both from the public and private sectors, for future crises and emergencies through the development of an innovative online training curriculum based on a proven and successfully implemented simulation model. SETOFF has a budget of 312,307 euros and brings together 8 partners from four countries, including the International Hellenic University.

Elroy Arancibia, European Project manager at Finnova, presented the European project LivAI, which focuses on how technology and data in particular should be approached from an ethical perspective, within a certification framework that guarantees standards for any learning and working environment. It is an Erasmus+ project with a budget of 250,000 euros and is led by the Universitat Jaume I (Spain in collaboration with the Finnova Foundation (Belgium), Konnektable Technologies Ltd (Ireland), EFCoCert (Switzerland), Project Consult (Italy) y UBITECH (Greece).

Finally, Ester Mbomio, from Finnova’s communication department, presented the LIFE ECOdigestion 2.0 project, a project funded by the European LIFE programme that, through its technology, generates renewable energy (biogas) in water treatment plant digesters by mixing putrescible organic waste. This project has a budget of more than 970,000 euros and is led by Global Omnium (Spain) in collaboration with the Finnova Foundation (Belgium) and Aguas do Centro Litoral (Portugal).

About Finnova Foundation

Finnova is a Spanish-Belgian non-profit 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 EU countries. Finnova’s experience in leading European project communication and dissemination activities is combined with a strong proven track record in start-ups and business support programmes, such as accelerators, incubators and selection and award ceremonial events.

About the Delegation of the Valencian Community in Brussels

The Delegation of the Comunitat Valenciana in Brussels is an administrative body that represents, defends and promotes the multi-sectoral interests of the Valencian Community before the institutions and bodies of the European Union.

• It is a date that tries to raise awareness and sensitise people about the need to conserve the environment.
• The Finnova Foundation is an environmentally conscious organisation and a partner in LIFE projects and the HORIZON RES4City project.

02/11/2023, Brussels. Yesterday, Wednesday 1 November, was World Ecology Day, a very significant event that seeks to raise awareness and sensitise people to the need to conserve the environment and encourage the practice of ecological actions that contribute to the biodiversity of the planet. The celebration of this world day pays tribute to ecology as a scientific discipline and recognises the work of professional ecologists.

Ecology studies the relationships between living beings and the environment that surrounds them, although it does not focus exclusively on the study of green areas. It carries out activities and actions that contribute to the sustainability of the environment and the planet, aimed at improving the quality of life for human beings and their environment.

Ecology promotes the importance of developing actions in harmony with the environment that favour the planet’s biodiversity. Some of these examples are the optimisation of production, consumption and services under ecological criteria, the management of waste generated, and the conservation of water, among other actions.

The Finnova Foundation, as an entity committed to sustainable development and water and waste management, joins the commemoration of this day in which it is intended to remember the importance and application of ecology in our daily lives to combat climate change. As part of this commitment, Finnova is currently a partner in three LIFE projects, the European Union’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action, and in a HORIZON projecto, the EU’s funding programme for financing and innovation.

LIFE ECOdigestión 2.0, with a budget of €970,000, aims to use biogas as a reliable and green energy source to meet industrial energy demand. The initiative, which will run until February 2024, is a consortium led by Global Omnium (Spain), in partnership with Águas do Centro Litoral (Portugal) and the Finnova Foundation (Belgium).

LIFE NextFUMIGREEN develops natural fumigants from plant extracts to control pests in intensive horticultural crops under glass. The project has a budget of €2,758,921.01, and is led by the Spanish company FumiHogar, with five other partners: the Foundation for Agricultural Auxiliary Technologies (TECNOVA); the Finnova Foundation; B&B Asesores Auditores Ambientales; Comercial Quimica Masso; and BrioAgro Tech.

The main objective of LIFE COSTAdapta is to address the adaptation of the coast of Gran Canaria to sea level rise by designing a tidal pool-reef system. The project, which has a duration of 7 years and a total budget of 3,409,864 €, is coordinated by the Gran Canaria Island Energy Council (CIEGC) of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria with the support of 7 partners: University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC); University of Cantabria (UC); INGECID S. L.; Raley Estudios Costeros S.C.P.; ECOncrete AQUA; Fundación Canaria para el Reciclaje y Desarrollo Sostenible (FCR) and Fundación Finnova.

RES4CITY is an innovative €2.5 million educational project 100% funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe programme. The RES4CITY education programme has the main objective of bridging the skills gap that is slowing down the transition to sustainable energy. The programme will be designed by a multidisciplinary group of partners from academia, industry and European NGOs with expertise in energy management, renewable energy systems, renewable fuel technologies and the development and implementation of sustainability strategy design.

About the 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 EU countries. Finnova’s expertise in leading European project communication and dissemination activities is combined with a strong proven track record in start-ups and business support programmes, such as accelerators, incubators and ceremonial event selection and awarding.

• The DESTINE project is committed to diversity and inclusion in distance education
• The Entrenaranjos International School leads in Valencia the promotion of diversity, tolerance and inclusion in virtual spaces

Finnova Foundation has presented this morning at Entrenaranjos International School the final event of the European project DESTINE, a project that advocates the preservation of inclusion, tolerance and diversity in virtual education spaces. In this event, the results of two years of work have been presented, with the presentation of the DESTINE MOOC platform as the main initiative.

The event was welcomed by María Arias, co-director of Entrenaranjos International School. In this welcome, Arias was pleased to host this final event of the DESTINE project, as it is a space that allows to broaden the school’s vision.

Next, Juanma Revuelta, CEO of the Finnova Foundation, presented the bases of the Erasmus + program, a fund from which DESTINE receives financing, and the Next Talent Generation initiative, a platform for finding European training internships promoted by the foundation, which helps young people to work in Europe. “I always recommend to all those young people who are starting their careers this type of mobilities, it is very important to take advantage of these opportunities,” concluded Revuelta.

The next presentation was given by Consuelo Cáceres, European projects technician & Quality Manager at the Finnova Foundation, who presented the results of the DESTINE project. Among these, the launch of the open platform DESTINE MOOC, an online platform designed for teachers, students and staff of educational institutions. The aim of this platform lies in enabling and empowering vocational education professionals to promote diversity, tolerance and, therefore, inclusion within an online and distance learning environment. “Thanks to DESTINE, we have been able to cover a problem that surfaced due to the COVID-19 pandemic: the improvement of virtual education,” Cáceres has qualified.

Lola Bordás, CMO of Finnova, presented the GIRLS4TECH initiative and Javier Fernández, CTO of Talent Growth Management,, presented the Technovation Girls challenges. Both initiatives aim to boost the participation of women in STEAM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers, and specifically, the project focuses on motivating girls and teenagers to become entrepreneurs and leaders in the technology field.

The next speaker was Petra María Pérez Alonsogeta, Emeritus Professor of the Faculty of Philosophy and Education at the University of Valencia, who focused her presentation on the importance of innovation, “a value that can be learned and for which it is key to create new and valuable things”. In addition, Pérez explained the Wrapped in Colors project, whose objective is focused on emotional well-being, using the relationship between colors and emotions.

The event was closed by María Arias, the co-director of Entrenaranjos International School, who also pointed out the benefits of being part of the Wrapped in Colors initiative for the school’s students. “This project has been tremendously enriching, and we like to host this type of event that brings together initiatives from which we can learn and experience,” concluded Arias.

The Finnova Foundation, organizer of this final event of the DESTINE project, celebrates its success and the launch of the DESTINE MOOC platform, which crystallizes the achievement of the project’s objectives. In turn, the Finnova Foundation thanks Entrenaranjos International School for hosting this event, an entity that has almost half a century of experience and is committed to an education based on universal values and the formation of autonomous learning based on study habits and cooperation.

About DESTINE

The Erasmus + DESTINE (DivErSity and Tolerance IN E-Environment) project was created with the aim of promoting 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. DESTINE focuses especially on those vocational training students who need a 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 forum was attended by Víctor Rubio Gómez, director of strategy and innovation at Masergrup and former member of the Finnova team
• The presentation was focused on his professional career and the opportunities that his time at Finnova brought him

26/10/2023, Brussels. Last Tuesday, October 24, the Finnova Foundation headquarters in Brussels hosted the VI Next Talent Generation Forum. This sixth edition counted with the participation of Víctor Rubio Gómez, Director of Strategy and Innovation at Masergrup and former member of the Finnova team in Brussels.

During the talk, Rubio explained to the Brussels team details of his successful career, which began as an intern at Finnova between 2011 and 2012. About those beginnings, Rubio highlighted the opportunity that Finnova provided for his career at a time when “the outlook was very bad” due to the Spanish property bubble crisis.

Thanks to his training at Finnova, Rubio began to become a professional in the field of European funds, “an area in those years in which there was a general lack of knowledge about,” he said. His specialization in European funds and his passion for innovation led him to continue his career focused on R&D, maintaining his link with European funding through the promotion of Horizon 2020 funds. On this aspect, Rubio stressed the importance of “not being mere fund-raisers, but having a business vision, conscientiously reviewing the calls, knowing how to add value and how to ensure that the grant ends up having an impact on the real economy”.

Since 2021, Rubio has held the position of Director of Strategy and Innovation at Masergrup, a business group from Reus that integrates reference companies such as Global Fruselva (baby food), Vermuts Miró (spirits), and TQ Tecnol (professional products for industry). It is a business group with more than 25 years of history that has production plants in Spain, Colombia and Chile; representative offices in the same countries as well as in the USA, Mexico and China and presence in more than 53 countries with presence in the professional, health, food and service industries.

The Finnova team in Brussels then inquired about his professional career and the lessons he learned from his time at Finnova. Rubio highlighted the good fortune of working alongside the Foundation’s CEO, Juan Manuel Revuelta, from whom he stressed the importance of hard work, love for the profession “whatever it may be” and team management. “From Juanma I learned how important it is to love the profession and the capacity for sacrifice that you have to have in order for projects to become a reality, since there are many people in the world and if you don’t execute the projects, they will be the ones to do it,” concluded Rubio.

Other aspects discussed at the roundtable included issues such as success, a subject on which Rubio was cautious. “Success is very relative. I understand that many of you are at the beginning of your careers and that, sometimes, you want to achieve everything very quickly, but from my experience, I can tell you that if you work, you will get where you want to go, but step by step,” Rubio said.

Finally, another of the topics that took center stage in the debate between Rubio and the Finnova team was the role of the consumer and the keys to reach him. Rubio stressed the importance of managing to apply innovation to the real economy, but in a way that does not affect the consumer “too much”. “Many times, the consumer is blamed for the failure of the products, when in reality, the failure lies in not having listened to their needs; it is a simple task of listening to the consumer; to the whole environment and giving the person who is going to pay for your products what they don’t know they want but need at a price they are willing to pay,” concluded Rubio.

Res4City Project

From Finnova Foundation, we thank Rubio for his intervention in the VI Next Talent Generation Forum, which serves as an example for our workers who are starting and orienting their professional careers. During this talk, Rubio explained how he started in the field of innovation thanks to Finnova, a European foundation that supports the financing of innovation in companies, regions and municipalities. Finnova is currently a partner in the European project RES4CITY, an innovative 2.5 million euro educational project 100% funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe program. The RES4CITY education program, whose main objective is to bridge the skills gap that is slowing our transition to sustainable energy, will be designed by a multidisciplinary group of partners from academia, industry and European NGOs with expertise in energy management, renewable energy systems, renewable fuel technologies and the development and implementation of sustainability strategy design.

About the Finnova Foundation

Finnova is a foundation working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship at the 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.