The event, held at Hub Empresa de Banco Sabadell, promotes entrepreneurship and public-private cooperation with an international reach, highlighting the connection between Europe and Colombia.
Valencia is establishing itself as a strategic bridge between Europe and Latin America in sustainable innovation and circular economy.
Valencia, July 24, 2025.
The city of Valencia was the stage last Tuesday, July 15, for an international milestone: the official launch of the IBAGUÉ STARTUP EUROPE AWARDS, a program with institutional participation from Colombia and Europe. This initiative aims o identify and reward disruptive solutions that help address major urban challenges in areas such as circular economy, environmental sustainability, waste management, water, clean energy and social housing, with a special focus on Ibagué and its transition toward a more resilient and sustainable urban model.
The announcement was made during the event: “Sembrando Iniciativa: Taller de Emprendimiento y Economía Social”, a hybrid event organized by the Finnova Foundation and held at Banco Sabadell’s Hub Empresa. This event brought together women entrepreneurs, institutional representatives, and experts in social innovation.
The event featured an address by Milton Restrepo, CEO of Ibagué Limpia, who joined live from Colombia to present the proposed challenges. These focused on innovation in organic waste management by promoting solutions that enable its use as a valuable resource, on the development of new materials derived from waste aimed at sustainable and energy- efficient construction, particularly in social housing and public buildings. And on the topic of Proptech: WASTE2PROPTECH. Ideas that transform bulky waste into sustainable construction materials, energy efficiency solutions, and sustainable fashion projects.
The event also served as a platform to strengthen cooperation between Europe and Latin America, highlighting initiatives such as the Startup Europe Awards, a tool for citizen diplomacy and European soft power, promoted by Finnova with the support of the European Commission.
Ties were established between this project and the City of Valencia´s SANDBOX through the institutional participation of Paula Llobet, Councilor for Tourism, Innovation, and Investment Attraction at Valencia City Council
In this context, Valencia, recognized as the European Green Capital 2024, is positioning itself as an ideal environment for launching initiatives that promote sustainability, innovation, and international cooperation. This recognition not only reinforces the city´s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but also establishes Valencia as a leading laboratory for driving green solutions with global impact.
In this context, Valencia — recognized as the European Green Capital 2024 — is positioning itself as an ideal environment for launching initiatives that promote sustainability, innovation, and international cooperation. This recognition not only reinforces the city’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but also establishes Valencia as a leading laboratory for driving green solutions with global impact.
The IBAGUÉ STARTUP EUROPE AWARDS will culminate in an award ceremony to be held within the framework of the Cumbre de Economía Circular e Innovación Social (https://cumbreeconomiacircular.com/), an international event that brings together leaders, institutions, and change-makers committed to the transition toward a more sustainable and just economic model. This summit will provide the perfect stage to showcase the winning projects and promote their scaling at both European and Latin American levels.
If you have an innovative idea that addresses any of the challenges posed within the framework of the IBAGUÉ SATRTUP EUROPE AWARDS, we encourage you to submit your proposal. Teh application process is now open and can be completed through the following link: https://cumbreeconomiacircular.com/inscripcion-retos/
In this context, Finnova Foundation will act as a catalyst to help the ideas generated during the summit access both public and private funding opportunities. We offer our expertise in European and international programmes in Latin America- such as Horizon Europe, Erasmus +, and AL- Invest Verde, as well as European programmes like LIFE and Interreg. We will facilitate the creation of transnational consortia and provide specialized guidance for designing high-impact, environmentally innovative projects.