VDS cements Valencia as the global capital of technological innovation with AI taking center stage

The success of the seventh edition of VDS has solidified this international tech event as a global platform for innovation and technology, with artificial intelligence playing a starring role. The annual gathering, organized by Startup Valencia, celebrates its final day today at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, drawing more than 12,000 professionals from 110 countries, over 700 investors, 1,500 corporations, and 2,500 startups, becoming a global showcase for the innovative and technological ecosystem.

The conference program featured over 600 participants across the event’s seven stages. Leaders from renowned multinational companies, tech experts, and visionaries explored, under the theme “Embracing evolution: Invest in the leaders of tomorrow,” how the current tech revolution is positively impacting society through insights from the world’s top innovation leaders.

Steve Chen shared his insights as the creator of one of the most visited websites in the world, YouTube. During his talk, the YouTube co-founder shared experiences that not only transformed the way people share and view videos online but also made him one of the most notable entrepreneurs of the internet era.

The world of sports has also been represented at VDS. Juan Samaranch, the international vice president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, spoke alongside Luis Cervera, general director of Sport, about how Olympism can transform cities through its technological drive and the need for change.

On the other hand, the Prince of the Netherlands and special envoy of Techleap, Constantijn van Oranje, delivered a lecture titled “Harnessing the Power of Inclusion: How to Attract the Best Talent for Innovation.” During his talk, he addressed how diversity and inclusion have become key pillars for driving innovation in an increasingly global and competitive business environment.

As part of VDS, Startup Valencia and Innovation Quarter signed a collaboration agreement to promote innovation, internationalization, and investment in their ecosystems. The agreement aims to strengthen their startup and entrepreneurial communities through joint programs, positioning Valencia and Zuid-Holland as international centers of innovation and magnets for talent and investment. Chris Van Voorden, head of Internationalization, and Nacho Mas and Krloos Rivera, CEO and Strategic Advisor of Startup Valencia, respectively, participated in the agreement signing.

Artificial intelligence as the main protagonist

This edition of VDS focused on analyzing the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence and how this technology is transforming and positively impacting society. To this end, it has brought together world leaders in AI to provide answers to the needs generated by this technology that is revolutionizing the world in all aspects: development, integration, application, and investment.

One of the main talks on this topic that took place on the second day was ‘AI in new models of automated production: advantages and multicontent’ highlighted the role of AI in the evolution of production systems towards more agile, personalized, and sustainable models, generating value for companies and consumers.

A key speaker on the first day was Randi Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media and HUG. She discussed the pros and cons of widespread AI adoption and provided a comprehensive guide on leveraging AI tools to drive both personal and corporate growth into the future.

The first day also featured the finals and awards ceremony for the Santander X Spain | Startup & Scaleup 2024 competition, an event dedicated to recognizing and supporting tech-based startups and scale-ups in Spain. Banco Santander, the main sponsor of VDS2024, hosted this segment.

In addition, applications opened for the Emprende XXI Awards, led by CaixaBank and ENISA, which have become a benchmark in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The Audiovisual Stage hosted the Next-Gen Audiovisual Forum for these two days, an initiative aimed at positioning the Comunidad Valenciana brand as an international reference in audiovisual innovation. The forum offered attendees the opportunity to explore how OTT technology is revolutionizing content consumption, discover the impact of artificial intelligence and automation in video production and editing, among other topics.

Closing Ceremony

Spain’s Minister of Science, Innovation, and Universities, Diana Morant, along with Government Delegate Pilar Bernabé, closed the seventh edition of VDS2024. Joining them at the awards ceremony for the VDS2024 International Startup Competition were Nacho Mas, Juan Luis Hortelano, and Karina Virrueta, CEO, President, and Head of Innovation Ecosystem at Startup Valencia, respectively; Patricia Pastor, VDS Chairwoman; and Paula Llobet, Councilor for Tourism and Innovation of the Valencia City Council.