What is an Innovation journey ?

As an ecosystem builder, I have a large network in Barcelona as well as in many cities around the world which allows me to curate inspiring learning journeys for you.

All the innovation of the world is not concentrated in () the Silicon Valley! Some of the most creative solutions actually originate from the most unexpected or challenged contexts. The Innovation journey brings you there!

You will meet local entrepreneurs, start-ups, incubators, investors, journalists, artists, or even activists, in the city of your choice.
It is not simply an opportunity for exposure to the people with creativity and momentum, but rather a chance to learn new innovation trends and techniques and see how they can apply to your own business or market.

Past Innovation journeys

Innovation tour Nairobi

NAIROBI 3.0. Emprendimiento social en Kenya from URANES FILMS on Vimeo.

Nairobi is Africa’s booming tech hub. And we went to the center of it all.

In a continent perceived as the world’s fastest growing market for mobile phones, Nairobi has become THE place to be in the continent in terms of telecommunication, as well as mobile and tech innovations:

  • Mobile penetration of 75% in Kenya.
  • Home of the worldwide famous M-pesa mobile banking system which revolutionized East Africa’s context.
  • 20M of Internet users.
  • Home of iHUB and key incubators in the East Africa ecosystem.
  • Gateway to the East Africa market and other potential start-up ecosystems like Kigali or Kampala.

Kenya is now attracting big names in the tech world. IBM, Intel, Cisco or GSMA have set up their regional headquarters and R&D labs there, incubators are flourishing, and investors are scouting for the new Ushahidis.

And yet Kenya is also facing extreme social challenges: Nearly half of the country’s 43 million people live below the poverty line or are unable to meet their daily nutritional requirements. Out of the 3 million () of people living in Nairobi, at least 500.000 of them live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa.

This combined exceptional situation makes it the ideal place to meet innovative ventures using technology to solve social changes.

The program of the Nairobi Innovation Tour exposes you to different innovation scenes. Here is a sample of the stakeholders we visited last year:

So if you wish to explore the innovation ecosystem of Lagos, Mumbai or Djakarta, contact me for more information.You can take a look at the Nairobi innovation tour gallery here.

Innovation tour Barcelona

Meet the gamechangers of the most innovative city in Europe!

Barcelona has recently been identified as the European Capital of Innovation by the EU “for introducing the use of new technologies to bring the city closer to citizens”.

As the venue for the GSMA Mobile World Congress, which brings more than 70,000 professionals together each year, and the Mobile World Capital until 2018, Barcelona is a global reference point and an international centre for innovation and talent.

Learn more about the Barcelona innovation scene here.

Spice up your visit to Barcelona!

The program of the Barcelona Innovation Tour exposes you to different innovation scenes. Here is a sample of the stakeholders you could meet:

  • Barcinno is a dynamic community-driven platform sharing the stories, knowledge & events of Barcelona’s start-up and tech communities.
  • Ouishare is a creative think and do-tank with the mission to empower citizens, public institutions and companies to create a collaborative economy.
  • EMOKIO as well as the program Mschools from GSMA can tell you about the future of education!
  • The teams from Moebio, Social diabetes or DBS Screening will explain to you how to disrupt the traditional healthcare system!
  • The neuroscience geeks will be fascinated by the inventions of Starlab.
  • And many more options exist in terms of architecture, smart cities, mobile tech incubators or makers environment!

Time to relax!

After such intense learnings, you will have time to enjoy the architecture jewels and cultural assets of the city through off the beaten track visits:

  • With a guided Bike tour of Insolit Barcelona, for example.
  • Or learning how to build Castellers and to improve team collaboration with TeamTowers.
  • And finally enjoying an exclusive dinner with NEVERMORE where Alfonso will cook something very special for you…
So, if you want to offer your clients or collaborators a unique experience of the Ciudad Condal, contact me!

 

  • The tours are only organized on demand and are curated according to the specific needs and interests of the organization.
  • The tours can take place in english, french and spanish. The group size will only range from 5 to 10 in order to ensure an exclusive experience.

Clients

adeo2

The executive group of this major French corporation will meet Barcelona’s top innovators early November.

danone

We coordinated a circular economy event for Danone international purchase team.

PU-AMI

Who is revolutionizing humanitarian action? We will train the management team of this French NGO to think outside the box through the testimonials of trailblazers from the Middle East.

Innovation Journeys Testimonials

jean

Jean-Paul Andrivet / Impact investor

It has been a great opportunity to meet the business environment related to entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, as well as arts and activism in Nairobi. I wasn’t expecting all the information I received. It was a must to come with the innovation tour, as a great introduction to the environment and I am now considering different potential investments.

alina

Alina Alvarez / Social entrepreneur

It was a very over-achieving experience… We got to meet a lot of great people, projects, opportunities, but also it was very helpful in understanding the ecosystem in Kenya and I personally found a variety of projects that I would be interested in collaborating with.