La Salle Technova Barcelona, the innovation park of La Salle – Universitat Ramon Llull, is celebrating 25 years of promoting technology-based entrepreneurship and connecting startups, investors and corporations within an entrepreneurial university. Throughout 2026, under the motto Accelerating innovation, the park has organised a series of activities to mark this milestone and highlight its work supporting startups and entrepreneurs at every stage, from idea generation to market launch, as well as the growth and consolidation of their ventures.
The closing event of the 25th-anniversary celebrations, which will take place on Thursday, 3 December, on campus, will bring together the people who have been part of La Salle Technova over the years. In its 25 years, the innovation park has accelerated 1,258 projects and helped secure more than €57 million in funding.
La Salle Technova is celebrating 25 years of shared history, of people, talent, ideas, technology and dreams that have become projects capable of transforming our surroundings. We wanted to mark this journey alongside everyone who has been part of it: entrepreneurs, startups, investors, companies and students, an inexhaustible source of talent and new ideas. We have also shared this anniversary with other science and technology parks and innovation ecosystems from around the world, exchanging knowledge, challenges and experiences. One final celebration awaits us on 3 December, bringing together everyone who has helped make this story possible. These 25 years have taught us that technology changes the world, but it is people who decide in which direction. Looking ahead to the next 25 years, we want to continue connecting talent, technology and opportunities to build a more human, collaborative future together, with a greater positive impact on society
Carmen Adán, directora de La Salle Technova Barcelona
Connecting the innovation park with the campus
Since its beginnings, La Salle Technova Barcelona has connected entrepreneurship with the university experience, fostering an innovative mindset among La Salle-URL students and turning knowledge into real-world projects. Through pre-acceleration programmes, startup support and initiatives such as Technova Young, the park brings students closer to the business ecosystem and provides them with the tools to develop their ideas. During the 2025–2026 academic year alone, 53 students took part in pre-acceleration programmes and 126 startups received support.
Entrepreneurship is an essential part of our university experience because it enables students to take their knowledge beyond the classroom, identify opportunities and turn their ideas into real projects. At La Salle-URL, we foster this entrepreneurial spirit by connecting education, research and innovation with the needs of businesses and society. La Salle Technova Barcelona plays a key role in this process by supporting talent in developing new ventures and creating spaces for collaboration between students, alumni, companies and other stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem
Rosa Ma. Alsina, provost of La Salle - Universitat Ramon Llull
Evolution, recognition, consolidation and future
Since its creation, La Salle Technova Barcelona has evolved alongside the paradigm shift that has transformed science and technology parks: from spaces designed to facilitate knowledge transfer into open ecosystems connecting universities, businesses, institutions and society. Digitalisation and the growth of technology-based entrepreneurship have strengthened their role as meeting points for different disciplines and sectors, bringing together talent, research and investment to turn knowledge into projects, new companies and opportunities for innovation.
Science and technology parks are evolving from physical spaces into open innovation ecosystems, connected to cities and global networks of knowledge, talent and investment. In this context, after 25 years, La Salle Technova Barcelona is looking to the future with the vision of consolidating an entrepreneurial university committed to society, turning knowledge into innovation, new businesses and economic and social impact, while connecting the local ecosystem with the global one
Josep M. Piqué, Executive President of La Salle Technova Barcelona
The park’s track record has received widespread recognition over the years. In 2016, La Salle Technova Barcelona entered Gust and Fundacity’s Top 10 European accelerators and ranked third in Spain and first in Catalonia in the ranking published by Funcas and Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. In 2017, AEBAN awarded it the Best Business Angels Network Award in recognition of the work carried out by the EIX network. More recently, Funcas’ 2025–2026 Business Incubator Ranking named it the best business incubator in Spain.
La Salle-URL has also received institutional recognition linked to the innovation park. In 2024, it was awarded ACEEU’s Entrepreneurial University label and, in 2025, its Engaged University label, becoming the first university institution in Catalonia and the second in Spain to hold both accreditations. That same year, the United Nations appointed La Salle-URL Vice-President for Teaching and Education of the UNAI SDG 9 Hub for the 2025–2027 period, highlighting initiatives such as La Salle Technova Barcelona and SDG Challenge.
Looking ahead, La Salle Technova Barcelona will continue to drive innovation and entrepreneurship on campus, connecting the talent and knowledge of the university community with businesses and society. As part of the La Salle-URL educational experience, the park will continue to support new entrepreneurial initiatives and help turn ideas into projects capable of generating a positive impact on their surroundings and contributing to the development of a fairer and more sustainable society.