• Tomorrow, the Local Government Board will approve a request to the Valencian Regional Government to designate La Marina as an Urban Technology District
• The City Council will also ask the Spanish Government to declare Valencia Digital Summit an Event of Exceptional Public Interest
• The Mayor presents a “transformative initiative that positions the city as a key innovation and entrepreneurship hub in the Mediterranean.”
• The project aligns with the València Innovation Capital strategy and “offers unique conditions for startups and technology companies to attract talent, investment and highly skilled jobs.”

La Marina will become home to a new 74,000 m² technology district: the 46 Valencia Mediterranean Tech Hub. Aligned with the City Council’s València Innovation Capital strategy, the hub will bring together emerging technology companies that will benefit from a range of advantages, including tax incentives and simplified administrative procedures. According to Mayor María José Catalá, these are “unique conditions to attract talent, investment and highly skilled employment.”

The Mayor of Valencia presented the project today, an initiative led by the City Council in collaboration with the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, universities and technology institutes, with the aim of “positioning the city as a key innovation and entrepreneurship hub in the Mediterranean.” She also announced that tomorrow the Local Government Board will formally request that the Valencian Regional Government designate La Marina as an Urban Technology District. To manage this area, the City Council has agreed a cooperation protocol with the Port Authority covering the entire site.

“We want this to become a jointly managed municipal and port area. We want to remove administrative barriers so that talent, innovation and agility come first, always serving the interests of our citizens. This is a clear commitment to the city’s economic and technological future,” she said, highlighting that this area is where Valencia Digital Summit (VDS) was born and has grown into a major international event, generating an economic impact of €20.3 million in its latest edition.

VDS, an Event of Exceptional Public Interest

In this regard, the Mayor also announced that the City Council, “which has increased its financial support for the event fivefold and has made a clear commitment to its growth, wants to take it one step further.” “We want the event to become even more firmly established, continue growing in quality, and we will therefore request that it be declared an Event of Exceptional Public Interest. Tomorrow, through the Local Government Board, we will formally submit this request to the Government of Spain,” she emphasised.

“Seeking this designation has a clear objective: to provide tax incentives for all sponsors and partners, offer tax benefits to participating companies, and position the event for what it truly is—a national event. Of course it belongs to our city and has become a defining part of Valencia, but with these impact figures and the level of international investment it attracts, it is now an event of national significance and deserves to be recognised as an Event of Exceptional Public Interest,” Catalá explained.

The Mayor, who appeared alongside Startup Valencia President Juan Luis Hortelano, welcomed the results of the seventh edition of the international innovation and technology event Valencia Digital Summit, “which generated a record economic impact—64% higher than in 2023—with more than 3,000 startups and 700 investors participating, and investment opportunities exceeding €480 million.”

“The event further strengthened Valencia’s global positioning as a technology hub, attracting talent from 110 countries and generating a significant multiplier effect. It also stood out for the quality of its programme and the participation of leading figures such as Steve Chen and Randi Zuckerberg,” Catalá added.

46 Valencia Mediterranean Tech Hub

Speaking about the new technology district in La Marina, named the 46 Valencia Mediterranean Tech Hub, María José Catalá stressed that “Valencia has the ambition, the talent and the vision to lead innovation in the Mediterranean.” “This hub is a catalyst for attracting investment, creating highly skilled jobs and strengthening a vibrant ecosystem that offers real opportunities for our young people,” she said.

The initiative includes a range of significant incentives specifically designed for the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem. These include a 95% rebate on the Construction, Installation and Works Tax (ICIO) for new technology investments, fast-track and simplified administrative procedures for companies establishing operations, priority access to regional funding programmes, and the availability of co-working spaces, shared laboratories and sandbox environments for testing and prototyping.

Catalá stressed that these measures are intended to “reduce barriers, make innovation easier, retain emerging university talent, and showcase a city that believes in its ability to compete through knowledge, collaboration and its unique Mediterranean identity.”

In this context, the Mayor described the project as “a clear example of a public-sector commitment to the future, driven by determination and a long-term vision.” She also noted that the initiative covers a total area made up of 54% City Council land (40,154 m²) and 46% land owned by the Port Authority of Valencia (33,847 m²).

Meanwhile, Councillor for Tourism, Innovation and Investment Attraction Paula Llobet explained that the project has emerged from a strong public-private partnership involving the City Council of Valencia, the Port Authority of Valencia, the University of Valencia, the Universitat Politècnica de València, the REDIT network of technology institutes, and the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“From the City Council, we have built a university-city partnership to ensure that research and technology have a direct impact on Valencia’s challenges,” said Councillor Paula Llobet.

She also noted that “this project represents the Valencia we want: open, innovative and driven by its own talent. It builds on all the work we are doing through València Innovation Capital to consolidate our position as the Mediterranean capital of innovation and technological development.”

The technology district will be developed following the signing of the General Action Protocol, with the Valencian Regional Government expected to issue its official designation before the end of 2025 as part of the rollout of the València Innovation Capital strategy.