• The approval of the Valencian Community’s first Technology Hub, 46 Valencia Mediterranean Tech Hub, brings tax incentives such as up to a 95% reduction in the Construction, Installations and Works Tax (ICIO) for new technology investments
• Valencia Innovation Capital’s stand at 4YFN, the startup event of Mobile World Congress Barcelona, has hosted sector-focused roundtables, working meetings, technical sessions and podcasts featuring key ecosystem stakeholders, combining networking and international visibility to attract talent and investment

The City Council of Valencia, through Valencia Innovation Capital (VIC), is participating this week in 4YFN, held in Barcelona from 2 to 5 March 2026 alongside Mobile World Congress. The city is attending together with Valencia’s technology startup ecosystem at one of the world’s leading showcases for entrepreneurship and innovation. Valencia’s presence at the event is centred around a clear message: the city has taken a decisive step forward in its public innovation strategy with the approval of the Valencian Community’s first Urban Technology Hub, 46 Valencia Mediterranean Tech Hub. This initiative is designed to organise, concentrate and accelerate the growth of the city’s technology sector.

During her speech, Paula Llobet, Councillor for Tourism, Innovation and Investment Attraction, reinforced the positioning that now defines the city:
“Valencia offers an outstanding quality of life, but today it is also a place where innovation thrives. Innovation succeeds because the City Council has made a clear commitment to supporting the innovation ecosystem with resources, practical tools and an administration that enables progress instead of holding it back”.

The message that Valencia is an exceptional place to live is not simply a local perception but an internationally recognised reality. The city has been ranked the world’s best city to live in by the InterNations Expat City Ranking and consistently appears among the top cities in Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index. These achievements have been widely highlighted by international media, including Forbes, which has recognised Valencia as one of the world’s most attractive destinations to live, work and even retire, further strengthening its global reputation.

Building on this strong quality-of-life foundation, the City Council has chosen to transform this advantage into a driver for attracting talent, investment and technology projects.
“Innovating well means innovation goes beyond speeches”, Llobet explained. “It means allocating budgets, launching real innovation challenges, opening the city as a living lab and using Innovative Public Procurement so that successful pilots become real public services”.
The councillor also stressed the City’s active role within the innovation ecosystem:
“We do not want to be mere spectators of Valencia’s technological growth. We want to be part of it. We want startups to see the City Council as a partner that tests their solutions, validates them and, when they work, turns them into real public services”.

“Valencia Innovation Capital is the city’s comprehensive innovation strategy, and today the figures speak for themselves. Our startup ecosystem has already attracted more than €200 million in investment, generates over 20,000 highly qualified jobs and is approaching a combined valuation of €4 billion. From the City Council, we have launched €2 million in direct grants to support startups, facilitated the arrival of 25 international companies during 2025, representing more than €152 million in investment and creating 920 jobs, while reducing the average time needed to transfer innovative solutions into public administration to less than nine months”, she added.

46 València Mediterranean Tech Hub

The approval of 46 Valencia Mediterranean Tech Hub by the Regional Government (Consell) last Friday marks the creation of a strategic innovation district that brings together key locations such as La Marina, the Port of Valencia and Valencia Innovation Capital’s municipal innovation centres — La Harinera and Las Naves — under a shared vision for the city’s technological development.

Supported by tax incentives, including up to a 95% reduction in the Construction, Installations and Works Tax (ICIO) for new technology investments, the hub offers tangible advantages for companies looking to establish or expand their operations, further strengthening Valencia’s position as a leading destination for innovation, technology and sustainability.

Startups and ecosystem stakeholders take centre stage at 4YFN

At this year’s edition of 4YFN, the Valencia Innovation Capital stand featured a delegation of Valencian startups, including Verázial, Umibots, Feending, Perzon.ai, Deliverance Enterprises, Mentelem, NOX NOCTIS GAMES, MARINEROB, Aniwa, LaiaDesk, Kai., Wellit, CivitPhone, Bold Factory, CompartirEspacios.com and Caldra. They were joined by leading ecosystem organisations and partners, including BIGBAN Investors Spain, BIOHUB VLC, CEEI Valencia, CDTM VLC, Draper B1, DTB, Fundación Lab, GSIC, GoHub, Innobound, Innova&Acción, INNSOMNIA, Invest in Valencia, KM Zero, Lanzadera, Opentop, Startup Valencia, The Terminal Hub, UPV Innovation and Zubi Labs.

The Valencia Innovation Capital stand also hosted a programme of sector-focused roundtables, technical sessions and podcasts featuring key innovation ecosystem stakeholders, combining networking, international visibility and the active promotion of Valencia as the Mediterranean’s leading technology hub. Through its participation at 4YFN, Valencia showcased itself as a city that combines internationally recognised quality of life with an ambitious public innovation strategy driven by clear leadership, investment and practical action. A city where people enjoy an exceptional quality of life and where, thanks to the City Council’s strong commitment, innovation also thrives.