• Paula Llobet, Councillor for Tourism, Innovation and Investment Attraction, is leading an institutional mission to strengthen ties with global leaders in artificial intelligence, innovation and technology entrepreneurship

• The delegation will meet with leading organisations including OpenAI, Anthropic, Stanford University, NVIDIA, Plug and Play, and the GovAI Coalition led by the City of San José

Valencia is taking another step forward in its innovation strategy with an institutional mission to San Francisco and Silicon Valley this week, aimed at strengthening the city’s international partnerships with some of the world’s leading organisations in artificial intelligence, technology and entrepreneurship.

The delegation, led by Paula Llobet, Councillor for Tourism, Innovation and Investment Attraction at Valencia City Council, and joined by Startup Valencia and the Valencia Chamber of Commerce, will hold meetings throughout the week with organisations including OpenAI, Anthropic, Stanford University, NVIDIA, Plug and Play, and the GovAI Coalition, an initiative led by the City of San José.

The mission forms part of València Innovation Capital’s roadmap to establish Valencia as one of Europe’s most dynamic technology and startup ecosystems. In recent years, the city has experienced sustained growth, with 1,689 active startups, more than 20,000 highly skilled technology jobs, and over €200 million invested in local startups during 2025.

“Valencia wants to be present wherever the future of technology and artificial intelligence is being shaped. This mission gives us the opportunity to learn from global leaders, share our model of public innovation, and create new partnerships that will continue to strengthen the city’s competitiveness and improve quality of life,” said Paula Llobet.

The programme includes meetings focused on the application of artificial intelligence in public services, technology governance, talent attraction, knowledge transfer, entrepreneurship and open innovation. One of the delegation’s key objectives is to showcase several flagship initiatives developed in Valencia, including the Applied AI Centre, Spain’s first GovTech Accelerator, and the Artificial Intelligence Ethics and Governance Committee (CEGIA), all of which position the city among Europe’s leading public administrations in the responsible adoption of AI.

Alongside its institutional meetings, the delegation will also meet with Spanish companies established in Silicon Valley and representatives of Spain’s economic diplomacy network to further raise the international profile of Valencia’s innovation ecosystem.

This mission further expands Valencia’s network of international partnerships at a particularly significant moment for the development of artificial intelligence. According to the Dealroom 2026 report, Spain is now home to Europe’s third fastest-growing AI ecosystem, while AI startups attracted more investment than any other technology sector during 2025.