clean tech & entrepreneurship in barcelona
DESCRIPTION
The clean tech ecosystem in Barcelona is small, but solid. New models of clean tech use IT as a key elements (cleanweb). Here some insights about its players, what works, and what needs to be improved.TRANSCRIPT
US has MORE support programs to early-stage
entrepreneurs than the EU
MYTH!
Accumulated number of incubators in top 10 EU countries by GDP
• The first incubation program launched in 1989 • Currently, Spain hosts 38 startup programs - most
launched after 2010 • Ticket size: between 20-60K • Average equity share across accelerators: 8-14%
Spain
• 7 m. inhabitants - Barcelona: 5.1 m • Catalonia produces 1% of the world’s scientific
output
Catalonia
9 accelerators/incubators in Barcelona Barcelona, leads in clean tech sub-categories:
• Smart City • World Mobile Capital • Large “sharing economy” community
Barcelona
• 1997-2013: Spain became a world leader in PV and wind energy production
• Of all Spanish patents, 43,6% are related to solar • Spain is the 5th country in the world in number of
patents in renewables, after US, Japan, Germany & UK
Rise of the renewables
photo by treedork
• Today, Spain is an unattractive and risky market to invest in renewables
• Of the 50 factories PV silica and related in 2011, only 10% remain open today, with a focus in inverters and exports
Fall of the renewables
Challenges
Current clean tech challenges are not about fundamental science:
• Complex financing & incentives • Failure to communicate to consumers • Poor sales channels
Cleanweb
COLLABORATIVE !CONSUMPTION
INTERNET OF
THINGS
CLEAN TECH
Data & networks
Market re-structuring
Efficiency
SunPower
Connecting small investors with high-quality renewable energy projects
Opower
Using behavioural science to change consumption patterns
The Barcelona entrepreneur
Source: Telefonica
Barcelona Silicon Valley
Age 33.29 34.12
Gender (F/M) 5% / 95% 10% / 90%
Education (dropout vs. master+PhD) 1 : 10 1 : 2.5
Serial entrepreneur 41% 56%
% non-technical founding teams 12% 16%
Customer (B2B vs B2C) 5 : 2 2 : 1
Working hours per day 8.25 9.95
Ecosystem
Incubators
Government programs
Universities Investors
Dedicated Spaces
StartupsClean tech
entrepreneurship BARCELONA
Trade Shows
• KIC InnoEnergy • Fundación Repsol • Eco-Emprenedor XXI
Clean tech Incubators
• Green Economy Plan • TECNIO/ACC10 • Biocat
Government programs
• Transformation of a neighbourhood • Private foundation managed the transition • After 10 year: +1500 (tech) companies
22@
• UPC - Campus Energia • ESADE • IESE - Clean tech Venture Forum
Universities
• Business Angel Networks • Business School forums (ESADE -IESE) • Engineers’ fund • Keiretsu
Investment
• Sant Pau • Regional Centre for Cleaner Production • Barcelona Lab • IAAC + Valldaura
Other Interesting players
• EV Symposium • Smart City Expo • Mobile World Congress
Trade shows
Clean tech Startups
Environmental data monitoring board & community
Smart Citizen
Enerbyte
Using behavioural science to change consumption patterns
Smart City solutions
Urbiotica
Smart water & energy consumption
BNstar
Electric motorbike made in BCN
Volta BCN
• Barcelona attracts international talent, and retains local due to the attractiveness of the city itself
• Barcelona is Mobile World Capital • Proactive local government; “business friendly” • Bottom-up entrepreneurial community • Catalonia produces 1% of all research in the world -
but does’t have a direct translation in valorisation of this science
What works
To improve
• Lack of ambition: local startups think small, a local win is enough rather than conquer the world
• English is not yet common language amongst all society • To fund a limited company is expensive and bureaucratic • Need for more “learning by doing” education, rather than
fact-based education
To improve
• More success stories • Early stage funding clearly insufficient • Many players, but fragile ecosystem due to insufficient
funding resources • Not enough projects with high growth potential
• Regulation can be an enabler or barrier for clean tech to create a positive impact
• Clean tech is evolving towards new forms that have IT as central element
• Barcelona has the ingredients to become a reference in clean tech for the south of Europe and the Mediterranean
Final thoughts
Contents
• Context
• Clean tech in Spain
• BCN ecosystem
• What works & what to improve
Brief history of clean tech in Spain
• Period 1997 - 2013 represents a high point on renewable energy installations
• Spain became a world leader in PV and wind energy production
Rise of the renewables
MetroMile
Unlocks car data to take out the hassle and expense out of driving. Pay-per-mile insurance
Kinetic energy harvesting applied to maritime solutions
Smalle Technologies