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The program focuses on facilitating the creation of new science- and technology-based companies and reducing the barriers they face during their growth
The Association of Science and Technology Parks of Spain (APTE) and the National Innovation Company (Enisa) have signed a new agreement to launch the fourth edition of APTenisa ideation and business acceleration program, which will support 126 projects in competition, accelerate the top 42, and assist an additional 30 startups in their investment processes.
APTenisa is designed to facilitate the creation of new science- and technology-based companies and to reduce the obstacles they face as they grow, helping them reach a competitive scale. This aligns with the objectives of Spain’s Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, the Law on the Creation and Growth of Companies, the Law for the Promotion of the Emerging Companies Ecosystem, and the Spain Up Nation Strategy.
In 2025, APTenisa will expand its support for early-stage entrepreneurship to 42 projects, utilizing a common framework based on the Candy Innovation Model and Lean Launch Pad methodologies, implemented by La Salle Technova Barcelona, which participates in the program as the lead park. As a new feature, the selection of these 42 projects will begin with a preliminary phase called APTenisa Competition, in which 126 projects will compete.
Also new to this edition is APTenisa Investment Readiness, an initiative that will support 30 additional startups with high investment potential, preparing them to pitch at investment forums successfully.
In total, APTenisa 2025 will support 72 startups.
Nine science and technology parks across five Spanish regions will participate:
- LA SALLE TECHNOVA BARCELONA (Barcelona)
- MÁLAGA TECHPARK (Málaga)
- MADRID SCIENCE PARK (Madrid)
- PARCBIT (Palma de Mallorca)
- ALICANTE SCIENCE PARK (Alicante)
- CARTUJA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK (Seville)
- AGRI-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK OF LLEIDA (Lleida)
- UNIVERSITY OF GIRONA RESEARCH AND INNOVATION PARK FOUNDATION (Girona)
- TECNOPARC TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION PARK (Reus, Tarragona)
APTenisa also considers territorial, connectivity, and gender gaps, promoting initiatives that foster digitalization and the adoption of technology across different sectors, as well as encouraging female entrepreneurship.
The collaboration between Enisa and APTE began in 2022 with the launch of the pilot edition of APTenisa. Since then, it has strengthened through successive editions, generating more than 300 new business ideas and accelerating 99 startups.
ENISA highly values this collaboration, as noted by Borja Cabezón, CEO of the public company: “In its fourth edition, the APTenisa program is proving to be a valuable tool for entrepreneurs, providing them with the necessary tools and support to launch their projects. The work being carried out by APTE and Spain’s Science and Technology Parks, together with ENISA, is enabling essential partnerships to foster and strengthen entrepreneurship in Spain, especially in the tech sector.”
Felipe Romera, president of APTE, added: “I’m proud of a program that enables our association to structure the national entrepreneurship ecosystem around Spain’s science and technology parks, and to support the growth and development of new startups, key to boosting innovation and competitiveness in our country.”
With the opening of the call on June 3rd, projects can register for the preliminary selection phase (APTenisa COMPETITION), where the projects selected to advance to the acceleration phase (APTenisa LAUNCH) will be chosen. The registration period will remain open from June 3 to July 3, 2025
About APTE
APTE – Association of Science and Technology Parks of Spain
The Association of Science and Technology Parks of Spain (www.apte.org) was established in 1989 as a non-profit organization. Its main goal is to contribute to the renewal and diversification of productive activities, technological progress, and economic development by promoting and enhancing the role of science and technology parks. ACTE currently has 60 members throughout Spain:
- 53 full-member parks that are fully operational
- 3 affiliate members in development
- 4 collaborating members
In 2023, these parks hosted 5,908 entities that generated €28.9 billion in revenue. Additionally, these companies employ over 161,435 people, 38,656 of whom are engaged in R&D activities.