An ‘Innovation e-Workshop’ organised by the Valencia CF Business Club was held at Mestalla this Wednesday, focusing on developments in the ever-advancing digitisation process in the worlds of business and sport.

The event, which more than 400 Business Club companies were able to follow online, was participated in by a select group of professionals from leading companies in their sector, such as CaixaBank, Jeff, Idai Nature, Lamburguesa, Blinkfire Analytics, Bcoach, Atribus , Solver Intelligent Analytics and Startup Valencia.

Two roundtable discussions were held: 'Innovation in the Company', moderated by Víctor Tatay, General Director of the Adecco group in the Valencia, Murcia and Albacete regions; and 'Innovation in Sport,' directed by Franco Segarra, Director of Digital Innovation at Valencia CF.

In addition, there were also details explained regarding the ‘VCF Innovation Hub’ project that the entity have established together with Startup Valencia, which seeks to support local talent, show a commitment to Valencian companies, and take the club to the club to the forefront of technology through innovation.

In the exhibition of the project given by Segarra, an outline of the key strategic points for the future was revealed. The VCF Innovation Hub will focus on the medical field, sporting performance, Smart Stadium creation and fan engagement.

Franco Segarra, Valencia CF Director of Digital Innovation:

“It is necessary to be able to entertain the fans and capture their attention. These fans have been growing up, and now 'Generation Z' demands a form of  consumption different from the previous model. We believe that there are many opportunities related to social networks, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and more. This is why we lean towards local talent and young companies in order to innovate.”

Nacho Mas, Startup Valencia CEO:

“We have to take advantage of the fact that the most important private institution in the Valencia region, Valencia CF, are focusing on entrepreneurs and startups. Joining forces with a brand like VCF will help the Valencian startup ecosystem to move up a level. Other cities have taken the lead and we believe that with this VCF Innovation Hub project we can move upwards.”

"The global health crisis has made businesses see the need for digitisation, and progress has been made with few giant steps in recent months. I want to convey that they should look at entrepreneurs and startups as possible ways to move faster in this digitisation process at a much more affordable cost and with more market-oriented business models. Innovation has a certain risk component, but we know that we will not let them down.”