Since its launch in spring 2018, the Valencia Innovation Agency (AVI) has mobilized 243 million euros from public contributions and private-sector incentives to tackle key business challenges through innovative solutions. The President of the Generalitat, Ximo Puig, chairs the Board of Directors, which approves the annual accounts and the annual report for 2022 and prepares the balance sheet.
Puig confirms that AVI has proven to be a strong instrument for strengthening the regional innovation system. The activity has supported more than 1,000 projects with the involvement of nearly 500 organizations, backed by social agents. For the Consell’s vice-president, promoting knowledge transfer between universities and companies has positioned the Valencian Community as one of Europe’s leading regions for innovation progress, with results that exceed the regional average. The EU has highlighted Valencia as a top performer among autonomous communities. Yet, reaching the ambitious goals requires continued momentum and effective tools to sustain progress.
AVI foresees 190 million euros in aid for innovation projects between 2022 and 2024
Together with Puig, Josephine Bueno serves as President of Innovation, Universities, Science and the Digital Society, with Andres Garcia Reche as executive vice president, alongside social and economic actors and representatives from the Valencian innovation network.
The agency’s financing of 164 million euros during this period supported the development of 1,000 R&D+i projects involving 525 organizations, spanning companies, universities, research centers, local institutions, and non-profits. These contributions drive advances in personalized and precision medicine, prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections, the removal of microplastics in wastewater, pathogen detection, and predictive maintenance in production lines, among many other initiatives. They also address agricultural challenges facing the Valencian countryside, including diseases such as cottony scale on crops and Xylella fastidiosa affecting almond and olive trees.
Scientific innovation units
AVI’s competitive assistance programs have established a network of 60 innovation representatives stationed in centers of scientific excellence to promote applied research and practical business collaboration. They connect with business associations and research centers to strengthen the R&D ecosystem and improve the transfer of knowledge and technologies into the productive sector.
One of AVI’s core priorities has been the adoption and consolidation of Public Innovation Procurement (CPI) at local and regional government levels to boost public services and spur private-sector innovation. Since 2018, almost thirty CPI procedures have been initiated by local entities, with several completed by the Generalitat thanks to AVI’s support in awarding and managing tenders.
Josefina Bueno empowers AVI staff in Alicante to address aid-related complaints and ensure responsive service. To drive disruptive technologies, the agency has promoted Inndromeda, a collaborative platform that brings together all regional competence centers in enabling technologies.
Independent indicators, such as the Regional Competitiveness Index published by the European Commission, reflect AVI’s impact. The Valencian Community has shown improved performance and is converging toward the Spanish average, exceeding the EU average for the first time thanks to progress in innovation and R&D policy implementation.