The scientific, technological and business park of the Universitat Jaume I, Espaitec, celebrates 10 years of its launch this November. A decade in which it has gone from the two companies in 2007 to the 39 currently linked, 20 physical and 19 virtual, with a total of 171 workers and a turnover of 8,4 million euros from the established companies, 60% of which operate nationally and 40 internationally.
Espaitec approaches the next decade as an opportunity and, at the same time, as a new challenge to become the transfer point between knowledge and the business sector that enables an effective dialogue between business needs and demands and academic knowledge, according to explained during the presentation by the rector of the UJI, Vincent Climent; the vice-rector for Research and Doctorate, Jesus Lancis; and the academic director of the park, David Cabedo.
Another of the challenges that Espaitec will address will be an entrepreneurship program open to the entire university community and alumni that began this year with the aim of promoting business projects in the social field, with the collaboration of the Increa Chair and SECOT, an association of seniors, professionals, managers and businessmen who offer their experience and knowledge in business and academic management.
During the presentation, the rector thanked the people linked to the Confederation of Businessmen of Castellón for their support during these years and explained that with the new management model implemented last year, the park depends solely on the university under the management of the General Foundation. Climent has highlighted the number of intern students that the park welcomes annually (74 male and female students), as well as the high rate of graduate students linked to the companies in the park (75) and the research staff that has collaborated with companies in the park. in 2016 (52).
Regarding infrastructure, the highest academic authority has recalled that Espaitec has a first building for central services and a business incubator, and a second where the companies in the park are located, to which we must add the Walhalla building, a center qualified as TIER IV. Climent has listed some of the most important projects in which the park participates, such as the "Castellón Global Program" promoted by the Castellón Provincial Council to support Castellón companies or the one started in June 2017, "On Social Parctec" which seeks entrepreneurship with social impact.
In his speech, the vice-rector for Research and Doctorate, Jesús Lancis, highlighted the three editions that have been held of the meetings between research groups and businessmen, which have allowed the creation of a synergy of exchange between the needs of companies and the fields of the work of the research groups and the academic director, David Cabedo, that the park "has to serve to transfer talent, but also to attract it" because it has to be the link between society and the university.
