UniversidaddeCádiz

Through UCAEmprende, the University of Cádiz connects talent, institutions and companies to activate the entrepreneurial ecosystem

The University of Cádiz, via UCA Emprende, has held the event Cádiz.Red: Driving the Future, which reached its third edition as a meeting point for the province’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem. The activity, part of the UCA Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025, took place this Tuesday, 18 November, at the Antiguos Depósitos de Tabaco, in a setting designed to foster connection, practical learning and the creation of new opportunities.

The opening session featured the rector of the University of Cádiz, Casimiro Mantell; the mayor of Cádiz, Bruno García; the deputy mayor for Economic Development and vice‐president of the IFEF, Beatriz Gandullo; and the president of the Confederation of Employers of Cádiz, José Andrés Santos.

During his speech, the Rector of the University of Cádiz (UCA), Casimiro Mantell, underscored the value of the venue hosting the event, stating: “We are practically at a premiere, and I believe it is a premiere at full scale, because discussing entrepreneurship in this environment and in a city that requires and needs entrepreneurial ideas is something truly special.” He thanked the City Council for providing the venue, affirming that “the space has turned out spectacular.”

The Rector also emphasized the institutional support needed to drive such initiatives: “I must give special thanks to the Provincial Council for its funding, because resources are needed to carry out activities like this. Their support allows us to maintain various entrepreneurship activities throughout the year.” Mantell stressed the importance of working in network: “It is essential to integrate efforts. The challenge of entrepreneurship cannot be taken on by the university alone. For an idea to become a company, the involvement of the Regional Government of Andalusia, the Provincial Council, the City Council, the Free Zone Authority and the business community is indispensable.”

For his part, the Mayor of Cádiz, Bruno García, highlighted “this government team’s commitment to housing and employment, two fundamental aspects to halt the population decline we are experiencing, and which we are addressing directly.” He added that “UCA and Cádiz.Red give us the opportunity to create alliances and coordinate work between administrations with a common goal: to promote entrepreneurship.”

The Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Vice‑President of the IFEF, Beatriz Gandullo, thanked the hosting of this event in Cádiz, “which reinforces our commitment to entrepreneurship, something that as a public administration we are obliged to support.” She emphasised the actions taken by the IFEF, “which provides resources both for those who want to start up and for those who seek training or access to the job market.”

The President of the Confederation of Employers of Cádiz, José Andrés Santos, acknowledged the fundamental role of the event and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Cádiz, noting that “I see some familiar faces, also many people I do not know and that’s what I like most.” He also thanked the UCA, the City Council and the Provincial Council “for promoting such a spectacular space that the city gains, and for being clear that support for entrepreneurship and the industrial fabric is essential.”

Clavijo shared an inspiring reflection directed especially at young people: “Society still sees entrepreneurship as something difficult or impossible, but entrepreneurship is possible. Do not let yourselves be guided by the antibodies of the environment: take your lead from those who are already starting up, from UCA Emprende, from the business associations. Don’t become entrepreneurs in solitude. Take the step, because only when you take the step —like Indiana Jones in his last crusade— do you discover the way.” He also recalled his connection with the university and the evolution of the entrepreneurial ecosystem: “When I was studying, no one considered entrepreneurship; today we are light‑years away from that situation and we now have an unprecedented network and institutional support.”

The day featured a comprehensive programme on innovation and business trends. Jorge Galindo and Raúl Raja opened the keynote sessions with the journey of 47 Degrees and their venture Predictable Machines. Afterwards, Clara de Nadal Trias analysed technological and consumer mega‑trends — which include AI and regenerative tourism, among others — with potential to foster new opportunities in the province.

Following a coffee break and networking session led by the UCA Emprende team, Ana Ortega introduced the intrapreneurship programme ONCE Innova, focused on driving innovation from within organisations. Later, Agustín Baeza presented strategies for scaling companies efficiently and sustainably. In this vein, he explained, companies that are internationalised, innovative, young and dynamic, and located in a favourable local ecosystem — where events like Cádiz.Red matter — have a greater likelihood of success.

The day concluded with a round‑table of local entrepreneurs Virginia Gómez, Begoña Arana, Nacho de Corral and Daniel Fernández, who shared their experiences and lessons learned. The closing was led by the Vice‑Rector for Entrepreneurship and Employability, Carmen Camelo, followed by a final networking session. Camelo remarked: “When we come together, good things happen. From the University of Cádiz, from UCA Emprende, we believe in the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the province of Cádiz. I can only give thanks to UCA Emprende, the Provincial Council, the speakers, those who are part of the province’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and, of course, the entrepreneurs.”

The Cádiz.Red project is 100% funded by the Department of Planning, Coordination and Strategic Development of the Provincial Council of Cádiz, through the Plan Dipuinnova+ programme, reinforcing its commitment to developing entrepreneurial talent and invigorating the business fabric of Cádiz.