Alicante strengthens its position as an international innovation hub

Alicante has established itself as a European innovation leader, securing a spot among the six candidate cities for the European Capital of Innovation 2025-26, alongside Grenoble (France), Liverpool (UK), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam, and The Hague (Netherlands). As the only Spanish contender for this accolade, awarded by the European Commission, Alicante has transformed into an urban laboratory for social innovation and sustainable transformation, benefiting its citizens through its thriving innovation ecosystem.

Located in the heart of the Spanish Mediterranean arc and boasting a strong international presence thanks to its tourism and excellent connections with the rest of Europe via its international airport, Alicante is now a hotbed of innovative projects driven by its institutions, leading companies, and emerging tech-based firms, all spearheaded by the city's council through its 'Alicante Futura' strategy. This commitment has not gone unnoticed by the European Commission, which increasingly looks towards the Spanish Mediterranean.

"This is great news for the city and a recognition that positions us internationally, highlighting the significant innovative commitment and good governance of the City Council with nearly fifty innovative projects launched, projects designed to bring local administration closer to residents and facilitate their procedures, reducing the digital divide," said the Mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala. "Just being semifinalists and competing with European cities twice our size is a boost to our innovative policies and an incentive to continue in the same direction," he added.

The Alicante candidacy was selected after a rigorous evaluation by two panels of independent experts, part of the jury responsible for assessing the 12 aspiring cities for this award. This is the eleventh edition of these awards, convened with the support of the European Innovation Council (EIC) and within the framework of the 'Horizon Europe' program.

The title of European Capital of Innovation recognizes cities that open their governance practices to experimentation and aspire to be role models for other cities, pushing the boundaries of innovation for the benefit of their citizens. Previous winners include Barcelona (2014), Amsterdam (2016), Paris (2017), Athens (2018), Nantes (2019), Leuven (2020), Dortmund (2021), Aix-Marseille Provence Metropole (2022), Lisbon (2023), and Turin (2024-2025).

"Our candidacy, articulated through the municipal strategy Alicante Futura, highlights the innovation efforts being made both publicly and privately in our city," added the mayor. "We are talking about a project with which the Alicante City Council builds the city, always in collaboration with our productive and business sector and with the involvement of other cities and administrations, from Aguas de Alicante to the Ciudad de la Luz, the EUIPO, the Scientific Park of the University of Alicante, or the Innovation Department of the Generalitat Valenciana."

Initiatives such as the sensorization and digitalization of the water cycle with infrastructures like the floodable park La Marjal or the digitalization of online public transport ticket sales and through city kiosks to reduce the digital divide, the implementation of the electronic key granting access to the organic waste container and discounts for collaborating in selective collection are some of the projects that make Alicante a city in constant innovation aimed at improving public services and facilitating people's lives.

Projects already underway include the analytical management of urban mobility through a system of cameras, programs, and applications; air quality control with the Low Emission Zone through sensorization and digitalization; being the first administration to develop a neural network endowed with Artificial Intelligence, supported by a virtual assistant on its website for administrative procedures and cyber kiosks in neighborhoods and public offices to reduce the digital divide in dealings with the City Council.

There are more than fifty actions and projects, all with their own names, that configure an innovative ecosystem projecting Alicante in its most social, dynamic, and entrepreneurial aspect, making it a model to follow. The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan 'Alicante Moves', the Sustainable and Integrated Urban Development Strategy (Edusi), the water digitalization project B-WaterSmart, the Alicante Smart City 2.0 Plan, the citizen laboratory Cil.lab, the municipal census of companion animals with data from Rivia, the Digitalization Plan as a Sustainable Tourist Destination with projects like the intelligent capacity control at the Santa Bárbara Castle, Innovative Public Procurement (CPI) Local Strategy to address Unwanted Loneliness and Social Isolation are other transformative initiatives of the city, its productive fabric, and citizen attention.

And in the same vein, advances have been made in the mobility and sustainability of the 12 business areas of the municipal term through cameras and sensors to improve their mobility and air quality; improvements in energy self-consumption with the installation of photovoltaic panels in public buildings and educational centers, as well as the implementation of eco-efficient LED technology in all public lighting.

'Alicante Futura' is the municipal strategy to establish Alicante as a Mediterranean innovation hub, through a transversal action that promotes urban transformation, technological entrepreneurship, digitalization, and knowledge transfer. 'Alicante Futura' and the Futura Territories (Tossal Lab, Espacio Vaillo, Entrepreneur Center, Ideas Gym) gather and drive an entire entrepreneurial ecosystem in innovation and digital and technological development.

A strategy that has allowed the consolidation of tools such as: Alicante Futura Lab, an intensive bootcamp connecting emerging talent with companies and institutions; Alicante Futura Sandbox, an urban experimentation environment; City Innovation Portfolio, which identifies and showcases innovative initiatives developed in the city; Mediterranean Innovation Hubs, structuring the innovative ecosystem around sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, Water, Energy, Audiovisuals and Creative Industries, Cultural, Govtech, Real Estate and workspaces, industry, logistics, and health. At the same time, they have turned Alicante into a hotbed of forums, competitions, and sectoral fairs with innovation as the main exponent.

With this candidacy for the European capital, Alicante reaffirms its vision and city model: a territory that promotes innovation to improve the lives of businesses and citizens, strengthen territorial cohesion, and generate ecosystems where companies, institutions, and citizens actively collaborate to build a better future for all.