Startup Europe Partnership (SEP), the European innovation platform under the auspices of the European Commission, has granted ACCIONA an 'Open Innovation Innovative Approach Award'; the award, based on votes by by European startups, acknowledges the company's efforts to develop innovation in partnership with startups under its  I'mnovation programme.

Initiatives under the I'mnovation program include the corporate startup accelerator, through which ACCIONA has worked with over 20 startups in the last two years to develop full-scale pilot projects; as a result, over half of those startups are currently working with ACCIONA. 

ACCIONA is also involved in a number of initiatives aimed at publicising its open innovation program and attracting the best startups from around the world. For this purpose, it has developed tools and partnerships with third parties. In this context, within the framework of SEP, ACCIONA and Autodesk head the pioneering vertical related to Digital Construction, Infrastructure and Smart Cities, aimed at stimulating and accelerating European startups and scaleups in the areas of construction, engineering and technology. 

Europe promoting digital innovation

On the occasion of its annual awards, SEP has published a report entitled 'The Status of Open Innovation in Europe' in which it highlights that European companies spend less on innovation than their competitors from the rest of the world. However, in recent years there has been a growing trend towards open innovation, especially in high-tech industries, where collaboration with new companies is crucial.

One of the report's conclusions is that, despite a gradual increase in innovation performance, it is necessary to make more efforts to ensure that Europe is competitive on the world stage.

SEP's goal is to transform Europe's startups into scaleups by enhancing their relationship with global corporations and the capital markets.

By participating in the European Commission's SEP program, directed by Mind the Bridge, multinationals gain access to cutting-edge technology and companies with a view to establishing links of cooperation and investment. Participating startups and scaleups have access to strategic opportunities for commercial or corporate alliances, as well as funding options, such as venture capital, private placements and IPOs.