The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) is once again taking part in Santander X Explorer, a Banco Santander programme designed to support entrepreneurs during the earliest stages of their projects. The initiative is particularly suited to students, although it is open to all members of the UPC community—including teaching and research staff, administration and services staff, students and alumni—aged between 18 and 31.
Over 12 weeks, participants complete free online training based on a learning-by-doing methodology. The programme is intended to help them assess the viability of a business idea and develop the skills needed to grow it. It includes expert sessions to resolve questions, teamwork activities and talks by startup founders and internationally recognised figures.
Applications are open until December 10. The programme has no participation fee and brings together entrepreneurs from 13 countries in Europe and the Americas, allowing participants to join an international community that many previous participants have identified as one of the experience’s main strengths.
The UPC has participated in the initiative since 2021. Emprèn UPC promotes the programme within the university community, supports projects throughout the training period and organises a Demo Day at the end, where teams present their initiatives publicly and connect with other participants and professionals from the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
In the latest edition, 21 entrepreneurs completed the programme and developed 14 projects. Nine of them were presented at the Demo Day held at the Diagonal-Besòs Campus. The winning project was TUMED, a smart pill organiser combining a wearable device and a mobile application for older people who take several medications.
The UPC ranked 20th for engagement among more than 200 participating institutions worldwide in the latest edition.
Sources: La Vanguardia.