San Sebastián Innovation Plan raises budget to €6 million
The Finance and Local Employment Department, through Fomento de San Sebastián, presented the 2025 Innovation Plan with a six-million-euro budget, outlining key initiatives in science, business innovation, enterprise, and talent, in collaboration with the city’s innovation ecosystem.
The 2025 Innovation Plan will be rolled out in 6 areas of activity:
1.Boosting public municipal innovation
In 2025, work will continue on surveys and projects to deliver innovative, sustainable urban solutions that enhance living standards in Donostia. Among other initiatives, this will include pinpointing opportunities for innovation in Polígono 27 or the Eastern District, driving projects arising from the City Challenges competition launched by the Municipal Enterprise, focusing on innovative public procurement and seeking resources through EU funding mechanisms.
2.Promoting the city as an innovative entrepreneurship hub
This will focus on increasing the number of innovative projects, streamlining agents operating in the ecosystem, and upgrading the city as a space of opportunities for enterprise.
EKINN, a meeting and connection hub, will act as a central space to attract and retain entrepreneurial talent, and provide training and technical capacitation in enterprise and innovation.
The main highlights in 2025 will be the new EKINN Summit, the launch of the new EKINN+ start-up acceleration programme, introducing new services in connection with investment, talent and markets, and the implementation of new programmes to boost female enterprise.
3..Promoting San Sebastián as a city of science and innovation platform
The objective will be to help consolidate and foster initiatives in relation to research and innovation, developing talent, technology transfer to businesses and giving a boost to sectors of opportunity, in association with key agents.
Development of the San Sebastian Science Society brand ("SSSS") as a line of reference demonstrating the emphasis on social impact in relation to science and innovation with a social impact, the launch of projects to develop Artificial Intelligence and the establishment of services and programmes to strengthen knowledge-intensive businesses (SEIC), with a special focus on Biosciences. The PIA building, in fact, will be transformed into a major hub for businesses providing advanced services (SEIC) with a new range of spaces and services to streamline the ecosystem of businesses operating in these sectors.
In 2025 Fomento de San Sebastián will continue to assist with the development of any activities that help showcase the role of Women in Science and Innovation and the generation of new vocations, and it will also be organising the 12th Innovation Week WeekINN.
4.Boosting new opportunities for innovation in the area of Urban Economy
New services, programs and grants will be available to assist in improving competitiveness and innovating traditional sectors such as retail or hospitality, generation change and a boost for innovation, digitalisation and sustainability. In the course of the year, a Local Action Plan will be defined for retail, in addition to programs such as EKINN DENDAK, providing spaces and premises for innovative commercial initiatives and EKINN+ GASTRO, to assist with generation change and the focus on talent in the gastronomy sector.
5.Launching professional development projects for young talent
In 2025, fostering collaboration with young people will be key, with events and encounters to build connections, plus support for innovative projects through advice, grants, and space at EKINN and Talent House.
2025 will see the launch of a new Residence Programme for local talent, with subsidised housing for young locals in Donostia, the job opportunities portal will be streamlined, and grants will be available to hire young people with qualifications and for the creation of businesses by entrepreneurs under 35. Fomento de San Sebastián will be concentrating on activities with links to innovation and the generation of STEAM vocations, with initiatives in relation to the chair introduced recently with TECNUN, to help facilitate contact between students and Artificial Intelligence, and analyse its social impact on San Sebastián.
6.Positioning the City on the International stage as an Innovation Hub
San Sebastián aims to strengthen its global role as an Innovation Hub by building ties with strategic cities and organizations to boost innovation, attract events, projects, and talent. In 2025, Fomento de San Sebastián will deepen ties with strategic cities, expand European network collaborations—while continuing to lead the EUROCITIES Enterprise and Innovation Committee—and promote international science and innovation events (MICE). The Innovation Plan remains a key driver of the city’s innovation strategy, with 48% of its budget co-financed by European and regional funds, and 52% covered by Fomento’s own resources.