VALZEO boosts Euro-Cuban collaboration on innovation and sustainable technology transfer at the II International Conference on Innovation and Development.
Havana, May 27, 2025 – The Fundación Universidad de La Habana (FUH) hosted a high-level conference on innovation and development, spotlighting strategic collaboration between Cuban institutions and international partners.
The VALZEO project, funded under the Horizon Europe programme, played a prominent role throughout the event by showcasing its commitment to open science, sustainable innovation, and technology transfer.
The conference, held at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel, brought together leading academics, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and international organizations. Dr. Rosa María Sebastián, Vice-Rector for Innovation, Transfer and Entrepreneurship at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), opened the event with a keynote on the role of universities in building innovation ecosystems.
The panel on “Collaboration and Internationalization of Results” featured Dr. Manuel Valiente (UAB), who highlighted the VALZEO project’s advances in multifunctional materials (zeolites, MONs, MOFs) for water purification and biodiesel catalysis, aligning with both EU and Cuban sustainability goals. Further contributions from the AERIS team (Josep Torá) emphasized the project’s innovation pipeline and spin-off potential.
SITES, a VALZEO partner, provided dynamic coverage and visibility through its digital dissemination efforts, enhancing audience engagement and documenting key moments of the conference. The Fundación Universidad de La Habana made an extraordinary effort as host, successfully blending national expertise and global innovation dialogue.
This conference sets the stage for promising future collaborations. As expressed during the closing remarks, FUH and VALZEO partners envision expanding joint technology accelerators and fostering entrepreneurship in agri-tech and water sectors through open innovation.
Acknowledgment: We extend our heartfelt thanks to Fundación Universidad de La Habana for hosting this milestone event, strengthening North-South partnerships and amplifying VALZEO’s mission of advancing sustainable innovation.
