The Ministry of Industry, CEIN, and UPNA have signed an agreement to manage Hirugarrena, a new space for entrepreneurship set to open on March 4

Hirugarrena, the new hub for technological entrepreneurship and innovation, will open its doors on March 4, as announced today during the signing of the agreement governing the facility. The event was attended by Mikel Irujo, Minister of Industry and Ecological and Digital Business Transition for the Government of Navarra; Ramón Gonzalo, Rector of the Public University of Navarra (UPNA); Uxue Itoiz, managing director of the public entity European Business and Innovation Center of Navarra (CEIN); and Mónica Cortiñas, vice rector for Quality, Economy, and Strategy at the UPNA.

Hirugarrena will be a space dedicated to technological and innovative entrepreneurship, designed to support and attract any entrepreneur with an idea. The agreement provides for a 25-year lease of this space from the UPNA to CEIN; it will be jointly managed by both institutions, and its renovation was carried out as part of the Retech Tech FabLab project, funded by the Government of Navarra and Next Generation funds.

The official opening of this facility, located on the third floor of the El Sario building, will take place on March 4. It will provide a physical space housing business incubators, startup incubators, and coworking spaces, focused on fostering the creation and growth of digital and advanced technology startups. Additionally, entrepreneurial activities will be developed around innovative projects, facilitating connections between these projects, the UPNA, and companies, with the goal of offering a flexible environment that adapts to the needs of the startups and projects established there.

To celebrate its opening, Hirugarrena will host a variety of events, including the workshop “Neuromarketing: Understanding the Customer’s Mind,” led by mentalist Jorge Luengo, on Monday, March 2, at 5:00 p.m. That same Monday will also feature the “Board of Killers,” a project evaluation session as part of the Reactor de Innovación doctoral entrepreneurship program. On Tuesday, March 3, at 12:00 PM, Natalia Rodríguez (founder and CEO of Saturno Labs) will give a talk titled “AI Has No Purpose, You Do. How to Build a Better World with Deep Tech.” Additionally, on Friday, March 6, an event will be held to commemorate International Women’s Day. All activities are free upon registration, which can be done on the CEIN website atwww.cein.es. 

For projects and startups

At Hirugarrena, entrepreneurs with projects related to science, technology, and digitalization will have access to training programs and specialized guidance to assess their potential and turn them into new businesses. 

In addition, science- and technology-based and digital startups and spin-offs will have access to advisory, support, and training services specifically geared toward scaling up. Furthermore, meeting spaces and events will be organized to facilitate networking with stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well as open innovation programs.

The space is also open to the university community (students, faculty, and research staff), who will have access to support and programs designed to foster talent in the areas of entrepreneurship and business initiative.

In terms of infrastructure, Hirugarrena offers 1,280 square meters of usable space, divided into a spacious coworking area and five offices, designed for startups in the validation, growth, and scaling phases, as well as for the pre-incubation of early-stage projects from the university community or the tech-digital sector.

The launch of Hirugarrena is part of the Tech FabLab project, in which the Government of Navarre is a partner alongside La Rioja, Aragon, Cantabria, Catalonia, and the Valencian Community. This project is part of the RETECH “Digital Entrepreneurship Networks” call for proposals, funded by the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration through Next Generation EU funds.