ISLYE Exchange Programme – Granada
If you are interested in Spain/the Spanish market/knowing/getting to know Spain, we invite you to Granada…
Granada is located in Andalusia, the most populated region of Spain and the second largest, which makes it one of the biggest contributors to the country’s economy. Combining rural and urban areas, it offers plenty of opportunities for both agricultural and technological activities.
Andalusia is also a historically rich area with a multicultural heritage, primed for tourism. This makes its cities diverse and welcoming, as well as providing a great variety of environments, monuments, art and food to enjoy.
Located just 35 km from Mulhacén, the highest mountain in the peninsula, 65 km away from the subtropical coast, Granada blends Arabic and Mediterranean heritage, past and present, in a city full of cultural activities and open-minded people. It is home to 3 Unesco world heritage sites which are Alhambra, Generalife and the district of El Albaicín, among many other points of interest.
The main economic activity of the city is tourism and services. Although other industries such as construction, agriculture and textile have a solid presence in the area. In recent years, there has been a rapid development in the technology and bioscience sectors.
Nonetheless, Granada is, first and foremost, about its University, with about 60.000 students enrolled each year and more than 20.000 other people involved in its ecosystem, making it the 4th largest university in the country.
The University of Granada (UGR) is a public higher education institution founded in 1531 and is one of the most significant European universities in terms of its historical importance.It comprises 7 campuses, 5 spread out across the city and the other two are located in the northern African cities of Ceuta and Melilla, making the UGR the only European university with campuses in two continents.
Approximately 70,000 individuals – students, researchers, lecturers, and administrative and support staff – are directly linked to the UGR, making it the 4th largest university in Spain. This university community has turned Granada, with its 240,000 inhabitants, into a vibrant and cosmopolitan city. Therefore, the UGR is of the preferred destinations among both Spanish and Erasmus students, the University of Granada provides a lively student atmosphere that welcomes people from all backgrounds.
As the University is at the heart of the city, Granada provides incoming students with excellent services, discounts and facilities, along with a wide range of activities. The city is also very well connected thanks to an affordable public transport system, which makes it easy to traverse.
The UGR is firmly committed to investing in innovation and excelling in research, with over 1.400 active research lines and it is recognized internationally for its quality in higher education, teaching, research and outreach. National and international rankings reflect the UGR’s position among the top universities in Spain and among the best in the world. In 2024, the University of Granada has further consolidated this dominant position – taking 4th place in Spain and featuring among the global top 400 universities in the world in the recently published Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).
Thanks to this commitment, the University of Granada leads cutting-edge projects with a special focus on the transformation and development of the region. In particular, it is worth highlighting the IFMIF-DONES particle accelerator, the most important scientific infrastructure currently being developed in Spain, the UGR-Sostenible sustainability campus or the national leadership in the development of an ecosystem for AI applications.
It contributes to socio-economic development by means of worlds-class education, high quality research, top-class services and by collaborating closely with the local administration and businesses. In this sense, the University of Granada represents 8% of the gross domestic product of the province of Granada.
The team of entrepreneurship experts at UGRemprendedora are committed to supporting students, graduates, researchers and staff who want to create or improve their startups and entrepreneur projects, as well as fostering entrepreneurship and innovation in the community.
For those who wish to develop projects aimed at enhancing social innovation, there is a specific training programme known as the ‘The UGR Social Entrepreneurship Laboratory’.
In coordination with UGRemprendedora, the Knowledge Transfer Office (OTRI-UGR) assists in the process of creating technology-based companies (UGR Spin-offs) that facilitate innovation through knowledge transfer. Since 2001, 130 companies of this type have been created, of which 62 are currently active. These companies are created within the University and owned by professors or researchers, basing their activity on the exploitation of new processes, products or services based on research results generated in the University itself.
The Direction for Entrepreneurship (UGRemprendedora) coordinates and integrates UGR activities designed to foster entrepreneurship within the university community and in all areas. Within their resources they offer space for events, coworking, workshops and incubators.
Among their multiple activities and events you can find:
UGRemprendedora can help you with the following:
– Design thinking and prototyping.
– Business models and plans.
– Market analysis, marketing and communication.
– Financial management, funding and sustainability.
– Entrepreneurship skills such as risk analysis, problem solving, creativity, leadership, teamwork, negotiation and communication.
– Finding connections with local institutions and businesses.
– Mentoring and networking.
The OTRI of the University of Granada is the unit in charge of promoting spin-offs and offers support from the beginning of the process of valorisation of the research results.
This support includes the management of technology protection, usually with patents, accompaniment in the preparation of technological development projects, the preparation of business plans, or advice on legal or regulatory aspects.
All this support translates into increasingly mature business projects and, consequently, more attractive to funders and investors.
– ugremprendedora.ugr.es
– otri.ugr.es
– UGR Emprendedora. ugremprendedora@ugr.es
– Knowledge Transfer Office. otri@ugr.es
– Carlos Sampedro. Director for Knowledge Transfer and Innovation. Arqus WP8 Local Coordinator. dirtransfer@ugr.es
– Ana Isabel Rodríguez. Arqus Responsable in Entrepreneurship Direction. aisromar@ugr.es
– Inma Yuste. Arqus Granada. arqus@ugr.es
