Individuals with innovative business ideas can now apply to the Santander X Explorer programme, which is once again being supported by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC). This initiative, organised by Banco Santander, aims to assist aspiring entrepreneurs in the early stages of their projects.
The programme is particularly suited for students but is also open to the entire UPC community, including faculty, administrative staff, students, and alumni, provided participants are aged between 18 and 31. Over the course of twelve weeks, participants will engage in online training based on a 'learning by doing' methodology to validate their business ideas and develop the necessary skills for growth.
Key components of the programme include doubt-resolution sessions with experts, teamwork activities, and talks from founders of start-ups and prominent international figures. Participation in the programme is free of charge.
Open to entrepreneurs from 13 countries across Europe and America, the programme fosters a vibrant international community, which many participants highlight as a key benefit of the experience. The UPC has been involved in this initiative since 2021, with Emprèn UPC facilitating outreach within the university community and supporting projects during their training.
At the conclusion of the programme, a Demo Day is organised where teams publicly present their initiatives and connect with other participants and professionals from the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In the last edition, 21 entrepreneurs graduated, developing 14 projects, nine of which were showcased at the Demo Day held at the Diagonal-Besòs Campus. The winning project was TUMED, an intelligent pill dispenser with a wearable device and mobile application designed for elderly patients on multiple medications.
Additionally, the UPC ranked 20th in terms of engagement among over 200 participating institutions worldwide. Applications for the programme can be submitted until 10 December via the Santander X Explorer form. For more information, interested individuals can contact the Emprèn UPC team at empren@upc.edu.
