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South Summit and IE University will organize digital meetings to promote the entrepreneurial ecosystem in 2021

Meetings will take place throughout the year in response to the challenges facing the entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well as to innovation in industry and ongoing global problems.

IE University and South Summit—a platform to connect 365 key actors in the global ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation—are jointly launching a series of digital meetings throughout 2021, the Virtual South Summit, to respond to the main global challenges.

Given the uncertainty predicted by the experts to continue throughout 2021, innovation is the best medicine for business success. Proof of this is the significant investment in startups in 2020 which, although lower than in previous years, has exceeded €1 billion, according to the Bankinter Innovation Foundation.

At the same time, the Spanish and global entrepreneurial ecosystem faces an unprecedented situation that requires alternatives, quick reactions and innovative solutions.

The Virtual South Summit will serve as a meeting point for the main actors of the ecosystem and will analyze how to face, through innovation, the global challenges that certain industries require for their medium- to long-term success.

Participation in these meetings will provide those in the entrepreneurial ecosystem to generate networking, raise the visibility of new solutions, detect opportunities and, ultimately, generate real business that provides a win-win for all parties. Moreover, networking will not only take place during the meetings: attendees will be able to continue connecting with others in the ecosystem before, during and after, thanks to the South Summit 365 platform.

Transforming Global Challenges into Opportunities will be the theme of the primer ‘Virtual South Summit’ of 2021, which will take place on January 28th, from 16:30h, through the South Summit platform, with free access for those interested in participating.

This meeting, also designed to maintain connections within the ecosystem, will be attended by leading entrepreneurs and corporations that will share their experience and knowledge, acquired in the construction of successful business projects created at times of crisis and uncertainty like the present.

The 2021 Virtual South Summit follows the highly successful digital meetings organized last year by South Summit to keep the entrepreneurial ecosystem connected and respond to its main needs during the most difficult moments of the pandemic. After the success of South Summit Madrid 2020, which attracted more than 52,000 observers from all over the world, more than 30,000 active users to its platform 365, more than 7,000 entrepreneurs, almost 9,000 corporations and more than 2,000 investors, who all gathered within a new multichannel format that demonstrated South Summit’s capacity for adaptation.

María Benjumea, founder and CEO of South Summit, explains South Summit’s philosophy: “We were born in the middle of a crisis in 2012 and we have become a leading platform and benchmark for the innovation ecosystem. From our own experience, we know that it is possible to succeed during times of uncertainty and even during an economic crisis. Our goal is to keep the ecosystem alive 365 days a year because innovation is the engine that drives a country's economy and leads to business success.”

“One of the consequences of the current environment is the rise of entrepreneurship. This is an opportunity to compare the resilience of managers and entrepreneurs and all the benefits of virtual interaction and online training.”
Santiago Iñiguez, President of IE University


Santiago Iñiguez, president of IE University, adds: “Together with South Summit, we are promoting a range of entrepreneurial initiatives that drive sustainable economic activities, in a scenario where native entrepreneurs are identifying innovative and sustainable business ideas.”

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