This plan, with an investment of 2.2 million euros, is articulated throughthree accelerators specialized in topics on business, finance and internationalization
It is an “a la carte” business support program capable of covering all phases of the development of a project and open to attracting talent from all over Andalusia.
The Cádiz Free Trade Zone has presented Blue Core 360º, an innovative comprehensive and personalized program that was created to strengthen the competitiveness of the entrepreneurial ecosystem linked to the Blue Economy through services adapted to the real needs of each company. This new plan is part of Blue Core, the innovation and business development initiative of the Free Trade Zone, which together with Incubazul, is consolidating itself as one of the national references in the Blue Economy and advanced entrepreneurship and which has already impacted 60 companies.
This was explained by the delegate of the Free Zone, Fran González, this morning in the presentation made to the media in the new Incubazul Base Zone building, in which he was accompanied by Jose Baqueiro, consultant from EOSA, the consulting company in charge of the revitalization of the Blue Core project, who also explained the most technical details of the program.
Fran González explained that "this Blue Core services program runs parallel to the development of the two buildings presented in October. With this, the highly innovative Blue Core initiative also continues to advance in the implementation of its services in favor of the business community and entrepreneurship."
The person in charge of the Free Zone has stressed that "the good results obtained with the Incubazul incubator have meant that this new project promotes the business fabric linked to the Blue Economy with this ambitious platform of services that we make available to business initiatives, to projects, that are germinating in the ecosystem of the Blue Economy."
González has detailed that this program is "a way to promote the transformation of companies in the digital era and strengthen our commitment to the Blue Economy. This Blue Core services program has an investment of 2.2 million euros and with it we want to consolidate the talent to bring companies, also from outside the province, opening it to all of Andalusia."
Blue Core 360ª has been conceived as a pioneering “a la carte” business support program, with a permanently open call, capable of covering all phases of the development of a project, from the creation and validation of the business model, to obtaining financing and international expansion.
The program articulates eight areas of specialized services that range from innovation and digital transformation to legal advice, marketing, financing, sustainability, internationalization and business strategy.
These services are offered through a personalized and free voucher, available both for Incubazul and Blue Core startups and for consolidated companies in the blue ecosystem and companies installed in the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz. With this, the Institution reinforces its commitment to the modernization of the productive fabric and to the projection of the Blue Economy towards new markets and strategic sectors.
Three specialized accelerators to respond to the challenges of growth
The Blue Core 360º model is structured through three specialized accelerators, designed to respond to the main needs of business growth.
On the one hand, the Blue Accelerator business accelerator, which lasts four months and is aimed at startups, SMEs and projects in the seed or initial phase that seek to strengthen their business model and move more solidly towards the market. The program offers specialized mentoring, technological development and support in validation processes, in addition to facilitating access to financing and a wide network of experts in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
In second place is the Blue Financing financing accelerator, which lasts two months and focuses on accompanying those companies that need to define their financial strategy, prepare their access to investment or delve deeper into public and private financing instruments. The itinerary includes mentoring with investor profiles, advanced financial training and training sessions. networking with key agents from the banking and private equity sectors.
The third pillar of the plan is the Blue Exterior internationalization accelerator, a three-month program aimed at the expansion of companies in strategic markets in Europe, America and Asia. Its services include the development of internationalization plans, market mentoring, opportunity analysis, access to financing for going abroad and presence at leading international fairs and events.
The accelerators combine a hybrid methodology, with face-to-face and participatory sessions - such as Startup Day, Hackathon, specialized workshops or LEGO prototyping - and an online training campus available 24 hours a day, which allows access to content in all key areas of the business.
The Cádiz Free Trade Zone will launch three annual calls, one for each accelerator—twice a year—with a maximum of 15 projects per edition, which will allow up to 45 initiatives to be promoted each year. At the same time, the personalized services of the program will remain available throughout the year, guaranteeing that no project is left unattended outside the call period.
With the launch of Blue Core 360º and the accelerators, the Cádiz Free Trade Zone reinforces its leadership as a driving agent of innovation and the Blue Economy and as an engine of transformation of the business fabric of the province. The new model contributes to consolidating a solid, competitive ecosystem aligned with the principles of the Blue Economy, sustainability and internationalization.
The ZF Blue Core-Business Incubator 4.0 project is 85% financed by the European Regional Development Fund within Spain's Pluriregional Operational Program FEDER 2021-2027.