More than 70 students in the Undergraduate Programme in Tourism and Hospitality Management at IQS recently visited Tech Barcelona, a digital innovation hub that ranks among the five best in Europe.
More than 70 students in the Undergraduate Programme in Tourism and Hospitality Management at IQS recently visited Tech Barcelona, a digital innovation hub that ranks among the five best in Europe. Tech Barcelona is an independent, non-profit, and private association that works to strengthen Barcelona as a benchmark in the international digital and technological landscape: it connects and makes startups visible, catalyses innovation processes with corporations, encourages entrepreneurship, attracts investment, and much more. The community brings together entrepreneurs, startups, investors, SMEs, corporations, universities, business schools, government entities, and consulting and services firms.
Through the visit, led by Marina Rosales, Digital Marketing Specialist, and Miguel Gómez, Communications Specialist, students taking the courses Business Strategies and Innovation & Entrepreneurship were able to understand “the essence of the space and the sense of community that can be felt here. The location boasts open spaces with beautiful views that drive networking and collaboration. Innovation can be felt here,” stated Daniela Freund, professor of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship course.
The facilities are also home to the offices of Byhours, the first online platform where users can book hotel rooms and decide the arrival time and the duration of their microstay. It enables users to book by the hour, complementing the traditional hotel business model. The disruptive business model is also reflected in the offices: very modern and featuring open spaces, whiteboards, and a full kitchen. It is quite different from the classic offices found in typical hotel sector companies.
Guillermo Gaspart, founder and CEO of Byhours, explained their business model, internationalization ambitions, financing challenges (an investment round is closing soon), and more.
“The objective with the type of activities we offer in the Undergraduate Programme in Tourism and Hospitality Management is to bring the entrepreneurial ecosystem closer to students so they can see how a hub works in real life. This way, they can discover a company with a differentiating business model and strategy first hand,” concluded Juanjo Marín, professor of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship course.
