SilvIA Earth at the 3rd Inter-University Entrepreneurship and Innovation Day
6 October 2026
On 6 October, SilvIA Earth took part in the 3rd Inter-University Entrepreneurship and Innovation Day of the Region of Madrid, organised by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid together with the Fundación para el Conocimiento madri+d, as part of the 8th UC3M Entrepreneurship Week. A morning designed for those who build companies from universities and research centres, and for the institutions that support them.
A day to connect universities, government and funding
The programme brought together the different levels of government around the same table. Representatives from the European Commission, the CDTI, the Region of Madrid and the Madrid City Council explained how each one approaches its support for innovation and entrepreneurship, from the local to the European level.
This was followed by a panel with GEM and the Fundación para el Conocimiento madri+d on the current state of entrepreneurship in Spain. Finally, Isidro Laso, from the European Innovation Council (EIC), joined remotely to talk about how Europe funds disruptive innovation.
Our participation in the "Entrepreneurs' success stories and their university" panel
Our co-founder and CCSO, Armando Navarro, took part in the "Entrepreneurs' success stories and their university" panel alongside companies and spin-offs from various universities: Chips’n Bio, ACOPIA, GreenBrain Science, Porous Energy Technologies, NeuroSHEDBio and Digital Robots. It was a frank conversation about what it means to build a company with a university behind you and to bring a technology to the people who have to use it. In our case, the C3N-IA (UC3M) and ESA BIC Madrid Region support us through their incubation programmes.
When asked what we would request from the ecosystem to improve, Armando pointed to two things. On the one hand, much faster communication channels between those who develop solutions and those who need them. On the other, procurement systems adapted to buying solutions, because when you work with public administrations those timelines weigh heavily. Presenting SilvIA Earth, he also spoke about the need to move from a reactive to a predictive system against wildfires — a shift that requires technology to reach where it is needed in time.
In the following part, on lessons learned, Armando insisted above all on the importance of having a multidisciplinary, specialised team you can trust. And he closed with a piece of advice for anyone thinking about starting a company: "Entrepreneurship is about solving real problems for specific people. Don't obsess over what you lack. If you know your context well and you are clear about your value proposition, the resources come, because there are many programmes and investors looking for projects like yours."
The day itself proved him right. Much of the morning was devoted to support programmes, from the CDTI to the EIC's instruments, which exist for exactly that. For a deeptech like SilvIA Earth, knowing which one fits at each stage helps you plan with more judgement and less trial and error.
The other speakers left us further ideas to take home. They talked about changing mindset, because what a paper asks for is not necessarily what the customer wants, and about listening until you truly understand what is needed in order to adapt. And all of it with an integrating vision, built on cooperation and a collaborative ecosystem.
Many thanks to Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, to the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support Service (SEI-UC3M) and to the Fundación para el Conocimiento madri+d for inviting us and for creating spaces to share experiences, lessons and new ways of driving innovation to strengthen the Spanish entrepreneurship ecosystem.
SilvIA Earth: wildfire risk prediction with AI and satellite data
SilvIA Earth is a deeptech startup that combines artificial intelligence and satellite data from the European Copernicus programme to predict wildfire risk before ignition. We work with public administrations, land managers and companies, from protected natural areas to large private estates. We are incubated at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
Want to know how SilvIA Earth can help you get ahead of fire on your territory? Get in touch or email us at info@silviaearth.com.