GBSB Global Business School Barcelona MSc in Entrepreneurship students had the unique opportunity to visit Infinitum Factory on November 4th 2016, an accelerator for technology-based projects, located in the old textile district in Sabadell, just a short distance from Barcelona. Infinitum Factory was once an old rundown industrial space that was brought back to life and now houses modern, tech startups, in a clean, sleek environment geared toward providing enterprising teams with a complete ecosystem: business model, funding and managerial accompaniment to accelerate growth of the project or company.
The industry visit presented by the Oscar Amau Palacios, Infinitum public relations representative, took an in-depth look at Infinitum Projects, an incubator hosting IT ventures focused on domestic and international commercialization. The GBSB Global Business School Barcelona MSc in Entrepreneurship students were led by GBSB’s Professor Ferran Teixes, Managing Director for Agrupacio Pedagogica Sant Nicolau and Advisory Board Member for the IGNITE Serious Play project, offering professional services as a part of LEGO® Serious Play.® Students were engaged in multiple presentations provided not only by Jordi Mercader, CEO of Infinitum Projects, but also from the CEO of Populetic and firms like KOBE.
Students were inspired by the size and creative design of the facility. The space, not so different from many co-working spaces, has long, spacious tables with various work areas where individuals can work independently or as a team. Designed to operate with the environment in mind, this accelerator goes above and beyond the normal call of duty. Installing Egyptian technology for cooling has amounted to a 60% savings, decreasing the overall operating costs of the facility. In addition, the heater is fueled from animal by-products and is installed in such a way that there is a strict control of temperature and space. The factory, once a concrete shell, was not the ideal office environment, but creative ingenuity and the installation of Italian acoustic tiles has soundproofed the entire facility, over 1,650 m² with 8 meeting rooms that are made from old railroad freight containers.
Not only was the accelerator impressive itself structurally, but the initiative and Infinitum Project’s presentation tagline, "Dreams, Technology and Success," were executed in a way that students felt inspired and free to have an ongoing question and answer session with the highly qualified business professionals and entrepreneurs, who were there to facilitate the activity. These individuals, many business mentors themselves, were stimulating, offering years of practical experience and wisdom for the young minds to absorb. GBSB Professor Teixes instructed students to think about the presentation with The Business Model Canvas, a strategic management and lean startup template for developing new or documenting already existing business models in mind. A tool or building block, helping students to define their own personal business plans.
Visiting the Infinitum Project stirred these young, already motivated, entrepreneurs to look outside the box for various networking opportunities and broaden their interest in the field of innovation and technology. As these GBSB Global Business School Barcelona MSc in Entrepreneurship students prepare themselves to go out into the real world, the professional insight will help guide their careers.
By Emily Dawn Szajda, GBSB Content Manager
