From Tourism to Tech Talent: How Emprenbit is Growing in the Balearic Islands

For more than two decades, the Balearic Government has been leading an innovation policy that seeks to balance the importance of tourism with the development of emerging sectors. Against this background, the Emprenbit programme has been one of the biggest, most successful initiatives. It was set up in 2003 with the creation of the Parc Bit Tech Business Incubator, and since then has grown to become a leading provider of support for tech-based entrepreneurship in the archipelago. Its goal is clear: to support the creation of innovative businesses and make SMEs more competitive through technology, research and collaboration.

Support from the sustainable tourism tax (ITS) fund drove this process forward significantly. With €356,000 of funding, the project sought to expand its incubation facilities by acquiring an additional 175 m² at Parc Bit. These new facilities, used entirely for incubating projects in their growth phase, strengthened the programme’s capacity to support more entrepreneurs and boost tech-based companies that were in the process of entering the market. This initiative is part of a broader vision of sustainability, in which innovation and knowledge also serve as tools for regional balance and sustainable economic development.

Emprenbit’s ecosystem is built around physical infrastructure and specialised services. The incubator currently takes up more than 3,000 m2 spread across the Disset and Naorte buildings at Parc Bit, as well as CentreBit in Menorca. Depending on the maturity of their projects, entrepreneurs can access accelerators and growth programmes, along with shared workspaces, private offices, and coworking areas. But the real value of the programme lies in the comprehensive support it offers: business and financial advice, support in defining and endorsing a business model, guidance on applying for public funding, and access to a network of mentors and industry professionals.

Emprenbit’s working methodology is based on a simple yet demanding principle: ‘Learn quickly, fail cheaply.’ Inspired by the Lean Startup philosophy, the programme promotes the early endorsement of ideas to avoid unnecessary investment and focus efforts on what the market actually needs. Meanwhile, it offers training in innovation, management and communication, as well as networking sessions that encourage collaboration between the different projects being incubated. Events such as the Tramuntana Tech Talks and the Emprenbit Tech Camp have become crucial points of contact for the Balearic entrepreneurial landscape, involving experts from companies such as Wallapop, Cabify, Filmin, BlaBlaCar and Amazon.

The programme also boosts the visibility of local talent through awards and partnerships with national organisations. Several companies incubated at Parc Bit, such as Sanifit, Travel Compositor, Hotelinking and Numat Medtech, have won awards at the CaixaBank Emprendedor XXI Awards or in the Venture on the Road competition hosted by SeedRocket and Banco Sabadell. These awards reflect not only the creative potential of the Balearic Islands, but also the effectiveness of a model that combines technical support with community building.

Since its launch, Emprenbit has supported over 350 entrepreneurs and helped set up around 150 businesses, many of which are still operating within Parc Bit or CentreBit. In 2019, for example, 64 applications for support were received, and 21 of these resulted in the actual setting up of a business. The incubator supports projects across a wide range of sectors, including ICT, biotechnology, energy, digital culture and smart tourism, creating skilled jobs and a direct impact on the regional economy.

The programme is run by a team of experts in entrepreneurship, innovation and business management from Fundació Bit, a public body under the Balearic Government that acts as the focal point for the region’s R&D&I policy. Its experience in business incubation has allowed it to forge links with other tech centres in Europe and to become part of international networks that support entrepreneurship. On the Interreg Europe platform, Emprenbit is recognised as a model of best practice, as it has managed to combine advisory services, training, access to funding and affordable workspaces for tech start-ups.

The programme’s impact goes beyond the business world. Emprenbit helps to retain talent on the islands and prevent the brain drain of qualified professionals by offering a competitive environment, without the need to relocate to major tech hubs on the mainland. In terms of economic sustainability, their work helps to better balance the Balearic Islands’ production model, supporting a more diversified economy that is less seasonal and better able to adapt to the environmental and technological challenges of the future.

At the same time, the expansion of the incubation space funded by the ITS creates a virtuous circle: part of tourism revenue is reinvested in projects that, in turn, strengthen the region’s resilience. Emprenbit therefore embodies the spirit of sustainable tourism tax: transforming tourism revenue into opportunities for balanced development, innovation and social welfare.

Looking ahead to the coming years, the programme will continue to strengthen collaboration efforts with universities, research centres and private organisations. The challenge for them is to keep supporting new generations of entrepreneurs in a rapidly changing and demanding environment, where technology, sustainability and knowledge come together to form the backbone of the Balearic Islands’ economic future.