Fundación Zaragoza Ciudad del Conocimiento

What Fundación Zaragoza Ciudad del Conocimiento does

Fundación Zaragoza Ciudad del Conocimiento (FZC) is a Spanish non-profit foundation constituted on November 24, 2004, and registered with the Registro de Fundaciones de Aragón under CIF G-99035040. The foundation operates from its headquarters at Avenida Ciudad de Soria 8 in Zaragoza, where it also runs Etopia Center for Art & Technology, a municipal innovation hub managed by FZC under a 10-year mandate from the Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza. FZC serves multiple constituencies: technology startups (Salta acceleration program), secondary schools and youth (Machines for Good AI-and-art workshops, Etopia Kids), SMEs in Aragon (DemostraTIC demonstration space), citizens and civil society (SocioBee environmental monitoring, Conocimientos Híbridos AI forum), and public administration bodies (urban data governance, EU project collaboration). Its board of trustees is chaired by the Mayor of Zaragoza with vice-presidency held by Fundación Ibercaja.

FZC's core technology surface is not a single product but a portfolio of programmatic platforms built around Etopia. The proprietary components include Datalab de Etopia, a data sandbox for urban data experimentation across last-mile logistics, climate mitigation, and street trading, and the Virtual Sala de Etopia, a metaverse exhibition space that has hosted the Botto algorithm (an AI generative artist governed by a DAO that mints community-selected works as NFTs). The foundation's technology stack spans digital platforms for smart city innovation, urban data analytics, generative AI applications for civic participation (Botto, ChatGPT, Copilot 365, Gemini used in journalist training), and blockchain for data management. It has managed 12 European projects across Horizon Europe, Creative Europe, and CERV, covering initiatives such as SocioBee, EU Digital Deal, ARTeCHÓ, Machines for Good, FreeYou Next, INNOCULT, Interlink, Senator, and Response.

FZC's business model is a non-profit, multi-stream model. Primary revenue derives from European project grants (1.2 million EUR in financing across 2023, up from 324,000 EUR captured in European subsidies in 2021), supplemented by recurring patronage fees from institutional patrons (Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza, Fundación Bancaria Ibercaja, Universidad de Zaragoza, Universidad de San Jorge, Clúster IDiA, Tecnara) and individual donations qualifying for tax deductions under Spanish Law 49/2002 on patronage. Programs are free to participants; European projects are co-financed by the EU. FZC distributes its services through Etopia's physical space, direct outreach to schools, calls for proposals (convocatorias), and European project consortia. Programs and events include Salta acceleration, DemostraTIC, Cuarto Mitad Fest, Bots adoption, citizen science, and educational initiatives, all interconnected through the Etopia hub.

Name

Fundación Zaragoza Ciudad del Conocimiento

Legal name

Fundación Zaragoza Ciudad del Conocimiento

Website

https://fundacionzcc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fundación Zaragoza Ciudad del Conocimiento (FZC) is a Spanish non-profit founded in 2004 that operates Etopia Center for Art & Technology in Zaragoza, running European-funded smart city, generative AI, citizen science, startup acceleration, and educational programs for startups, youth, SMEs, citizens, and public administration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Innovation and Smart City Programs

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC)

Keywords

• Smart city innovation
• Citizen science programs
• Startup acceleration services
• Digital art exhibitions
• European project management

Headquarters

HQ city

Zaragoza

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. European Project Funding: FZC secures funding through participation in European research and innovation programs including Horizon Europe, Creative Europe, and CERV. In 2021, European subsidies contributed to over 111,000 EUR in additional revenue.
2. Mecenas/Donations: The foundation receives donations and patronage from individuals and organizations. Donors receive tax deductions under Spanish Law 49/2002 on patronage.
3. Patronage Fees: Membership fees from patron organizations including Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza, Fundación Ibercaja, Universidad de Zaragoza, Universidad de San Jorge, Clúster IDiA, and Tecnara.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fundación Zaragoza Ciudad del Conocimiento (FZC) is a non-profit foundation that operates Etopia Center for Art & Technology, a municipal innovation hub in Zaragoza delivering smart city programs, citizen science projects, startup acceleration (Salta, DemostraTIC), digital art exhibitions, AI training workshops, and educational programs for youth. The foundation manages a portfolio of roughly ten European research and innovation projects under Horizon Europe, Creative Europe, and CERV programs, channeling approximately 1.2 million EUR in EU funding to the region.

Product overview

Fundación Zaragoza Ciudad del Conocimiento (FZC) operates a multi-program portfolio centered around its main facility, Etopia - Centro de Arte y Tecnología. The foundation functions as an innovation ecosystem organizer rather than a product company, offering: Etopia as the core creative and technological hub; Ciudad Digital for smart city and urban data initiatives; Conocimientos Híbridos as an AI forum; SocioBee for citizen science; multiple acceleration programs (Salta, DemostraTIC); and European projects including EU Digital Deal, Machines for Good, ARTeCHÓ, and INNOCULT. The portfolio also includes educational programs (Etopia Kids), artistic exhibitions (Botto virtual artist), and cultural events (Cuarto Mitad Fest). These programs interconnect through shared physical space at Etopia, European project partnerships, and focus on technology, art, and citizen engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Etopia. Center for Art & Technology: A global center for creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation in the digital city, operated by FZC under agreement with the Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza. An open innovation model where entrepreneurs, creators, citizens, companies, and researchers work together.

Quantifiable outcome

• 189 young people trained in AI through Machines for Good project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• New European BauhausflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2022FZC became Official Partner of the New European Bauhaus initiative, joining approximately 500 European organizations. This partnership aligns FZC's activities in art and technology with the EU's sustainability, inclusiveness, and aesthetic values framework.
• EurocitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFZC's president Daniel Sarasa serves as chair of Eurocities Data Working Group. FZC participates in data governance initiatives and DS4SSC project for European Smart Cities and Communities Data Space.
• Ayuntamiento de ZaragozacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government as primary patron. FZC supports the municipality in Etopia programming and daily management, following a 10-year mandate. Jointly implements smart city and entrepreneurship projects.
• Fundación Bancaria IbercajacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanking foundation as patron and co-implementer of Salta acceleration program. Vice President Mayte Santos represents the foundation on FZC board.
• Universidad de ZaragozacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic university as patron member of FZC board, providing research collaboration and academic expertise.
• Universidad de San JorgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate university participating as patron member of FZC board.
• Clúster IDiAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAragon technology cluster as patron. Collaborates on Acelera Pyme office and DemostraTIC demonstration space for SMEs.
• TecnaraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology cluster participating as patron member of FZC board.
• Baltan LaboratoriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch creative technology lab collaborating on Machines for Good project, combining AI with arts for youth participation.
• SineglossacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian cultural innovation organization leading Machines for Good consortium, coordinating AI and art workshops across four countries.
• Ars ElectronicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustrian art and technology institution collaborating on Machines for Good, bringing expertise in digital art and creative AI applications.
• MEET Digital Culture CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian digital culture center as INNOCULT project partner, hosting final festival in Milan with 30 cultural projects.
• INOVA+minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese innovation consultancy as INNOCULT project partner supporting creative industries digital innovation.
• Red.es - Oficina Acelera PymecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish digital transformation agency supporting DemostraTIC space through Acelera Pyme program for SME digitization.
• Fundación ONCEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisability foundation partnering on Ga11y accessible video game camps for youth with disabilities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ars Electronica: Austrian center for art, technology & society and a direct partner of FZC on the Machines for Good project. Operates a globally recognized art-tech innovation hub comparable in mission and programming to FZC's Etopia.
• ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe: German center for art and media combining exhibitions, research, and innovation programming. Comparable to FZC as a long-established European institution at the intersection of art, technology and society.
• Matadero Madrid: Madrid's municipal cultural and creative hub managed through a foundation model. Comparable to Etopia as a Spanish public-sector creative innovation space hosting residencies, exhibitions, and incubation.
• Impact Hub: Global innovation hub network operating accelerators, coworking spaces and innovation programs. Comparable to FZC's Salta acceleration program and Etopia as an incubator/hub operator with a civic-innovation lens.
• Medialab Prado: Madrid's municipal public innovation laboratory focused on citizen science, urban data, and collaborative design. Comparable to FZC as a Spanish public-sector innovation hub with strong citizen engagement programs.
• Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB): Barcelona cultural innovation center hosting exhibitions, debates and educational programs on technology and society. Comparable to FZC's Etopia in combining cultural programming with tech-focused public engagement.
• Science Gallery International: Global network of galleries engaging young adults with science, technology and society. Comparable to FZC's educational mission through Etopia Kids, Conocimientos Híbridos and Machines for Good.
• MEET Digital Culture Center: Italian digital culture center and direct INNOCULT project partner of FZC. Combines art, technology and civic engagement through exhibitions and residencies, mirroring FZC's Etopia programming model.

Regional players

• Centro Cultural de Belém: Lisbon-based cultural and conference center hosting exhibitions, conferences and innovation programming. Comparable cultural-tech convergence model to FZC, but primarily serving the Portuguese market.
• Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura: Spanish cultural and innovation complex in Asturias combining education, art and technology programming. Comparable regional Spanish model to FZC's Etopia, but operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FundacionZCC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundaci%C3%B3n-zaragoza-ciudad-del-conocimiento
• Instagraminstagram.com/fundacionzcc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fundación Zaragoza Ciudad del Conocimiento