Students from 21 educational centres across Camp de Tarragona, Terres de l'Ebre, and Baix Penedès participated in the latest InJUè Emprèn Dipta.cat Awards, with four projects receiving €1,300 each. The awards, organised by the Tarragona Provincial Council and the Rovira i Virgili University's Entrepreneurship Chair, recognise young entrepreneurial talent.
The awards ceremony took place on Tuesday at the Diputació Auditorium in Tarragona. Vale Pino, the provincial deputy for People and Talent, and Xavier Càmara, director of the URV Entrepreneurship Chair, attended the event.
Pino congratulated all participating centres, stating that promoting an entrepreneurial culture is a critical strategy to meet the challenges of a knowledge-based society. He added that it strengthens the link between education and industry, improves job quality, and provides individuals with tools to advance their professional and personal projects.
He also highlighted the Tarragona Provincial Council's work in fostering local talent and entrepreneurship across the region. This effort, he said, contributes to collective progress and strengthens an entrepreneurial ecosystem connecting education, innovation, and the territory. Càmara added that "entrepreneurship is the ability to transform ideas into real solutions to face the challenges of the territory and thus contribute to building a better future for everyone."
Winning Projects Recognised
In the ESO category, the 'ODS Go' project from Santa Teresa de Jesús School in Tarragona won. Their project proposes transforming Tarragona into an augmented reality game with challenges based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
'CULTIVATING THE FUTURE' from Elisabeth School in Salou won the Baccalaureate category. This project connects urban youth with rural life through practical sustainable agriculture workshops on land managed by local farmers. Students from Institut Baix Camp in Reus secured the Intermediate Vocational Training award for 'BUSINESSMAP', a project designed to connect businesses for synergy and collaboration.
Finally, the Advanced Vocational Training category winner was 'GREEN DELIVERY' from Institut Francesc Vidal i Barraquer in Tarragona. This project offers a multi-brand delivery service that consolidates online purchases from different shops into a single delivery.
Each of the four winning projects received €1,300, which their educational centres can use to promote entrepreneurial values among students. Additionally, four other projects received special recognition awards of €700 each.
Other Noteworthy Innovations
The recognised projects included 'TRASHBOT' from Institut Escola Mare de Déu del Portal in Batea, a recycling project featuring smart recycling bins where classes earn points for good practice. 'RENOVA-IA' from Institut Antoni Martí i Franquès in Tarragona presented a programme of technology and artificial intelligence bootcamps for people over 50, aiming to improve digital CVs and help with re-employment.
Institut Ramon Barbat i Miracle in Vila-seca developed 'LA REVOLUCIÓ DEL COMERÇ', a digital tool to improve visibility, management, and competitiveness for small businesses and hospitality. 'RECO' from Institut de l'Ebre in Tortosa offered a digital solution connecting online commerce with packaging recycling via an app integrated into brands' e-commerce platforms.
Students tackled different challenges for each category. ESO students focused on promoting sustainability in schools using gamified tools. Baccalaureate students sought solutions for collaborative spaces where young people and other groups could work on new projects. Intermediate Vocational Training students aimed to help local businesses adapt to new professional competencies, while Advanced Vocational Training students worked on reducing the environmental impact of online shopping.
More than 90 projects were submitted from schools in Amposta, Batea, Calafell, el Morell, Reus, Riudoms, Salou, Santa Bàrbara, Tarragona, Tortosa, and Vila-seca. The projects were developed following training sessions in schools focused on guiding and professionalising the proposals.
Karim Casado, co-founder and director of Somni Games Studios, a video game studio promoting healthy habits, also participated in the event. Casado, a previous Emprèn Awards winner, delivered a talk titled 'From a small idea to a video game to live more than 150 years.' Across six editions, nearly 2,000 students from 37 centres in Camp de Tarragona, Terres de l'Ebre, and Baix Penedès have participated in the competition.
