Laura Olcina, director of the ITI technology center in Valencia, has received Spain’s 2026 National New idea Award in the New Career category. The Ministry of Science, New idea and Universities granted the distinction in recognition of a career linking research to new idea and technology transfer, while responding to business needs. Olcina joined ITI, a center specializing in information and communications technologies, in 1998 and took over its management in 2002. Under her leadership, ITI has grown from a small team into an organization with over 350 professionals and annual revenues exceeding €20 million. Her management style centers on accessibility and trust, replacing formal barriers with open conversation and collaboration.
Olcina’s career at ITI began in 1998 as an intern. By age 29, she was leading the center, which then had fewer than ten employees. Today, ITI operates across several locations, including Paterna, the Universitat Politècnica de València and Torre Juana in Alicante. The award recognizes her achievements and ability to recover through setbacks, from an early venture into facial-recognition technology to financial crises that once forced the center into temporary layoffs.
Her experience with facial-recognition projects between 2005 and 2007, which attracted interest abroad but not in Spain, shaped her approach to new idea. Olcina argues that genuine change happens when technology changes business processes or models, not when it merely digitizes paperwork. She also believes new idea should have a lasting impact, rather than vanish when public funding ends.
Beyond ITI, Olcina leads the Spanish Federation of Technology Centers (FEDIT), which represents 56 centers and more than 11,000 professionals. She also chairs the Advisory Council for Science, Technology and innovation (CACTI) and sits on the board of the CDTI. In these roles, she advocates for public policies tailored to organizations’ different needs and starting points. FEDIT executive director Áureo Díaz-Carrasco has described technology centers as a way to strengthen public-private collaboration and encourage private investment in research, development and innovation. Olcina cites FEDIT figures showing that every euro invested in technology centers generates €11 in income and €26.4 in sales.
Olcina is working on a doctoral thesis on artificial intelligence and questions claims that Spanish companies have widely adopted AI. She estimates actual adoption at around 20%, with impressive differences by region and sector. The Valencian Community performs above average, but she warns that local new idea often draws more attention abroad than at home. In some cases, Valencian firms have acquired ITI-developed technology through foreign intermediaries, exposing a disconnect within the environment.
She believes Spanish and Valencian organizations must look beyond local competition and reckon with a global field dominated by the United States and China. In Olcina’s view, Europe must identify strategic areas where it can excel while avoiding one-sided dependencies, particularly in digital and defense technologies. ITI has applied its AI and 5G developments to defense, focusing on reducing vulnerabilities instead of simply securing funding.
Talent remains a major challenge. Women make up 28% of ITI’s staff, a figure that is low but high compared with the 12-13% share of female computer-engineering graduates. Olcina says she did not initially see gender inequality as a barrier, feeling more out of place as an economist among engineers. Over time, she recognized the value of visible female role models. ITI’s outreach now includes women trainers to show that technology is not a male-only field.
A sign in her office sums up Olcina’s leadership philosophy: “More Lego, less ego.” She sees herself as one piece in a larger structure, relying on technical experts while delegating and building collaboratively. She avoids publicly criticizing authorities, preferring to address issues directly and propose solutions. Despite offers to enter politics, she has chosen to remain independent, believing she can contribute more by connecting the public, private and academic sectors.
The award follows years of unpaid responsibilities, travel and the pressure of managing a large organization without guaranteed funding. For Olcina, the recognition validates her efforts but does not end her work. She sees it as motivation to keep driving change in Spain’s technology field. Levante-EMV reported that Olcina was scheduled to discuss her career and leadership of ITI with Silvia Tomás, Prensa Ibérica’s director of institutional relations in Valencia, on the Inspiradones videopodcast on 30 October 2026. Her story echoes wider debates about new idea and leadership. Local leaders elsewhere have also challenged established norms, including Vigo’s mayor, who is seeking to raise the city’s cultural profile. Vigo’s push for a bigger stage for international artists offers one example.
Spain’s technology sector still faces challenges in scaling new idea and retaining talent, while gaps between research and industry persist. The country’s network of technology centers supports businesses and fosters collaboration that drives economic growth. As digital change accelerates, effective leadership and inclusive policies become more pressing. Olcina’s recognition highlights the progress made and the work still ahead for Spain to realize its new idea potential.
