In 2021, UCAM inaugurated the UCAM HiTech, its high-tech incubator in health, sports and nutrition; a centre for technological innovation and business acceleration, co-financed by the ERDF Fund, through the INCYDE Foundation of the Chambers of Commerce. Just three years later, it has become a national benchmark in research and entrepreneurship, which has just been recognised by the European Union as an example of good practice in Spain's ERDF Operational Programme 2014-2020, as stated on the website of the Ministry of Finance of the Spanish Government. Its support for entrepreneurial and innovative projects, the result of its high training and research capacity and the direct transfer of its proposals and results to the business and investment sectors are good proof of this. 

The UCAM founder, José Luis Mendoza, created this centre with the main objective of working on the creation of a collaborative ecosystem of research, innovation and entrepreneurship, involving different agents (companies, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, etc.) in the field of health, sports and nutrition, as well as providing start-ups and researchers in these areas with technical advice, knowledge transfer and technological support to boost their growth and efficient adaptation to market requirements. 

Development of applied and internationally relevant research.

Since its creation, it has developed all kinds of actions aimed at entrepreneurship and research (innovation training programmes, high-impact workshops, work experience days, meetings with companies, funding events, etc.), it has actively participated in congresses, events, conferences and activities, where it has shown its projects to the population, at regional, national and international levels, and it has been visited by delegations from Italy, the UK, France, Saudi Arabia and the USA, which were interested in learning about its activity. 

Over 120 start-ups incubated in 2023 

This has been the boom year for UCAM HiTech, with more than fifty activities carried out, highlighting the Scientific Entrepreneurs and LifeTech Summit congresses, twenty training programmes at different levels (from general, on entrepreneurship for university students, to specialised, such as investment search, open innovation for start-ups or specific training for scientific CEOs) and it has incubated over 120 start-ups. Furthermore, it has launched two key actions in the hub's strategy: the creation of the first Venture Studio by a Spanish university, and UCAM Fénix (which means ‘phoenix’, in Spanish), with the aim of helping the professional transition of elite athletes to the world of entrepreneurship and investment, supported by the Spanish Olympic Committee. 

Its activity has benefited from the collaboration of various agents in the ecosystem, such as the INCYDE Foundation, the co-financing of the European Union through the ERDF within the Multiregional Operational Programme for Spain 2014-2020, and the Promotion Institute of the Region of Murcia.