Alicante is placing a strong bet on Artificial Intelligence and wants to make sure the topic stays visible on the big stage. A conference organized by a social-democratic group in the European Parliament laid the groundwork for key players to visit Brussels and push the AI priority into the spotlight.
The opening emphasis came from Nuria Oliver, director of the Ellis Foundation, who spoke passionately about the transformative power of artificial intelligence in today’s world. The event in Alicante, organized at the request of the Spanish delegation within the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, highlighted how strategic AI investments can help shorten the gap with the United States and China as the European Union moves forward with legislation and practical plans for adoption.
The conference carried the title Artificial Intelligence policy in the EU, a pillar for the modernization of the Valencian economy. It examined the current state of AI development across the European Union and the wider region, and stressed the need for close cooperation among industry, universities, and political leadership to position the EU as a world reference and a credible alternative to the United States and China in the AI space.
Leaders underscored digital transformation as a core objective for the Commission as well as for national and regional governments. The choice of Alicante as the conference site underscored the city’s growing role as a hub for AI-driven business and research applications across diverse sectors.
Nuria Oliver opened the event by outlining the work of the Ellis Foundation. The foundation has been focused on talent development and research into human behavior through artificial intelligence, advancements in smartphones, personal assistants, and chatbots, and on ethical challenges such as privacy, transparency, and information accuracy. This body of work is cited as a key resource for guiding responsible AI deployment across public and private sectors.
Luis Moreno, director of the Artificial Intelligence Economics Research Group at the University of Alicante, contributed to the discussion alongside Andrés Pedreño, a co-author of a notable work discussing Europe’s position relative to the US and China in the AI era. The conversation highlighted ongoing concerns about lag in digital economy maturity and the choices that shape future technology adoption across Europe.
Ana Berenguer, the Generalitat’s Managing Director of Analysis and Public Policy, described the regional AI strategy and emphasized that sustained collaboration between researchers and the Valencian government is essential to set a clear path toward innovation and practical outcomes for local industries.
A notable moment came with a remote intervention by Irina Orssich, a leader in EU AI policy, who outlined plans to mobilize substantial funding and advance an ethical framework for AI. The discussion touched on the EU’s aim to close distances with major economies through coordinated policy and responsible innovation, a path that includes the Ellis Foundation as a collaborative partner.
In light of the current moment, the meeting approved a plan to organize a mission to Brussels. The delegation would include representatives from the Valencian Community, the University of Alicante, and the Ellis Foundation to showcase Alicante’s potential and explore synergies with broader European AI initiatives.
The conference also covered practical aspects of AI deployment in business, featuring perspectives from Juan Trujillo, managing director of Lucentia LAB, and Belén Alemán, director of artificial intelligence at 1MillionBot. Manuel Desantes, former vice-president of the European Patent Office, contributed to a closing discussion led by Patricia Blanquer, the Minister of Industry and Trade for the PSOE’s Federal Executive. The event highlighted a marked improvement in the sector’s ranking for Spain, rising from a lower position to a stronger standing in AI and digital economy projections. The closing remarks were delivered by the Minister of Innovation, Josefina Bueno, emphasizing the ongoing commitment to AI-driven modernization across the region.