Fundraising and entrepreneurial dreams shaped a generation, and in Alicante those dreams found a champion in Manuel Peláez, the founder of Ecisa. He believed—perhaps more bravely than most—that Alicante could and should reclaim the momentum it once enjoyed in the 1960s and 1970s. He understood that social responsibility and business aptitude are not enemies but partners in progress. Visionaries like him saw a future where medium-sized cities could lead, not just follow. Yet his life ended far from his beloved city, in the United States, and then France and Germany; even in Spain there were echoes of his spirit, in Málaga, but not here in Alicante.
The passing of Manuel Peláez, compounded by his successor’s illness and the gradual erosion of a business culture willing to look beyond immediate plans for a city’s broader development, left a void. The province drifted toward speculation as the region’s real economic engine faltered. The collapse of its leading financial institution, the Caja del Mediterráneo, marked a turning point that interrupted those early efforts. The loss also signaled the end of a loose, improvised business network and foreshadowed a transition toward a more formal, specialized community of practice in Alicante’s dominant industrial sectors.
Ivace terminated its contract with Fundesem and will claim 1.6 million euros owed
In mid-2015, as a bipartisan government coalition of PSPV and Compromis took office in the Generalitat, Fundesem sought mediation with the new economy ministry leadership to avert a delicate crisis. The business school had already fallen behind on rent for its publicly owned headquarters, and the Consell’s legal services were preparing to intervene to protect public coffers. From the initial contact, several meetings followed with regional authorities to find a viable solution, but the minister did not endorse a soft, forgiving path. Instead, a structured continuity plan, including a payment schedule, was explored.
Yet this was unfolding amid a civil rift within Fundesem itself, the latest of a string of internal tensions. Principals who pressed for an extension clashed with those who had previously run the school. The author does not weigh who was right, but Fundesem ceased to function as a unified institution and became a battleground that Alicante had seen before. The city’s tendency to convert unresolved disputes into monuments of failure loomed large again.
Authorities changed hands as a new team led by a lawyer, Sanchez Butrón, seemed to offer a fresh start. Yet the underlying financial strain remained. A lack of steady income prevented the hiring of prestigious professors who could elevate the institution’s reputation, which in turn reduced public interest and jeopardized stability over time. The cycle fed on itself, magnifying the fragility of the venture.
Hamam advocates for more investment in the Alicante province within the Chamber
Attempts to fulfill the payment plan with the Generalitat did not succeed. Fundesem, viewed by many as a shadow of a once-promising venture, faced years of questions about its governance. It operated in a limbo that neither fully reflected a functioning business nor fully embodied a robust educational center. Some considered a private medical school as a potential stopgap to address creditors, arguing that a modest investment might enable Alicante to anchor the institution through a backdoor settlement. In the provincial context, this stance drew criticism from observers, including the newly installed chamber president, who felt that the public interest was at risk and that safeguarding facilities required a broader commitment than merely diverting funds.
The discussion soon shifted to accountability. Sánchez Butrón urged employers to contribute to saving the school from further excesses. While optimism flickered, the prevailing sentiment was cautious. If the local business community cared deeply, it had opportunities to act—yet many chose not to, and the question persisted: who would take responsibility for preserving a center once established by their predecessors? In the background, statements by the mayor voiced concerns about sensitivity to cultural and economic needs, but actions often lagged behind rhetoric. The persistent sense was that the province bore a share of responsibility for the institution’s peril, rather than external factors alone. Closure appeared as a symptom of Alicante’s broader struggle to sustain a critical educational and economic asset.