Thus Pascual concludes a phase that began during Botànic’s second term, when the Consell president signed off on a personal commitment to strengthen the province’s influence and push toward decentralization—the embodiment of the institution’s core mission. Yet the change has not yet achieved the broad projection and visibility desired in a region widely regarded as pivotal to the broader strategy.
The Elche native was on the verge of stepping down before completing her first year in office, a consequence of the Ministry of Economy’s alignment with Compromís and the realization of a 50 million budget allocation for Innovation. That moment marked the outset of a jurisdictional clash with the Economy portfolio, and it coincided with the challenge of creating a new department from the ground up. The distribution of controversial funding from the Valencia Innovation Agency also sparked tensions, given the province repeatedly received fewer allocations than neighboring areas.
From University to the Valencian Government
Caroline Pascual, an accomplished Telecommunications Engineer, spent most of the prior three years as a professor at the University of Alicante’s Polytechnic School and as dean of the Official College of Telecommunications Engineers of the Community of Valencia. In this role she became the first woman to hold the deanship not only for the community but also at a national level, setting a precedent for leadership in a traditionally male-dominated field. Her trajectory shifted dramatically when the Consell chairman, Ximo Puig, appointed her Minister for Innovation, Universities, Science and the Digital Society. It was a move she never anticipated. “It never crossed my mind. If someone had told me a few weeks earlier, I would have laughed,” she recalls. The elevation represented a complete 180-degree turn, one that required balancing a demanding schedule with family responsibilities, especially as she has a daughter aged 14. “When I agreed to serve as minister, I asked my husband and daughter to be a team and help me do it. It would have been impossible without that support at home. I do this for them,” the Elche-born leader explained when she joined the Executive Board.
She has long argued that innovation and technology should always serve to improve everyday life across all sectors. In her spare time she enjoys walking, listening to music, watching films, traveling, reading, and, above all, spending time with family and friends. Known for her steady, thoughtful, and observant nature, Pascual’s entrance into Telecommunications was a fortunate accident. She chose engineering as a path because she wanted to pursue something her sisters did not pursue, which meant steering away from Physics, Chemistry, and Agricultural Engineering from the outset to focus on a field that would allow her to contribute meaningfully while charting her own course.