Future Spanish Artificial Intelligence Supervision Agency Considered in Alicante
Officials from two major public universities in the province of Alicante are exploring a joint proposal to host the future Spanish Artificial Intelligence Supervision Agency. The rector of the University of Alicante, Amparo Navarro, together with Juan José Ruiz from the Miguel Hernández University, publicly supported the initiative this Friday. Their backing follows the partners’ involvement in the first European Artificial Intelligence Forum, organized by the ELLIS foundation in collaboration with Prensa Ibérica at INFORMACIÓN.
Navarro explained that the university has officially extended an invitation to the Government delegate for the Community and to the Minister for Universities. The proposed site would be located within science park areas in the city of Alicante, reflecting a long‑standing strategic interest in advancing research and innovation. The University of Alicante highlighted its existing infrastructure, including a robotics degree and biomedical engineering programs, with plans to offer an Artificial Intelligence course in the near future. Navarro also noted that the facilities already host the ELLIS foundation, a benchmark in the field, which strengthens the case for establishing the new supervision body in Alicante.
To illustrate the significance of bringing a state institution to Alicante, Navarro drew a comparison with the arrival of a major European intellectual property hub, emphasizing the event’s “special interest.” The forum gathered both national and international leaders in AI, including notable researchers who have driven breakthroughs in human-computer interaction. One such figure is the director of Intel’s Human and Artificial Intelligence Systems Research Lab, renowned for contributions that have advanced accessibility technology and assisted communication for people with disabilities.
Next week, the UA will host continued discussions as part of the ELLIS PhD Symposium 2022, with doctoral students and researchers from across Europe in attendance.
The head of UMH expressed his support for the candidacy and stated that the university stands ready to assist in preparing the formal documentation. He noted that the center is realigning its study programs to align better with current labor market demands, with a new emphasis on Robotics Engineering and Artificial Intelligence. He also highlighted the science park’s role in transferring knowledge from universities to the business world, evidenced by the creation of a substantial number of companies and startups anchored to academic research.
During the keynote at the Forum, one expert described the progress achieved by her team. The advancements were shaped by major milestones in accessible technology and open source collaboration. The work surrounding a widely used open‑source platform has helped Intel and other organizations remove barriers for many users, enabling broader participation in digital life.
The chief executive of Prensa Ibérica stressed that artificial intelligence holds promise for improving everyday life, provided its development rests on three pillars: transparency, shared knowledge, and ethics. These elements are viewed as essential to ensure that AI advances help reduce inequalities rather than deepen them.
The executive director of the European Union Intellectual Property Office underscored innovation as a critical driver of economic growth and called attention to the importance of safeguarding intellectual property created through research and development.