The journey has reached its milestone. Spain’s Ministry of Innovation and Universities, Science and Digital Society has established its official headquarters in Witches House, Alicante. The Generalitat Valenciana leader, President Ximo Puig, laid the groundwork to anchor the new project in Alicante, believing that locating the ministry across two temporary sites deserved a symbolic, permanent home within four years.
Minister Josefina Bueno emphasized that assembling a government staff of more than 100 people had been a challenge, but the new arrangement brings the Generalitat’s presence closer to every city and province. The sentiment echoed a commitment to accessibility and local engagement that the minister hopes will be felt by citizens throughout the region.
The decentralization effort, a visible gesture of commitment, is highlighted by Bueno as a practical priority: accessibility matters more than centralized visibility. Alicante now hosts the first Generalitat ministry on its soil, occupying a venue familiar to residents as the Sindicatura de Greuges or Alicante’s Government Sub-Delegation. The ministry’s leadership operates from its offices on Avenida Gadea during this transition.
Presidency completes transfer to the Post Office building and will share headquarters with IVF
In the coming months, the ministry will finalize its relocation for about one hundred staff. Currently, the head of Innovation and the cabinet have already moved into the new headquarters. In the near term, regional secretariats and several general directorates will relocate to the building that now hosts the European Office on the ground floor.
Addition
A few months will see the remaining staff and departments move from the digital zone to other Generalitat facilities connected to the House of Witches. The precise timing is being finalized, but the operation will keep Alicante at its core. The Presidency will operate from the Post Office in Gabriel Miró square, with a planned public exhibition illuminating the journey of this transformation, prepared under the coordination of the Magnum agency led by Cristina de Middel in Alicante. (attribution: Generalitat Valenciana)
The realization of the long-standing plan is now clear: the Innovation department, central to @GVAinnova, is established in the heart of Alicante at the House of Witches, reinforcing the city’s role as a hub for regional innovation and collaboration. (attribution: Generalitat Valenciana)
Josefina Bueno noted that the ministry will engage with the city and the nation through exhibitions, public talks, and open-door events, signaling a transparent approach to governance and public dialogue. The project reflects a sustained commitment by Ximo Puig to anchor a dedicated ministry in Alicante, overcoming early doubts about organizational structure. The initial address, first in the Prop building on La Rambla and then in Ciudad de la Luz, gave way to a modern, purpose-built setting chosen for its architectural significance and its status as a cultural landmark. (attribution: Generalitat Valenciana)
The evolution of the project culminated in a modernist headquarters that the Generalitat Valenciana purchased in 1986, today recognized as a Heritage of Cultural Interest. This site provides a representative base for the Consell in the provincial capital and supports ongoing restoration and rehabilitation efforts to keep the building functional and accessible to the public. (attribution: Generalitat Valenciana)