The Valencian Community aspires to stand as a regional and European beacon for entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, and research by rallying political backing and public interest. This vision traces back to the Lab Mediterráneo Foundation, an initiative supported by the Valencian Businessmen’s Association (AVE). The group challenges what it sees as short-sighted political planning and urges policymakers to adopt medium- and long-term strategies essential for a transformative era.
The foundation launched a public awareness campaign to explain why a forward-looking strategy matters, culminating in a visit to the Alicante train station this week. A large ballot box invited residents to evaluate the four pillars championed by business leaders and to share their own aspirations for the region’s future.
Diego Lorente, secretary of the Lab Mediterráneo Foundation, explained that the effort aims to draw the public’s attention to long-range planning. “We used the election period to place these ballot boxes, symbols of our greatest societal challenges, inviting people to vote on what should drive the region in the medium and long term. The four focus areas—entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, and research—hold the keys to our shared future.”
He also criticized how political actors have behaved. “This year, especially during the campaign, there is excessive contention, noise, and partisan focus. The business community believes that even amid elections, a thoughtful, mid- to long-term outlook is possible and necessary.” Lorente added that practitioners in civil society must stay engaged, reminding that “the business world and civil society partner with the global community’s leading enterprises. They are not passive; they want to move forward, express their views, and shape what comes next.”
“It’s easy to stay in the shadows; the hard part is taking action and sparking broad discourse. That is exactly what we aim to achieve with initiatives like this. Politicians serve society, not the other way around, and through this project we demonstrate a desire to build a stronger community.”
The LAB Foundation sets the goal of making the Community a benchmark for entrepreneurship.
Alongside business leaders and civil society representatives, the Alicante station hosted a diverse group of participants. Attendees included Zulema Beresaluce of Aceitunas Cazorla, Ignacio Bertolin and Ricardo Bono of Bertolín Group, Gianni Cecchin of Verne Technology Group, Carlos Baño from the Alicante Chamber of Commerce, and Fede Fuster of the Hosbec Hotels Association. Also present were Enrique Soto from Lab Mediterráneo, Toni Sánchez of AlicaTEC, María Jesus Pastor from the University of Alicante, José María Gómez Gras of Miguel Hernández University, Ana Ponsoda of Banco Sabadell, and Amparo Vidal from CaixaBank.
These voices joined a second stop after a prior appearance at Estación del Norte de València. The journey continues this week at Salera shopping center in Castellón, where residents can meet the campaign and share ideas. Citizens can still participate through the Lab Mediterráneo Foundation’s website to register feedback and proposals as part of an ongoing dialogue about the region’s future [Lab Mediterráneo Foundation, 2025].