The Valencian Institute of Economic Research (Ivie) has concluded its 35th-anniversary commemoration events with a conference focused on the economic future of the European Union. The event, held at the Cultural Centre La Nau of the University of Valencia, gathered around a hundred people to highlight the institute's role in economic research, both regionally and internationally.
The session was inaugurated by the rector of the University of Valencia, Juan Luis Gandía, and Ivie's Director of Research, Francisco Pérez. Gandía emphasized the historical collaboration between the two institutions and the importance of knowledge transfer, particularly through Ivie's studies on the socioeconomic contribution of universities.
Pérez underscored the collective nature of the Ivie project, thanking the support received to consolidate an internationally recognized institute. "For all those who have built Ivie from within and those who have made possible with their support the consolidation in Valencia of a nationally and internationally recognized institute," he stated.
Subsequently, Ivie's deputy director, Joaquín Maudos, moderated a dialogue between Joaquín Almunia, former minister and ex-European commissioner, and Raquel Jorge, Director of European Affairs at Adigital. Both agreed on the need to increase the EU's weight in the international arena and called for regulations that foster inclusive growth and single market competitiveness.
Raquel Jorge emphasized the importance of fostering the growth of European companies, calling for more public funding to help them gain global dimension. She noted that despite Spain having over 1,200 scaleups generating 64,000 jobs, European scaleups receive half the capital compared to their North American counterparts. Jorge proposes creating the Scaleup Europe Fund and leveraging the European public market as a growth engine through innovative public procurement and single market integration.
Joaquín Almunia warned about the EU's declining relevance, attributing it to the prioritization of national policies and fragmentation caused by populism. "Historical time is accelerating, and Europe can no longer resign itself to being a passive spectator," he recalled.
The conference included a conversation between Matilde Mas, Ivie's Director of International Projects, and Guido Imbens, Nobel laureate in Economics 2021. Imbens highlighted the importance of learning to ask questions to advance knowledge, especially when direct empirical work is not feasible.
The event concluded with the screening of an institutional video and remarks from the managing director, Pilar Chorén, who emphasized the need to reflect on the institute's future work. Finally, the Minister of Economy, José Antonio Rovira, closed the conference, highlighting Ivie's public service vocation rooted in the Comunitat Valenciana with international reach.
In its 35 years of history, Ivie has executed over 1,300 projects, organized 400 outreach activities, and published more than 4,000 works. Founded in 1990 by the Generalitat Valenciana, it currently receives support from entities such as CaixaBank and the BBVA Foundation, and has been affiliated with the University of Valencia since 2013.
