The DISA Foundation Chair for Young Entrepreneurs at the University of La Laguna Last Tuesday, January 28, he organized a day dedicated to reflecting on the relevance of an institutional strategy to promote entrepreneurship in the field of higher education.
During the event, which was attended by Sara Mateos Artiles, director of the DISA Foundation, and Inés Ruiz, director of the Chair, several strategic actions developed by the Chair itself during 2024 to promote entrepreneurship within the university community were presented. These actions, which range from seminars and workshops to training and research programs, are grouped into three categories of activities (motivation, training, and research), to which two more (experimentation and knowledge transfer) are planned for 2025.
The Chair's Deputy Director, Desiderio Gutiérrez, emphasized the importance of working with faculty to broaden the impact of initiatives promoting entrepreneurial attitudes among students. In this regard, the initial results of the innovative teaching project, "Experiential Training Program for Problem Solving (SOLVE)," were presented. A total of nine professors from five different degree programs at the University of La Laguna—three undergraduate and two postgraduate—are participating in the project. Among these results, it was observed that entrepreneurial skills significantly increased among participating students after completing the program.
This event featured a special presentation by Rafael Ventura, Professor of Business Organization at the University of Málaga, Director of the Chair of Sustainable Entrepreneurship, and President of the Entrepreneurship Section of the Spanish Association of Economics and Business Management (ACEDE). The expert shared his experience in designing and implementing the Link space at the University of Málaga, a hub created to generate and connect entrepreneurial talent.
In this regard, the need to create a robust institutional ecosystem was confirmed, one that acts as a driving force for innovative profiles and simultaneously facilitates access to financial resources, support services, and adequate infrastructure. In this context, the key role of universities was highlighted, not only as spaces for academic training but also as engines of innovation and social transformation, especially in regions like the Canary Islands, where entrepreneurship has become a fundamental tool for diversifying the economy and generating new opportunities.
Specifically, it was reported on this day that the 10th GEM ACEDE International Workshop on Entrepreneurship Research will be held on the island of La Palma from September 18 to 20, 2025, with the motto 'Entrepreneurship as a key factor in the resilience of territories', led by the University of La Laguna.
The event concluded with a call to strengthen partnerships between academia, the private sector, and public administrations, promoting a culture of entrepreneurship based on sustainability, inclusion, and innovation. This approach will enable new generations to meet the challenges of the global labor market and actively contribute to the development of their communities.
(This activity is part of the pilot actions of the European project Innovamos (INTERREG MAC 2021–2027), co-financed at 85 % by the ERDF).
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