Alcoy Opening Ceremony 2026-2027

The Alcoy Campus of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) has held the official opening of the 2026–2027 academic year with a ceremony presided over by the UPV's Rector, José E. Capilla, and attended by representatives from institutions, the business sector and the university community. In addition to the Rector, the event was attended by the Regional Secretary for Universities, Maria Esther Gómez; the Director-General for Universities, María Amalia Sanz; the Mayor of Alcoy, Antoni Francés; and Lieutenant General Miguel Ivorra, who delivered the opening lecture for the academic year.

The opening lecture, entitled "University, Industry and Defence. Dual-use technologies, strategy and innovation" was delivered by Lieutenant General Miguel Ivorra Ruiz from Alcoy, Director-General of Strategy and Innovation for the Defence Industry. His speech focused on the role of universities, businesses and technology centres in the development of advanced technologies and in the transfer of knowledge between the civilian, security and defence sectors.

In this context, the UPV will continue to explore opportunities for collaboration in dual-use technologies, an area in which the University already has experience and scientific and technological capabilities. The Rector, José E. Capilla, pointed out that, given the institution's technological nature and areas of expertise, there are various fields in which the university can contribute and explore new opportunities for the Alcoy Campus.

University, research and knowledge transfer

During his lecture, Miguel Ivorra highlighted the role played by universities within innovation ecosystems, both through their capacity to generate knowledge and through the training of professionals and the transfer of research findings to the business sector.

Referring directly to the Alcoy Campus, Ivorra emphasised its academic and scientific capabilities in fields such as chemistry and materials analysis, water treatment, artificial intelligence, electronics, mechanics, robotics, and uncrewed vehicles, as well as training in business administration and management. The Lieutenant General noted that these disciplines have numerous civilian applications and can also be relevant to the field of security and defence.

He also emphasised the involvement of businesses and the Campus's socio-economic environment. In his speech, he stated that "the entrepreneurial community, the University, SMEs, start-ups and associations […] which form part of the Alcoy Campus Business Advisory Council, must play a leading role in this opportunity". He highlighted their contribution in terms of specialisation, agility and technological innovation.

Ivorra also argued that the role of the university in this field must be central: the generation of knowledge, the training of professionals, laboratories, doctoral theses, patents and the creation of technology-based companies are, as he explained, essential elements for developing new technological capabilities.

A Campus with historic links to industry

The start of the academic year also served to highlight the historic links between the Alcoy Campus, the city and its industrial fabric. The Rector of the UPV emphasised that "Alcoy has been demonstrating for almost two centuries that knowledge, industry and progress can go hand in hand", a relationship that the institution aims to continue strengthening through training, research, innovation and knowledge transfer.

For the first time this academic year, the Campus has exceeded 3,000 enrolled students. It has welcomed more than 900 new students, according to figures presented during the event. José E. Capilla also highlighted the geographical scope of the Campus and its capacity to serve businesses, institutions and society in the surrounding regions.

This relationship with the local business community is fostered, among other initiatives, through the Central Regions Science Park, which this year is receiving an additional 250,000€ grant from the Valencian Regional Government. With this fourth annual instalment, the funding allocated by the regional administration to the project totals one million euros.

During the event, the Campus's capacity to work in emerging technological fields was also highlighted. The authorities visited one of its laboratories specialising in unmanned systems and vehicles as part of a strategy to strengthen teaching and research infrastructure and facilitate the development of new lines of research.

A new phase of growth

The opening ceremony marks a new phase of growth for the Alcoy Campus. The UPV is planning an estimated total investment of 8.5 million euros for various projects, including the development of the plots adjacent to the Ferrándiz and Carbonell buildings, stabilisation works on the La Beniata hillside and the construction of a new teaching building.

With the bicentenary of technical studies in Alcoy in 2028 on the horizon, the Campus continues to strengthen its teaching, research and knowledge transfer activities, as well as its collaboration with local authorities, businesses and organisations in the region.

As Miguel Ivorra pointed out at the end of his speech, discussing universities, industry and technology means addressing society's capacity to 'transform knowledge into progress, security and freedom', positioning education and talent as central elements in tackling future technological challenges.

During the event, the Textiles Gallery at the Museu del Campus d'Alcoi (MUPIH) was officially opened, in the presence of María Catalá, wife of Josep Julià, who had previously donated all the textile material he had kept in Benilloba.

Tracking Lab

In addition to the museum, the Rector and local aviation companies enjoyed a drone demonstration at the new Tracking Lab, a technological facility dedicated to experimentation, research, and the validation of advanced solutions for the localisation, tracking, and control of autonomous vehicles and systems. It aims to strengthen the Campus's teaching, research and technology transfer capabilities in strategic fields such as robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous mobility, UAV systems and new aeronautical technologies.