The new Business Fabric Trends Observatory, promoted by the University of Malaga, the Confederation of Employers of Malaga (CEM), and the Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services, and Navigation of Malaga, seeks to strengthen ties between the province's productive sector and UMA researchers. The objective is to foster the transfer of knowledge to society and the business environment.
The agreement was signed by the rector of UMA, Teodomiro López Navarrete; the president of CEM, Javier González de Lara; and the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Malaga, José Carlos Escribano. The initiative aims to identify the scientific and technological needs of socioeconomic sectors, promote business and social innovation, and encourage participation in excellence networks.
The signatories expressed their satisfaction with the creation of this public-private collaboration space. The rector highlighted that joint work allows for a consensual analysis of the situation, while José Carlos Escribano emphasized the importance of studying trends to identify needs, glimpse opportunities, and enhance technological capacity. "One of our responsibilities is to be close to businesses and provide a service with the capacity to anticipate," he stated.
Javier González de Lara stressed cooperation between institutions, viewing the observatory as a tool for innovation, competitiveness, and economic development. "Companies are immersed in a process of continuous training and change constantly; therefore, it is important to have rigorous information to anticipate," he added, appealing to training, talent, and employment as key elements to meet business needs.
The structure is conceived as a collaboration space between the University, business organizations, and economic development agents in Malaga. Driven by the UMA Empresa Office, it aims to strengthen the connection between university knowledge and the demands of the business fabric.
The Observatory's main activities will include collecting and analyzing business information, identifying trends and challenges, preparing studies and reports, and organizing conferences and meetings. A strategic meeting with 50 key agents from Malaga's business and institutional ecosystem is already being prepared to anticipate future scenarios and identify new collaboration opportunities.
