Alicante seeks European Capital of Innovation 2027 designation

The city of Alicante has formally submitted its candidacy to the European Commission for the iCapital prize, aiming to be named the European Capital of Innovation 2027. This is the municipality’s second attempt after reaching the semifinals in the previous edition. The bid was presented electronically and is now entering the acceptance, selection and defence phases.

The proposal is backed by the Province of Alicante, the surrounding municipalities of the L'Alacantí comarca, the functional axis Alicante‑Elche, and the Generalitat Valenciana. Mayor Luis Barcala said the city wants to become a European reference for medium‑sized cities that use innovation to transform territory, economy and society. The candidacy highlights projects such as the municipal AI platform AL21, which is already in use in other Spanish cities and abroad, and is coordinated through the Alicante Futura framework and the local development agency Impulsalicante.