Extremadura and Valera University-Industry Partnerships Aim to Retain Youth Talent

In Spain, the Chamber of Commerce of Badajoz and the University of Extremadura signed a strategic agreement worth €350,000, with 70% funded by the EU Social Fund. The program will run a business challenge where students solve real company cases and host an entrepreneurship forum, aiming to translate university knowledge into innovation and new jobs. "The agreement will help turn university knowledge into innovation and new opportunities," said Mariano García Sardiña, president of the Badajoz Chamber of Commerce.

In Venezuela, the University Valle del Momboy (UVM) and the Association of Traders and Industrials of Valera (ACOINVA) signed a cooperation pact for the "Valera 360" project. The initiative will diagnose municipal resilience and generate business opportunities to keep young talent in the region and curb migration. Rector Prof. Karelis Paredes emphasised, "We have much to give," while ACOINVA president Ana María Faccin described the pact as a concrete plan to energise the local economy.