During a busy institutional agenda in Colombia, the Ibero-American Foundation (FUNIBER) and the Innovation and Development Foundation (FIDBAN), an institution promoted by the Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic, UNEATLANTICO) and the Ibero-American University Foundation (FUNIBER), strengthened strategic alliances with actors from the academic, business, and government sectors. The activities highlighted investment opportunities in Cantabria, Spain, and positioned Colombia as a key country for cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship.
FIDBAN carried out a successful institutional tour of the country, marked by face-to-face and virtual meetings in different regions. The purpose of these meetings was to establish strategic alliances with FIDBAN and take advantage of existing synergies within the FUNIBER network to generate real investment opportunities in both Spain and Colombia, promoting the growth of high-potential ventures.
One of the most notable events was the presentation of the InvestInCantabria.com platform, backed by SODERCAN, a public entity attached to the Government of Cantabria and the main sponsor of FIDBAN. An institutional video showcased the competitive advantages that Cantabria offers as a European region for investment and entrepreneurship.
FIDBAN, as a bridge between businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and investors, presented its global connection model that links innovative projects with international capital networks. Diego Laínz, director of FIDBAN, also presented the institutional support enjoyed by FIDBAN, which includes the Government of Cantabria, the Society for the Development of Cantabria SODERCAN, FUNIBER, the European University of the Atlantic (UNEATLANTICO), the Center for Industrial Research and Technology of Cantabria (CITICAN), CEOE-CEPYME, and the city councils of Santander and Torrelavega.
The agenda also included key meetings such as a visit to the mayor’s office in Tenjo, where alliances were explored with the areas of education and social development for the design of academic programs with a territorial impact. Likewise, at the FUNIBER Bogotá headquarters, visits were received from partner companies such as Eco Led and Miempleo.co, interested in establishing links with the foundation to promote training and business development projects. On the other hand, it is also worth highlighting the meeting organized by CAMACOES in Bogotá with the presence of relevant local businesspeople, where FIDBAN and FUNIBER had the opportunity to present their different projects.
On the academic front, a virtual meeting brought together 29 institutions, including universities and companies, with the aim of creating strategic connections between the academic world and the productive sector. During this event, the benefits offered by FUNIBER in university education were presented, as well as the investment, mentoring, and networking opportunities promoted by FIDBAN.
The tour culminated with a major event in the city of Cartagena, which brought together more than 160 attendees, including businesspeople, academics, institutions, and future entrepreneurs. There, details were shared about the FUNIBER scholarship program, the options for international double degrees with UNEATLANTICO, and the tools that FIDBAN offers for the development and financing of entrepreneurial projects.
With this intense institutional agenda, UNEATLANTICO, FUNIBER, and FIDBAN reaffirm their commitment to the sustainable development of Colombian talent, betting on the internationalization of knowledge, access to quality education, and the promotion of entrepreneurial initiatives that generate value in the country and beyond its borders.