On September 29, we were in Quito at the Quorum Paseo San Francisco for the Ignite Summit 2026, the business conference organized by the University of San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) to bring together companies, chambers of commerce, institutions, and universities to discuss innovation, growth, and access to new markets. At GAIAS Europa, USFQ’s innovation and knowledge transfer hub in Valencia, we wanted to be part of an event where Ecuador looked outward, and also toward Spain.
Rafael Jordà, CEO of GAIAS Europa, participated in the panel discussion “USFQ as a Bridge for Business Knowledge Transfer Between Ecuador and Spain”, alongside Gonzalo Belenguer, CEO of REDIT (Network of Technological Institutes of the Valencian Community), and Karina Osejos, General Manager of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Quito. The discussion was moderated by Fabián Garzón, Vice President of Digital Transformation and AI at Produbanco Grupo Promerica.
Gonzalo Belenguer also delivered one of the most anticipated international presentations of the day, titled “Opportunities for Ecuadorian Industry in Spain,” in which he introduced the business audience to the technological and innovative capabilities of the Valencian Community and the opportunities for collaboration that are opening up between the two regions.
For GAIAS Europa, the Ignite Summit was a particularly timely opportunity to highlight the possibilities for bringing Ecuador’s business community closer to Spain in partnership with REDIT. Both organizations are working hand in hand to strengthen our Corporate Relations division, through which we offer consulting services across all sectors with the clear goal of enabling companies in Ecuador—and in Latin America more broadly—to expand into Europe with close support from experts familiar with the business and technology landscape in Valencia.
The event also served to strengthen our relationship with Ecuador’s business community. Throughout the day, we met with representatives from chambers of industry and commerce, financial institutions, and companies in sectors such as energy, mining, and aquaculture, and we mingled with participants at the Alumni Synergy Forum, the networking area, and the business matchmaking sessions that took place alongside the lecture program.
At GAIAS Europa, we will continue working to ensure that USFQ serves as a bridge between Ecuador and Europe, and that knowledge, technology, and business opportunities flow in both directions.
