On August 19, at the headquarters of the Universidad Austral In the city of Buenos Aires, an important collaboration agreement was signed between the university and the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA). The new strategic alliance reinforces the commitment of the UA and the faculties of Engineering and Law to the development and strengthening of industry in Argentina.
The event took place in the San Martín Hall, where representatives from both institutions shared a luncheon. Representing the UIA were President Daniel Funes de Rioja, Director of Innovation Laura Segura, Coordinator of Member Services and Route X Nadia Colo Martínez, and Director of the Center for Studies (CEU-UIA) and International Relations Pablo Dragún.
Representing the university were the Rector, Mag. Julián Rodríguez, accompanied by Dr. Emilio López Gabeiras, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Alejandro Chapero, Director of Postgraduate Studies and Technology Transfer of the Faculty of Engineering, Horacio Payá and Belén Aliciardi, Director and Academic Coordinator, respectively, of the Master's Program in Environmental Policy, Law and Management of the Universidad Austral, along with Daniel Pelegrina, head of the Institutional Public Relations Department, and Inés Laferrère, Institutional Relations Manager.
The Rector of the Universidad AustralJulián Rodríguez emphasized: “The University is at the service of society, its organizations, its businesses, and its people. This is yet another way to serve: identifying the capabilities and skills that 21st-century Argentine companies, especially SMEs, need and supporting them from the University with an academic program tailored to those needs. It also involves contributing knowledge—through research—to the development and strengthening of the productive capacity of Argentine companies.”
Meanwhile, UIA President Daniel Funes de Rioja emphasized: “This strategic alliance strengthens the UIA's ties with universities. Argentina needs to overcome current and future production challenges with concrete programs and actions on key issues such as digital transformation and sustainability. We have opportunities and potential in every province to leverage the competitiveness offered by the knowledge economy.”
Working collaboratively across education and industry
The signed agreement marks a milestone in collaboration between academia and industry. According to López Gabeiras, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, the alliance will allow the University of Alicante (UA) and the Industrial University of Ibero-American University (UIA) to work together in key areas such as Digital Transformation, Industry 4.0, and Sustainability. “Through training and research in these areas, we will contribute essential innovations and knowledge for the future. Furthermore, it gives us the opportunity to raise awareness among our students about the specific needs that companies in the country face,” he emphasized.
Belén Aliciardi, who also serves as ESG Leader for the Austral Business Park, emphasized the importance of this collaboration: “Considering that the Universidad Austral "It has its own business park in Pilar, and this alliance will allow us to work in parallel on sustainability, using ESG (environmental, social, and governance) criteria, between companies in the Austral Business Park and companies in the Argentine Industrial Union. We will do this by sharing experiences and forming alliances, which can then be used by students from different faculties through practical application in the digital and sustainable transformation of the company," he noted.
With this initiative, la Universidad Austral It reaffirms its mission to be a bridge between academic knowledge and the demands of the productive sector, contributing to the sustainable development of the country's industry..
