The II Impronta Granada Meeting – University and Territory consolidated a new model of territorial alliance between the university, institutions, and citizens in Loja this Tuesday. The Pósito of Loja became the setting for a collective dialogue on the future of the province, during a day organized by the University of Granada and the Provincial Council of Granada to strengthen institutional collaboration and activate transformative projects that respond to the territory’s challenges through social innovation, culture, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.
The session was inaugurated by the Rector of the University of Granada, Pedro Mercado Pacheco, who emphasized the strategic importance of consolidating a stable alliance between the UGR and the province, highlighting mutual trust and shared commitment to articulating responses to challenges that transcend traditional administrative borders. The Rector was accompanied by Antonio Díaz Sánchez, Deputy for European Funds, Development, Industry, and Employment; Esteban Romero Frías, Vice-Rector for Social Innovation, Employability, and Entrepreneurship; and Joaquín Ordóñez Gámez, Mayor of Loja. They all agreed that multiscalar cooperation is essential for advancing provincial development.
A key moment of the day was the awarding of the Impronta Granada Prizes, which recognize Bachelor’s Theses, Master’s Theses, Doctoral Theses, and scientific publications with direct impact on the territory. This edition also awarded an Honorary Recognition to Pilar Aranda Ramírez, whose leadership as Rector contributed decisively to strengthening the ties between the University and the province. Her speech, received with a prolonged applause, evoked a key stage in the UGR’s territorial opening.
The day also featured three thematic working tables, designed as spaces for active listening and shared analysis: the table on Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment, the table on Soils and Sustainability — in dialogue with the Granada Tierra Viva ecosystem and the European SOILCRATES project — and the table on the Poniente Granadino, which took place within the framework of the UGR County Councils promoted by the European ENGAGEgreen project, aimed at strengthening citizen participation, territorial governance, and the creation of stable networks between universities, municipalities, and social agents.
The meeting also served to present projects from the University of Granada with direct impact on the province, including Impronta Andalucía, the Citizen Science Program, initiatives from the Living Lab Granada Tierra Viva, actions linked to Granada 2031 as European Capital of Culture, and the Erasmus+ Urban Imprint project Toolkit, developed with European partners to strengthen governance and participatory innovation capacities. During the afternoon session, the municipalities of the Poniente region presented their FEDER-funded Urban Development projects, showcasing alignment between local strategies, European frameworks, and the innovation ecosystem promoted by the UGR.
The day concluded with remarks by Esteban Romero Frías, who reminded everyone that the University now has the responsibility to connect knowledge with the real needs of the territory, underscoring that Impronta Granada is not just a program, but a model of stable cooperation between institutions, businesses, citizens, and the university community. With more than a hundred participants, this second edition solidified the Impronta Granada Meeting as a reference forum for territorial dialogue in the province, leaving a shared conclusion: Granada progresses when its territory thinks together, works together, and builds together.
