Alberto Lorente Saiz

Summary

I am Alberto Lorente Saiz. How can I help you? I'm a creative and proactive technician, who hold a degree in Geography (2011), an Official Master's degree in Local Development and Territorial Innovation from the University of Alicante (2012) and Official Master's degree in Advanced Studies about European Union from the University of Valladolid (2024). I also complemented my studies with a research stage on rural development and cooperativism, at the Estadual University of Maringa (Paraná - Brazil) in 2011, a research schoolarship funded by the Human Geography Department (2011) and by the Gender Studies Institute of the University of Alicante (2012) and also by 15 months of professional stage at Local Action Group Eloro (Sicily - Italy), in 2012-2013, asisting sustainable development and civic participation projects.

I have been the President of the Territorial Delegation of the Valencian Community of the Professional College of Geographers (2015-2023). I am a member of the Board of Administrators of the Jean Monnet Association (France), since 2022. I am the Secretary of the ASEID Association (Association for Development and Entrepreneurship in the Alcoiá-Comtat Region) and I am director responsible for the European projects area of CREA 360 SL. I have more than 12 years of experience in developing and managing European projects, having worked on projects related to sustainable urban development, citizen participation, regional development, sustainable tourism, cultural heritage, innovation in education, and youth. Above all, I have dedicated myself to bringing European projects and "Europe" closer to smaller cities, developing EU projects for small cities in Spain and other European territories. I count on a long history of helping to implement URBACT projects and integrated urban development plans (Action Plans, Implementation Plans and Transfer Plans) at the local level with Spanish cities such as Medina del Campo, Ibi, Santa Pola, Benissa, Cartagena or Altea, in networks such as "City Centre Doctor", "Creative Spirits", "Volunteering Cities", "Active NGOs", "iPLACE", "Health&Greenspace", "Wish Cities" or "One Health 4 Cities". In addition, I have a long experience in other European Union programs such as Interreg Europe, Erasmus Plus, Creative Europe or Europe for Citizens (CERV), working on very diverse topics from the perspective of peer learning, exchange of good practices, non-formal education, networking and capacity development. I have experience of having coordinated dozens of cooperation projects in the field of the Creative Europe program, Erasmus Plus program and Europe for Citizens (Network of Towns), highlighting my role as external advisor for institutions as the Cooperation Network of the Routes of Charles V (Council of Europe), the Art Council of the Dublin City Council (Ireland), City Hall of Milan (Italy), Unione Romagna Faentina (Italy), the Lahti University Campus-University of Helsinki (Finland). Having also coordinated non-formal education activities, exchange of experiences and the development of educational outputs. Since 2018, I'm also external expert and evaluator of Erasmus cooperation projects for the Spanish National Agency (SEPIE).

Beyond European projects, since 2014 I have worked on the development of dozens integrated and sectoral "strategic plans", using civic pacticipation methods and integrated approach, highlighting examples as "The Sustainable and Integrated Urban Development Strategy of Medina del Campo","The Innovation Strategy of Vinaroz", "The Urban Agenda of Alcoy", "Digitalization Strategy of the Provincial Museum of Fine Arts of Alicante MUBAG", "Urban Agenda of Benissa", the "City Plan of Alicante", or the "City Plan of Santa Pola" (the first Urban Agenda in Spain). I also coordinated the Regional Plan for sustainable tourism at the Wine Route of Rueda (Spain) level (by the Interreg Europe Rural Growth project) and I am currently coordinating the Regional Plan for Slow Tourism at the Camino de Levante de Carava de la Cruz, Region de Murcia (Spain), by the Interreg Europe SlowDown project. Furthermore, I worked as technician in the development of the Regional Law about Civic Participation of the Region of Murcia (2014-2015). I also took part, as expert, in the participative processes of the strategic plans of the "Urban Agenda of Comunidad Valenciana" and the "Valencian anti-depopulation strategic plan", among others. In addition, I am an honorary collaborator of the Department of Human Geography at the University of Alicante since 2019, collaborating mainly as a guest lecturer in the Official Master's degree in Local Development and Territorial Innovation (since 2014), organizing specialized seminars and training courses, or participating as a guest lecturer in the Máster in Food City Design (University of Alicante - Università di Parma) in 2021 and 2022, or the E.M.C.T. Euromediterranenan Master in Cultures and Tourism Prof. Cosimo Notarstefano at the University of Bari (Italy) in 2018.

I have also participated in relevant international conferences and seminars such as the "Shapping Fair Cities" conference on the SDGs and the 2030 agenda, organized by the University of Bologna (Italy) in 2020, the "Merge Split 2019" (Croatia) conference, organized by the Association of Croatian Municipalities or the Peer Review about Depopulation organize in Coimbra (Portugal) in 2023 by Interreg Europe program.