Alberto Lorente Saiz

I am Alberto Lorente Saiz. How can I help you? I am a creative and proactive technician specialized in managing and leading European Cooperation projects, with more than 14 years of experience and passionate about the URBACT programme since 2015.

Regarding my educational background, I hold a degree in Geography and Territorial Planning (2011), an Official Master’s Degree in Local Development and Territorial Innovation from the University of Alicante (2012), and an Official Master’s Degree in Advanced Studies on the European Union from the University of Valladolid (2024). I also complemented my studies with a research stay on rural development and cooperativism at the State University of Maringá (Paraná, Brazil) in 2011, a research scholarships on gender studies in territorial development funded by the Department of Human Geography (2011) and the Gender Studies Institute of the University of Alicante (2012), as well as a 15-month professional placement at the Local Action Group Eloro (Sicily, Italy) in 2012–2013, assisting in sustainable development and civic participation projects.

Regarding my professional experience, I served as President of the Territorial Delegation of the Valencian Community of the Professional College of Geographers (2015–2023). I have been a member of the Board of Directors of the Jean Monnet Association (France) since 2022. I am the founder and Secretary of ASEID (Association for Development and Entrepreneurship in the Alcoià-Comtat Region), and I am currently the Director responsible for the European projects area at CREA 360 SL (Since 2014).

I have more than 14 years of experience in developing and managing European projects, having worked on initiatives related to sustainable urban development, citizen participation, regional development, sustainable tourism, economic development, cultural heritage, innovation in education, and youth. Above all, I have focused on bringing European projects—and “Europe” itself—closer to smaller cities, developing EU projects for small municipalities in Spain and other European territories.

I have extensive experience supporting URBACT projects and integrated urban development plans (Action Plans, Implementation Plans, and Transfer Plans) at the local level, since 2015, working with Spanish cities such as Medina del Campo, Ibi, Santa Pola, Benissa, Cartagena, and Altea. I have participated in networks such as “City Centre Doctor,” “Creative Spirits,” “Volunteering Cities,” “Active NGOs,” “iPLACE,” “Health&Greenspace,” “Wish Cities,” “Daring Cities,” “Recup,” and “One Health 4 Cities.” Within the URBACT programme, I have also worked as an Ad-Hoc Expert in networks such as “NextGEN,” “Cities After Dark” (leading workshops on European funds and projects), and “Agents of Co-Existence” (leading workshops on risk management and indicators).

In addition, I have extensive experience in other European Union programmes such as Interreg Europe, Erasmus+, Creative Europe, and CERV (including Europe for Citizens 2014–2020), working on a wide range of topics from the perspective of peer learning, exchange of good practices, non-formal education, networking, and capacity building. I have coordinated dozens of cooperation projects within the Creative Europe, Erasmus+, and Europe for Citizens programmes (Networks of Towns). I have also worked as an external advisor for institutions such as the Cooperation Network of the Routes of Charles V (Council of Europe), the Arts Council of Dublin City Council (Ireland), the City of Milan (Italy), Unione Romagna Faentina (Italy), City of Kocevje (Slovenia), and the Lahti University Campus – University of Helsinki (Finland). Additionally, I have coordinated dozens of non-formal education activities, exchanges of experiences, and the development of educational outputs under Erasmus + programme. Since 2018, I have also been an external expert and evaluator of Erasmus cooperation projects for the Spanish National Agency (SEPIE), participating in the evaluation of up to 10 projects every year. 

Beyond European projects, since 2014 I have worked on the development of dozens of integrated and sectoral strategic plans, using civic participation methods and an integrated approach. Notable examples include the Sustainable and Integrated Urban Development Strategy of Medina del Campo, the Innovation Strategy of Vinaroz, the Urban Agenda of Alcoy, the Digitalization Strategy of the Provincial Museum of Fine Arts of Alicante (MUBAG), the Urban Agenda of Benissa, the City Plan of Alicante, and 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) within the Interreg Europe Rural Growth project, and I am currently coordinating the regional plan for slow tourism along the Camino de Levante to Caravaca de la Cruz (Region of Murcia, Spain) within the Interreg Europe SlowDown project. Furthermore, I worked as a technician in the development of the Regional Law on Civic Participation of the Region of Murcia (2014–2015). I have also participated, as an expert, in participatory processes for strategic plans such as the Urban Agenda of the Valencian Community and the Valencian Anti-Depopulation Strategic Plan, among others. Recently, in 2025, I contributed to the development of seven Urban Development Strategic Plans (EDIL-PAI), which secured up to €30 million in ERDF funding for the municipalities of Puçol, Almoradí, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Cocentaina–Muro d'Alcoi, Polop–La Nucía, and Mula–Pliego.

In addition, I have been an honorary collaborator of the Department of Human Geography at the University of Alicante since 2019, with around a dozen research articles published. I mainly collaborate as a guest lecturer in the Official Master’s Degree in Local Development and Territorial Innovation (since 2014), organize specialized seminars and training courses, and have participated as a guest lecturer in the Master’s in Food City Design (University of Alicante – University of Parma) in 2021 and 2022, as well as in the E.M.C.T. Euromediterranean 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 “Shaping Fair Cities” conference on the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda, organized by the University of Bologna (Italy) in 2020; the “Merge Split 2019” conference (Croatia), organized by the Association of Croatian Municipalities; and peer reviews on depopulation held in Coimbra (Portugal) in 2023, as well as on European projects for NGOs in Gdańsk (Poland) in 2026, organized by the Interreg Europe programme.

Finally, I have more than 14 years of experience leading facilitation processes and non-formal education courses funded by the Erasmus+ programme or directly organized by public authorities such as the Provincial Council of Valencia and the Regional Government of Murcia.