IE University and Banco Santander celebrate the closing event of the 1st edition of the ‘Santander X Training | Digitaliza tu Pyme’ scholarships program
More than 100 SMEs and business representatives gathered at IE Tower for the grand closing of the 1st edition of the scholarship program, emphasizing the crucial role of digital transformation in driving competitiveness and international expansion.
Digital transformation is one of the main challenges facing companies today. The pandemic accelerated this process, forcing companies to quickly adopt digital tools to remain competitive. In this context, Banco Santander, through Santander Universities, and IE University, through IE Foundation, launched the “Santander X Training | Digitaliza tu Pyme” initiative. This program offered 3,000 training scholarships in digital transformation to small and medium-sized Spanish companies.
The closing event of the first edition of the program took place on March 15, 2023, at the IE Tower. The ceremony was attended by over a hundred SMEs, as well as representatives from Santander Universities, IE University, and CEPYME. Gonzalo Garland, Executive Vice President of IE Foundation, and Blanca Sagastume, Global Director of Santander Universities, Open Innovation & Blockchain, welcomed the attendees and highlighted the importance of digital transformation in today’s business strategy.
In his speech, Garland pointed out that digital transformation is a phenomenon accelerated by the pandemic and the technological revolution that affects all sectors. Therefore, for IE University, it is a privilege to work with Santander Universities on this initiative that provides thousands of scholarships to promote business talent.
“The Digitaliza tu Pyme program was created to help acquire the necessary skills for managing the digital transformation of SMEs, which are a fundamental part of our business fabric and fundamental creators of employment”
Blanca Sagastume, Global Director of Santander Universities, Open Innovation & Blockchain
The event featured the participation of Luis Aribayos Mínguez, Secretary General at CEPYME, as well as the presentation of a success story of companies that have managed to adapt to the new digital reality.
The ceremony concluded with the words of Asier González Linaza, Director of Companies at Santander Spain, who highlighted the importance of this initiative for the Spanish business fabric. González Linaza emphasized that digital transformation is essential for the competitiveness of companies, as well as a key factor for international expansion.
Santander X Training | Digitaliza tu Pyme
This training program, designed by experts from IE University, is focused on executives and leaders of small and medium-sized companies who face the challenges of digitalization in their companies, to adapt to a global market, meet the needs of the new customer profile, identify new challenges, and develop a solid strategy to successfully face them.