Our colleague Alba Matamoros has taken part in the 37th edition of the Specialisation Programme for Managers in European R&I Programmes, organised by the CDTI-SOST office in Brussels, which took place from 18 May to 5 June 2026.
The programme, known as PEG (Specialisation Programme for Managers), brings together a small group of professionals from Spanish organisations linked to European research and innovation. Universities, technology centres, companies, consultancies and other organisations share a space for training, exchange and direct contact with the European ecosystem.
For Kveloce, taking part in this type of initiative is part of an ongoing commitment to staying close to the spaces where European R&I priorities are anticipated and discussed. Alba’s experience builds on that of other colleagues who have previously participated in programmes and stays linked to CDTI-SOST, including Sandra Vilaplana in 2017 and Rebeca Lucas in 2023, strengthening the team’s ability to identify collaboration opportunities and prepare European proposals increasingly aligned with the evolution of Horizon Europe.
Looking at Europe from within
Participating in this Specialisation Programme means going beyond infodays, official documents and the technical reading of work programmes. Being in Brussels provides access to conversations, signals and nuances that help to better understand where European research and innovation are heading.
During her stay, Alba was able to update and deepen her understanding of some of the major priorities that will shape the coming years, such as the Clean Industrial Deal, the New European Bauhaus and the bioeconomy. These are all key areas for understanding the direction of future calls and the type of proposals Europe aims to promote.
“Being in Brussels makes it possible to capture nuances that do not always come through official documents and to better understand how the next European priorities are being shaped,” says Alba.
This perspective is especially valuable for Kveloce, where we support organisations, researchers and consortia in the design of competitive European projects that are coherent with European priorities and oriented towards real impact.
Training, events and new opportunities
One of the particular strengths of PEG is that it combines specialised training with an active presence in Brussels over several weeks. Alongside the programme sessions, Alba attended events such as EU Green Week, the New European Bauhaus Festival, the IDEAL Cluster Event and the General Assembly of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, among others. In this context, she also took part in a meeting with the Delegation of the Valencian Region in Brussels, together with Lourdes Castelblanque Soriano, R&D Manager at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), where they were received by Leticia Casañ Jensen.
These spaces make it possible to follow trends, identify relevant actors and hear first-hand about the priorities of European institutions, networks and organisations. They also open the door to new conversations and potential collaborations in strategic areas for Kveloce, such as health, circularity, bioeconomy, sustainable construction and the green transition.
The stay also helped to strengthen existing relationships and open up new contacts with organisations that may become relevant partners for future European proposals.
Learning from other managers
Another valuable aspect of the programme lies in the group of participants itself. Sharing the experience with professionals from different Spanish organisations makes it possible to compare common challenges, exchange approaches and understand how universities, technology centres, companies and consultancies are preparing for the next cycles of calls.
This exchange between managers is also a source of learning. It helps to expand the collaboration network, identify shared opportunities and look at European projects from complementary perspectives.
An experience that comes back to the team
Alba’s participation in the Specialisation Programme for Managers reinforces a way of working based on continuous learning, presence in strategic spaces and direct connection with the European ecosystem.
The knowledge gained during these weeks does not remain an individual experience. It comes back to the team in the form of new ideas, contacts, strategic insights and useful keys to continue improving our work in Grant Writing, participation in consortia, project coordination and European positioning.
At Kveloce, we celebrate this experience and the value it brings to the way we understand European projects: not only as calls to submit proposals to, but as spaces for collaboration, anticipation and impact.
