ENAE trains 4.000 professionals in digitalization and AI and launches new subsidized programs starting in september

Miguel López González de León, General Director of ENAE Business School, reviews three years of collaboration with EOI's Digital Generation programs: 4.000 professionals trained free of charge in the Murcia Region. From September onwards, the school reinforces its commitment with a range of practical artificial intelligence training, organized by levels and with prices starting from 495€ eligible for FUNDAE grants.

The "4.000 effect": Far more than students

The figure is striking, but its significance goes beyond mere numbers. 4.000 professionals trained free of charge in digitalization and artificial intelligence represent, according to López González de León, a large-scale transformation of the region's productive fabric. "We're not simply talking about 4.000 students who have attended a classroom, but rather 4.000 professionals returning to their companies with a new understanding of strategy, processes, data, and technology," says the General Director.

The profile of participants reflects the diversity of Murcia's business landscape. Approximately 1.500 came from small and medium-sized enterprises with between 10 and 249 employees; 500 were freelancers or belonged to micro-enterprises; nearly 500 were trained as change agents to drive digital transformation processes; and around 1.500 specialized specifically in artificial intelligence.

The free nature of these programs, financed through the Secretaría de Estado de Digitalización e Inteligencia Artifical in collaboration with EOI, has been key to democratizing access. In a region where small companies, freelancers, and micro-enterprises play a decisive role, removing the economic barrier has allowed digitalization to reach sectors, municipalities, and groups that would otherwise have been left behind.

From September onwards: Practical, subsidized AI training

The end of the financed programs does not mean the end of ENAE's commitment. Starting in September, the school will launch a new artificial intelligence training program targeting companies and professionals, designed to maintain continuity of learning and respond to growing demand for skill updates.

The courses will be eminently practical, organized by levels and by functional areas: sales, marketing, finance, human resources, operations, logistics, management, and productivity. Pricing starts at 495€, with the possibility of subsidies through FUNDAE for companies that have training credits available and meet the required criteria. The estimated net cost after subsidy could be around 200€ per participant.

"AI is not learned once and for all. Tools change, new applications emerge, and companies need to continuously review their competencies. ENAE wants to support them in that process," explains the General Director.

Impact on the regional economy: The value of knowledge

López González de León declines to rely on easy figures, but does offer a reference point that sheds light on the potential. The GDP of the Murcia Region reached approximately 42.488€ million in 2024. In an economy of that size, an improvement equivalent to one-tenth of a percentage point represents around 42.5€ million annually. "This is not a forecast attributable to the program, but rather a reference that helps us understand how much difference even a modest, aggregate improvement in business productivity can make," he clarifies.

The underlying challenge is clear: the Region grew 4.4% in 2024 and its productivity increased above the national average, yet GDP per capita still stands at 82.6% of the Spanish average. Training, in this context, is not a complement—it is economic infrastructure. "Just as a highway connects territories, knowledge connects companies to new opportunities," says the General Director.

ENAE: Heading towards its 40th anniversary

The Fundación Universidad Empresa de la Región de Murcia, of which ENAE is part, was created in 1988 with the support of over 300 member companies and in close collaboration with the Universidad de Murcia and the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. Its 40th anniversary will be celebrated in 2028, and the institution arrives at this milestone strengthened by a period of notable expansion.

Among the most significant milestones in recent years is the international positioning of the Executive MBA, which in 2026 ranked seventh in Spain in the QS Executive MBA Rankings, 63rd in Europe, and among the 171-180 best programs in the world. ENAE also maintains QS's five-star rating and is featured in El Mundo's Master's Rankings.

But for López González de León, the greatest achievement does not appear in any ranking: "It is knowing that what we teach turns out to be useful in companies."

The message for the Region's businesses

The General Director concludes with a reflection that sums up the purpose of these three years and those ahead: digitalization and artificial intelligence are not technological projects, they are business decisions. "The question is no longer whether companies will use artificial intelligence, but rather which ones will learn first to convert it into productivity, better decisions, new services, and growth".

ENAE has trained 4,000 professionals. Now begins the most important phase: ensuring that this knowledge is applied, multiplied, and contributes to building a more competitive Región de Murcia, prepared for the future.