On May 18, the third session of the II Cajamar-Ivie Conference Series 2026 was held in Valencia under the title “Reality and Challenges of Valencian Family Businesses”, delivered by Alejandro Escribá, Ivie researcher and director of the Chair of Family Business at the Universitat de València.

The event was opened by Jesús García, Regional Director of Cajamar in Valencia, who highlighted the importance of family businesses in the Valencian economy and the key role of generational succession in ensuring their continuity.

Next, Joaquín Maudos, Deputy Director of Research at Ivie and Professor at the Universitat de València, contextualized this third conference of the Cajamar-Ivie series, focusing on the main challenges faced by Valencian family businesses, such as decision-making, internationalization and digitalization.

During his presentation, Alejandro Escribá addressed the concept of family business and its relevance within the Valencian economy, highlighting that around 90% of commercial companies in Spain are family businesses, a figure that reaches 87.4% in the Valencian Community. He also reflected on some of the major challenges these organizations face, including generational succession, professionalization, corporate governance and the need for governance structures that enhance competitiveness and long-term continuity.

👏 Thanks to Cajamar and Ivie for promoting this space for reflection and analysis on the present and future of Valencian family businesses.