04 September 2025
Bilbao Campus
The University of Deusto and Cuatrecasas have signed a collaboration agreement to set up the Cuatrecasas-University Chair in Public Procurement Law at Deusto Law School. This centre was created with the aim of promoting research, critical reflection and training in public procurement, both in the national and European context, and aspires to become an academic and professional benchmark. The agreement was signed by the Rector, Juan José Etxeberria, and Cuatrecasas CEO Javier Fontcuberta.
The importance of this initiative is reflected in the data: in Spain, public procurement accounted for 11.55% of GDP and 24.87% of public spending in 2023, according to the Independent Office for the Regulation and Supervision of Procurement (OIReScon). Its impact is not limited to the creation of infrastructures or the provision of services, but also affects the development of social and environmental policies with direct effects on institutions, businesses and citizens.
A plan of activities already underway
During its first year, the Chair will activate several areas of work. In the area of research and training, Cuatrecasas staff will have access to the joint doctoral programme in Economic and Business Law, developed in collaboration with Deusto, Comillas, and Ramon Llull. In addition, the Chair's scientific committee will bring together specialists from the academic world, lecturers from Deusto and other universities in the UNIJES-Jesuit University network, together with professionals from Cuatrecasas and experts from the business world, as well as from administrative and judicial bodies. The creation of a digital publication with ISBN is also envisaged, which will include the results of seminars, annual conferences and specialised articles.
Regarding student internships, the Experiencia Cuatrecasas programme aims to bring the practice of law closer to undergraduate and postgraduate students through a variety of activities, some of which already exist within the long-standing relationship between Cuatrecasas and the Law School at the University of Deusto. These include bridge programmes, mentoring, participation in DeustoLawyers, and masterclasses linked to the prestigious Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. In addition, interns will be able to collaborate in the Deusto Legal Clinic and in Cuatrecasas' pro bono advice initiatives.
Finally, in terms of transfer and debate, the Chair will organise biannual monographic conferences and specialised seminars, with the aim of generating applied knowledge. This programme of activities is already underway and Deusto and Cuatrecasas consider it to be a driving force for social and economic transformation, as it deals critically and in a multidisciplinary way with one of the most important areas of the European economy.
