The newly established Universitat de Mallorca (UMAC) has signed a collaboration agreement with Grupo Policlínica that will allow future students on several health-related degree programmes to complete part of their practical training in Ibiza.

The agreement was signed on September 16 by Diego González, president of the UMAC governing council, and David Medina, director general of Grupo Policlínica. It establishes a framework for curricular academic placements at Grupo Policlínica's healthcare facilities in Ibiza.

Medicine, Biomedicine and Health Engineering

The agreement covers curricular external placements for students studying Medicine, Biomedicine, and Health and Biomedical Engineering.

Students will receive supervision from both the university and Grupo Policlínica, with the placements receiving academic recognition within the corresponding degree programmes.

The arrangement is intended to give students practical experience in a real healthcare environment while allowing them to become familiar with the professional and clinical reality of Ibiza.

UMAC Wants a More Inter-Island University

González described the agreement as a first concrete step towards giving the Universitat de Mallorca a genuinely inter-island dimension.

The university says the experience in Ibiza could help future healthcare professionals understand the needs of different territories and potentially consider developing their careers on the island.

Grupo Policlínica director David Medina said the agreement would allow students to gain direct experience of hospital activity and become familiar with potential professional opportunities in Ibiza.

Addressing the Healthcare Recruitment Challenge

The collaboration also comes against the backdrop of the difficulty Ibiza faces in attracting and retaining some healthcare professionals.

Álvaro Moreno, director of Human Resources at Grupo Policlínica, highlighted shortages affecting certain healthcare profiles and the need to develop new routes for attracting and retaining qualified professionals.

The university considers that giving students an opportunity to spend part of their training in Ibiza could help establish links with the island before they enter the labour market.

Possibility of Future Research Collaboration

The agreement is not limited to student placements.

UMAC and Grupo Policlínica have indicated that their collaboration could later be expanded into areas including applied research, innovation and knowledge transfer.

This would broaden the relationship beyond clinical training and potentially create additional links between the university and Ibiza's private healthcare sector.

Meeting With the Consell d'Eivissa

The signing took place during a wider visit by UMAC representatives to Ibiza.

The delegation also met with Consell d'Eivissa president Vicent Marí to present the university's Strategic Plan and discuss possible future forms of collaboration involving education, healthcare and professional training.

Marí said Ibiza is familiar with the difficulties involved in attracting and retaining healthcare professionals and welcomed the possibility of students completing part of their practical training on the island.

He also highlighted the potential benefit of allowing young people from Ibiza to access more training opportunities and encouraging future professionals to consider working on the island.

UMAC Plans New Degrees From 2027/28

The agreement comes as UMAC develops its first academic offering following its legal recognition through Balearic Law 2/2026 of April 27.

The university has submitted 19 academic proposals for new degree and master's programmes to the Agència de Qualitat Universitària de les Illes Balears (AQUIB). Their introduction is planned progressively from the 2027/28 academic year, subject to the required evaluation, verification and authorisation procedures.

The future Medicine programme is planned with an inter-island component, with clinical training in Ibiza intended to form part of its development.

€73 Million First-Phase Investment

UMAC's strategic plan involves an investment of close to €73 million for the first phase of development.

Approximately half of that amount has already been invested in the creation, adaptation and equipment of university infrastructure for teaching, research and clinical activity. The institution also plans to dedicate more than €9 million to scholarships and study support over the next ten years.

UMAC also says it plans to introduce scholarships specifically aimed at students from Ibiza to help improve access to its programmes.

Ibiza Becomes Part of UMAC's Inter-Island Strategy

The agreement with Grupo Policlínica gives Ibiza a concrete role in UMAC's planned inter-island development, with healthcare becoming one of the first areas in which the university is establishing a permanent relationship with the island.

For now, the agreement concerns future practical training rather than an already operating medical school in Ibiza. Its longer-term significance will depend on the approval and introduction of UMAC's planned programmes and on how many students eventually complete clinical placements on the island.

The partnership nevertheless creates a new link between Ibiza's healthcare sector and an emerging university whose strategy explicitly includes practical training, professional recruitment and greater inter-island integration.