Campus Rural UPO 2026: opportunity for companies in depopulated areas

Key data

Companies and entities located in rural municipalities at risk of depopulation have had, since April 1, 2026, a new official channel to incorporate university talent: the Campus Rural Program, articulated through an agreement between the General Directorate of Policies against Depopulation and the Universidad Pablo de Olavide (UPO). The Resolution publishing it was formalized on April 1, 2026 and was published in the BOE on April 13, 2026.

The program responds to a dual objective: to offer real professional experience to UPO students and to provide value to territories losing population. For rural entities, it is an opportunity to access qualified profiles on a temporary basis, with the institutional backing of a university and central administration.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement signed between the General Directorate of Policies against Depopulation and the Universidad Pablo de Olavide establishes the formal framework of the Campus Rural Program. Its main elements are:

• Facilitate the completion of university internships in rural environments, especially in municipalities at risk of depopulation.
• Connect UPO university talent with the real needs of rural territory.
• Generate employment opportunities and roots in areas that need to retain or attract active population.
• Establish a framework of coordination between central administration and the university, with formal obligations for both parties.
• Allow participating rural companies and entities to temporarily incorporate qualified students in internships.

The agreement does not modify any previous specific regulation: it creates a new instrument of institutional collaboration based on policies to combat depopulation.

Economic and operational impact

For participating rural entities, the main impact is one of opportunity, not cost. The program allows access to qualified university profiles on a temporary basis, which can translate into:

• Reduction in the cost of attracting talent in areas where the labor market is limited.
• Possibility of evaluating candidates for future incorporations with lower risk.
• Projects or tasks requiring specific training that would otherwise be difficult to undertake with available local resources.
• Generation of links between students and the territory, with potential for roots and future employment.

From an operational perspective, the rural entity must coordinate with UPO within the framework of the agreement, which implies assuming a role of mentoring or supervision of the intern student. The specific details of this coordination are defined within the formal framework of the agreement between both institutions.

Who does it affect?

• Private companies and entities located in rural municipalities at risk of depopulation that want to incorporate students in internships.
• Municipalities and local entities in rural areas seeking qualified technical support on a temporary basis.
• Third sector organizations present in rural areas and with a need for university profiles.
• Students from the Universidad Pablo de Olavide who want to complete their internships in rural environments.
• Municipalities at risk of depopulation that benefit indirectly from the presence of university talent in their territory.

Practical example

An agricultural cooperative located in a rural municipality of fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, with difficulties in finding profiles with training in business management or marketing, can participate in the Campus Rural Program as an employing entity.

Through the agreement between the General Directorate of Policies against Depopulation and UPO, the cooperative could temporarily incorporate a student from the Universidad Pablo de Olavide to complete their internship. The student would provide updated knowledge in areas such as digitalization, communication or management, while the cooperative offers them real professional experience in a rural environment.

The result: the cooperative covers a specific need without the cost of permanent hiring, and the student can assess the possibility of staying in the territory once their internship period is completed, contributing to the objective of roots that the program pursues.

What should companies do now?

1. Evaluate whether your entity is in a rural municipality at risk of depopulation, as this is the basic territorial requirement to participate in the Campus Rural Program.
2. Identify what specific needs could be covered by an intern student in your organization: digital projects, data analysis, communication, administrative management or other areas with a university profile.
3. Contact the Universidad Pablo de Olavide to learn about the procedure for joining as a collaborating entity within the framework of the agreement with the General Directorate of Policies against Depopulation.
4. Prepare internally the figure of a mentor or person responsible for internships, as the agreement establishes a formal collaboration framework that implies obligations for monitoring the student.
5. Assess the potential for future incorporation of the student if the internship period is satisfactory, taking advantage of the program as a talent acquisition channel with a vocation for rural roots.

Official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-8198