The recycled maritime container building of Zona Base Incubazul has been the venue on February 10 and 11 for the IV edition of the Economic Debate Tournament, a competition aimed at high school students and second-year vocational training students. The delegate of the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz, Fran González, along with the dean and officials of the Cádiz College of Economists —the organizing entity of the event in collaboration with the General Council of Economists of Spain— welcomed the participants to a tournament that has brought together educational centers from across the Gaditan province.
The San Felipe Neri College of Cádiz has been designated by the jury as the winner of the provincial phase and will be the representative of Cádiz in the national tournament to be held in Madrid. The evaluation panel assessed various criteria including the strength and diversity of arguments, the use of evidence, the creativity of exposition, the ability to adapt to debate, and the correct management of established turns and timing.
During the inaugural day, Fran González highlighted the relevance of initiatives aimed at fostering interest in economic activity among students and showcasing the young talent of the province. The person in charge of the Gaditan Consortium invited the participants to consider the services and facilities of the Free Trade Zone as a resource for their future incorporation into the labor market.
Throughout the two days, female and male students from eleven educational centers in the province of Cádiz, distributed in a total of twelve teams, have competed through speech around the central question of the tournament: "Is the use of digital money more efficient and responsible than cash?" During the development of the contest, the participants defended both positions —for and against— with the purpose of demonstrating their ability to construct solid arguments from opposing perspectives.
The provincial phase has been structured into two differentiated stages. In the first qualifying phase, all teams competed under a league system that guaranteed each team's participation in at least three debates and the defense of both positions. Subsequently, the teams with the best scores advanced to the semifinals and finals under an elimination format.
A specialized jury evaluated the interventions and scored the teams according to three main blocks: the content of the arguments, with a maximum score of five points; the presentation style, valued up to three points; and the development of the debate, with a maximum of two points.
The educational centers that participated in the tournament are IES Carlos Cano from Los Barrios, IES Isla Verde from Algeciras, San Felipe Neri College from Cádiz, IES Poeta García Gutiérrez from Chiclana, Guadalete and Grazalema colleges from El Puerto de Santa María, Sacred Heart Lyceum from San Fernando, Company of Mary College from San Fernando, IES Fuerte de Cortadura from Cádiz, the English Center from El Puerto de Santa María —with two participating teams— and IES José Luis Tejada Peluffo, also from El Puerto de Santa María.