The academic and business platform aims to blend academic research with practical insights to help families manage multigenerational wealth.

IE University, Franklin Templeton, and OpenWealth (CaixaBank Group) have partnered to launch the IE Family Office Kowledge Hub, an academic and business platform dedicated to the generation and dissemination of knowledge about family offices, driven by the IE Centre for Families in Business.

As family offices grow in significance for investment and legacy preservation, the hub aims to offer knowledge that blends academic research with practical insights to address the challenges families face when managing multigenerational wealth. Its agenda includes applied research, strategic meetings, content creation, and training programmes for decision-makers, the firm said in a statement.

In its first year, it will conduct a global report entitled The Role of Family Offices as Investors in Private Markets. The study will examine their decision-making processes, strategic and operational challenges, and emerging investment opportunities. It will also analyse how the market is adapting its infrastructure and processes to meet the specific needs of these investors.

Cristina Cruz, director of the IE Centre for Families in Business and head of the IE Family Offices Knowledge Hub, outlined the hub´s priorities at its official presentation, which took place at IE University´s vertical campus IE Tower on 1 July.

Cruz emphasised the importance of family offices as investment structures through which business families channel their transformation power: “This hub has been established to help understand and support a significant evolution: the shift from families that create companies to families that invest in them. It is the era of the Entrepreneurial Family Office that not only preserves wealth but also projects it into the future, generating economic and social impact through a logic of purpose, long-term vision, and entrepreneurial investment,” she said.

At the event, which received attendees from the business, financial, and academic sectors, Javier Villegas (pictured), head of distribution for Iberia and Latin America at Franklin Templeton, discussed the main trends and opportunities in private markets and the role of family offices as multigenerational investors. "We are excited to support this initiative focused on generating and sharing knowledge about private markets and family offices. Understanding the dynamics, strategies, and best practices of this investment structure, which is essential for preserving the legacy of business families, requires extensive research initiatives like this one," Villegas said.

The event also included a panel discussion moderated by Marta Alonso Jiménez, general manager of OpenWealth (CaixaBank Group). It featured several family offices representatives with extensive experience in alternative investments, wealth governance structures, and intergenerational planning.

“The family offices ecosystem is currently experiencing growth and increased professionalisation in Spain. Initiatives like this one contribute significantly to enhancing the key role family offices play in Spain's economic and social development, through the promotion of philanthropy, business networks, and innovation," Jiménez said.

OpenWealth is CaixaBank's subsidiary dedicated to providing independent wealth consulting services for ultra-high net worth clients. With nearly €9 billion ($10.58 billion) in assets under supervision, it is the largest wealth consulting firm for large clients and the largest multi-family office service in Spain.

The initiative demonstrates the effort of the three partners to produce detailed and practical knowledge on how family offices manage investment and governance in increasingly complex market environments.