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The Catalan R&D&I system in
the European research area
The Catalan R&D&I system
Public sector |
Private sector |
| Institutions & structures - driving, managing and financing |
Spanish Administration |
Government of Catalonia |
Local entities |
European Union |
Companies |
Private non-Profit Institutions |
| Support and advising structures |
Institute for Catalan Studies |
Catalan Foundation for Research |
Academies and others |
| Execution structures |
R&D Centres in the Research Centres of Catalonia Programme (CERCA) & others |
Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) |
Universities |
Universities |
The Catalan Science and Technology Parks Network (XPCAT) |
Agency for Quality in the University System in Catalonia (AQU) |
Centres in the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) |
Centres in the Network of Technology Centres (CT) |
Network of support centres for Technological Innovation (IT) |
Network of Technological Springboards (XTT) |
Network of Centres for Technological Diffusion (CDT) |
R&D Centres - Corporate and other |
Powers and resources
The Catalan Statute of Autonomy of 1979 (Article 9.7) granted exclusive powers to the Government of Catalonia in matters relating to research.
That said, the Spanish State Administration has failed to transfer the bulk of R&D resources to the Government of Catalonia and continues to centralise the administration of these funds.
For this reason, in its research policies the Government of Catalonia
has focused on reinforcing synergies between research areas and groups,
allocating strategic funding to reinforce specific lines of research,
improving the quality of human resources through training, and promoting
the employment of leading researchers. In the past centres of excellence
have been promulgated based on existing centres or through the establishment
of new ones, with their own legal status, in fields of strategic research
and distributed throughout the region, in line with the relevant criteria
of specialisation. There are now plans to consolidate these new or renewed
scientific and technology infrastructures and create a new driving force
that will place Catalonia in conditions comparable with the most advanced
European countries.
The objectives and general focus for these Government actions in the R&D&I
area are established by the Interministerial Council for Research and Technological
Innovation (CIRIT), a collegiate
body attached to the Commission for Universities and Research
to the
Ministry of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise. It is composed of representatives
from all the Government Departments
and
is
chaired
by
the
President of the
Catalan
Government.
The Research and Innovation Plans
The main instruments for the R&D policies of the Government of Catalonia
have been the series of Catalan research plans implemented since 1993,
each of which covers a four-year period. On 25 January 2005, the Government
of Catalonia approved the Research and Innovation Plan 2005-2008 (PRI
2005-2008). This Plan, following three quadrennial Research Plans (1993-1997,
1998-2001, 2001-2004) and an Innovation Plan (2001-2004), is an overall
approximation of how to situate Catalonia at the forefront of scientific
and technological research in Europe. The Research and Innovation Plan
for Catalonia 2005-2008 aims to optimise the role of research and innovation
policies as an effective instrument for the promotion of progress and
economic and social development in Catalonia. The budget for the Research
and Innovation Plan for Catalonia 2005-2008 is 860 million euros.
The ten objectives of the PRI 2005-2008 are:
1. Increase the size of the research and development system, attracting
talent and strengthening the integration of young researchers into the
system.
2. Give momentum to the university system, the centres and infrastructures
that currently need advanced and high-quality research and development.
3. Continue driving the quality of research done in Catalonia as a prerequisite
for achieving total integration into the European research space.
4. To encourage the entrepreneurial spirit and the creation of technology-based
companies, increasing joint projects between universities, research centres
and industry and the transfer of technology and knowledge.
5. Encourage the integration of researchers and qualified personnel into
the private sector.
6. Consolidate the model of research, technology transfer and innovation
in Catalonia.
7. Increase the capacity for innovation by companies established in Catalonia
and encourage their internationalisation.
8. Establish a strategy for the sector and specific technology that will
drive economic development and structural change in production activities.
9. Improve the coordination between policies for research and development,
innovation, and economic, social and cultural development of the Government
of Catalonia so as to make Catalonia a reference point for policies supporting
research and innovation.
10. Promote the communication and dissemination of science and technology
so that society as a whole recognises even more the importance of research,
development and innovation.
For further information
See the main
indicators on research in Catalonia compared to Spain and the European Union, as also the statistics (in catalan) that
depict research in Catalonia in a State context.
If you would like more information about the events and activities taking
place during the 2000-2005 period, please consult the annual
reports of
the former Ministry of Universities, Research and the Information Society
(DURSI).
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