Generalitat of Catalonia

The Research and Innovation Plan 2005­2008 (PRI) is one of the main tools for realising the political commitment made by the Government of Catalonia in regard to the definitive quantitative leap that Catalonia needs to make in the area of research and innovation. The participation of Catalan society in the process of developing an advanced knowledge-based society requires clear and decided efforts to foster research and technological development and to develop the country’s innovative capacities.

Catalonia, both for its history and traditions and for its current economic and social situation, should secure a leading position among the countries of Europe in terms of its research and innovation capabilities. A powerful, well-developed research system is a necessary condition for Catalonia to be able to assume its rightful role in the European construction process, bearing in mind the conclusions of the Lisbon meeting of the European Council in 2000, according to which Europe set itself the goal of becoming the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of undergoing sustainable economic growth, offering more and better jobs, and with greater social cohesion. This particular aim was quantified at the Barcelona meeting of the European Council in 2002, in which it was established that by 2010, 3% of GDP would be invested in research and development, with two-thirds of this investment to come from the private sector. Indeed, the construction of a modern and competitive economy and of an advanced and culturally sophisticated society undoubtedly requires the consolidation of a highly developed and efficient science and technology infrastructure, making technological and knowledge management capability the key to defining advanced societies.

For this to be possible, and as established in the “Acord per a un govern catalanista i d’esquerres” [Agreement for a Catalan Left-wing Government] signed in December 2003, the Government of Catalonia has drawn up this Research and Innovation Plan with the aim of drawing together, in a coherent and coordinated manner, the range of elements that go to make up the science, technology, research, innovation and corporate system in Catalonia. The co-ordination and synchronisation of actions in the fields of research and development and innovation are a necessary condition for the achievement of the final aims of the policies carried out in these fields. The close links that exist between innovation and business competitiveness, moreover, are widely documented, and so innovative capacities have come to represent a crucial factor in guaranteeing a future for the productive fabric of a country or region. This fact underlines the need for a plan that will integrate and coordinate all actions taken in the science and technology fields and aimed at encouraging transfer to the productive sector as a way of promoting innovation.

Thus, the Research and Innovation Plan 2005-2008 has, as its twofold aim, the promotion and optimisation of research and innovation development policies as efficacious instruments for the promotion of economic and social progress and development in Catalonia, and optimal organisation and coordination of the different elements that make up the Catalan research and innovation system. The Research and Innovation Plan 2005-2008 aims, inter alia, to increase the research quality, a field in which great attention is paid to the emerging disciplines and leading fields, and the promotion of innovation in the Catalan productive system. This Plan consolidates and builds on the progress that has been made to date in research, development and innovation in Catalonia as a result of the series of measures implemented in this area by the Government of Catalonia since the restoration of the autonomous government in 1980. This commitment has, in more recent times, taken the form of four-yearly research plans introduced in 1993, and more recently in the Innovation Plan 2001-2004. Achieving the aims of this first Research and Innovation Plan requires an important increase in investment in these fields. For this reason, the Government of Catalonia has undertaken a firm commitment to achieve a spending level over 2% of GDP on research and development by 2008, and spending of close to 5.2% on business innovation.

Nonetheless, any initiatives undertaken in the research and innovation area should not be undertaken in isolation. It will be necessary for the different government ministries to take into account the issues affecting research and innovation in their specific fields of action. The efficacy of the Research and Innovation Plan 2005-2008 will be less than optimal, moreover, unless parallel policies essential to developing the new information society are implemented in areas such as education, culture, territorial management, industry and the labour market. The Interministerial Council for Research and Technological Innovation (CIRIT) holds the responsibility for planning, coordinating and ensuring common purpose in relation to the research, development and innovation activities of the different government ministries.

Furthermore, the promotion of the entrepreneurial culture among the population, particularly young people and the world of the university and research is also an essential requirement for achieving the sustainable promotion of the Catalan research and innovation system.

The Research and Innovation Plan 2005-2008 should be considered, therefore, as the primary instrument for meeting the challenges posed by the Lisbon and Barcelona summits, and ultimately, as the instrument that will bring about the full development of the knowledge society in Catalonia. Its mission is to convert Catalonia into an advanced society and to stimulate economic, social and cultural progress in this country.

In recent years, the policies implemented for the promotion of research and innovation have had characteristics that are recognised as being the most appropriate, among which are the following:

• Favouring more integrated government policies. Greater integration between research, technological development, innovation, the training of human capital and lifelong learning.

• Increase the degree of co-operation between the different players in the fields of research, development and innovation: governments and public bodies at different levels, companies, universities and research centres and interphase bodies. The aim is to obtain a triple helix (Administration-universities and research centres-private sector enterprises) that is effective and generates value for the whole country.

• To strengthen policies on research, development and innovation bearing in mind the reality and territorial, economic, social, cultural and technological interests in addition to taxation, economic policy and the area’s own emerging and mature sectors and those in neighbouring regions.

• To improve the planning mechanisms of research and innovation with pluriannual finance systems that will allow the development of public policy in the medium and long term.

• To concentrate efforts and attention on the results of public policy on research and innovation: the creation of social or economic value, scientific and technological advances, the impact of publications, the generation of patents, the capacity to innovate, etc. The above also steer action in the direction of a greater importance of the mechanisms to evaluate research and innovation.

The Research and Innovation Plan 2005-2008 aspires to achieving its aims by implementing a global strategy aimed at the following:

• Making possible the transition towards a knowledge­based economy and society, by developing policies in relation to both the information and communications technologies and research and development, and by encouraging structural reform processes that will create a favourable environment for innovation and competitiveness in the different productive sectors;

• Achieving full participation of Catalonia in the European Research Area, so that favourable environments can be created for high-quality research and for increasing the existing numbers of researchers, as also for the development of innovative businesses (with special attention being paid to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises);

• Contributing to the modernisation of society and the renovation of the productive fabric as key elements in ensuring sustainable economic development and social cohesion, by means of investment in human capital, the development of an entrepreneurial spirit and the promotion of entrepreneurial initiatives;

• Promoting suitable mechanisms for coordinating and organising the different agents within the research and innovation system with a view to ensuring that cooperation is optimised, and in particular, promoting cooperation between the public and private sectors as an essential prerequisite for the attainment of the aims of the Research and Innovation Plan.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the Plan was drawn up parallel to a series of debates held between experts from different fields. Moreover, a consultation process that took place during November 2004 enabled representatives of different areas of society to participate in its development. The Plan thus reflects the concerns that have been expressed by a broad spectrum of social agents and members of the research and innovation community in Catalonia in relation to the challenges facing the Catalan economy and Catalan society. The Plan is perceived as a dynamic plan and so remains open to any possible modifications that future circumstances and an ongoing evaluation process may dictate.