The Government of Catalonia approves 2010-2013 Research and Innovation Plan, with more than 5,000 million euros in investment

The Government approved the 2010-2013 Research and Innovation Plan for Catalonia (PRI) 2010-2013 yesterday, which lays out the public policies that will lead to a new model for the Catalan economy based on knowledge and innovation, creating more, better quality jobs. In order to do this, 5,308 million euros will be invested over the next four years, the highest amount ever approved in Catalonia for a research plan. Of this amount, 2,209 million euros will go to research personnel in the university and healthcare systems. The annual growth of R&D&i expenditure will be between 15 and 20%.

During the press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Catalan minister of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise, Josep Huguet, highlighted that the text “aims to change the economic model in order to move from excellent research, which we already have, to research that leads to patents and products, that generates new industries and new technology, and that creates high-quality jobs to make up for those that are being lost.” According to Huguet, this “is the first plan that is on par with those that have already been implanted in northern Europe”, in countries like Denmark and Finland.

The document identifies 17 strategic research focuses. The plan will strengthen sectors that are already consolidated in Catalonia, like agrifood and healthcare, among others.

These strategic areas, Minister Huguet explained, are countrywide but can also have a strong territorial presence. Thus, the Minister pointed out that different regions of knowledge can be created according to the different strengths of each area. He used Tarragona as an example, which is committed to the chemical, tourism, nutrition and healthcare sectors; or Terres de l’Ebre, which focuses on marine fields, like aquiculture and offshore renewable energy.