- Román Arjona, new counselor for Economic Affairs of the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission
- The Council of Ministers appoints María Luisa Poncela as new Secretary General for Science, Technology and Innovation
Román Arjona, until now Secretary General for Science, Technology and Innovation, has been appointed Counselor for Economic Affairs of the Directorate General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission. From this newly created position, Arjona will be in charge of guiding the R&D policies of the Member States to achieve the growth and employment objectives established in the 'Europe 2020' strategy. The position vacated by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness will be filled by María Luisa Poncela, as agreed by the Council of Ministers today.
Arjona will be in charge of studying the impact of R&D on programs of economic and structural reforms proposed by the 27 member states within the so-called 'European Semester'. The European Commission will build on these analyzes to draw up concrete recommendations on research and innovation for the next 12-18 months.
The new adviser to the European Commission will also have to ensure that R&D is integrated into the main policies of the European Union (such as energy, health or transport) and that their contribution and the economic added value that research and development confer on these activities.
Born on December 11, 1970, Román Arjona has a degree in Economics from the University of Valencia, a Master in European Economic Studies from the European College of Bruges and a PhD in Economics from the European University Institute of Florence. He has worked at the European Investment Bank, at the International Monetary Fund, at the OECD and at the Minister for Science and Technology, until in 2004 he joined the Directorate General for Research of the European Commission.
Appointment
The Council of Ministers agreed at its meeting today to appoint María Luisa Poncela as the new Secretary General for Science, Technology and Innovation to replace Arjona. Poncela, who since January 2012 was general director of Innovation and Competitiveness, has a degree in Economics from the University of Zaragoza and has been a member of the Higher Body of State Commercial Technicians and Economists since 1989.
The new general secretary has extensive experience in the public and private sectors. She has been deputy director general for the Promotion of Industrial Innovation and Technological Programs, head of the Technical Office of the Secretary General for Industry and deputy director general for Regional Incentives. In the private sector, Poncela was a founding partner of the company Add Talentia, S.L. in 2008 and, subsequently, director of Institutional Relations at Abbott Laboratorios, S.A.
