- The initiative aims to improve instruments to support R & D & I
The Minister of Economy and Competitiveness, Luis de Guindos, has announced in the Senate that the group of experts of the European Commission begins tomorrow to analyze the situation of the Spanish R&D through the so-called European Research Area Committee (ERAC) peer review Nine experts from five countries of the European Union (Belgium, Germany, Estonia, France and Sweden), four independent experts and two representatives of the European Commission will meet for two days with the actors of the Spanish R&D System. His recommendations, as explained by the minister, will serve "for the implementation of the Research Agency and to improve our science system as a whole."
The exercise is carried out at the initiative of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and aims to improve the instruments to support R & D & I to respond effectively to the needs of agents (researchers, universities, public research centers and companies ). This is about ensuring the achievement of the objectives of the Spanish Strategy for Science and Technology and Innovation (approved in February 2013) by adopting the necessary measures, reforms or adaptations to reinforce the effectiveness of the System of I + D + i in our country.
On Wednesday, April 9, the experts will be received by the Secretary of State for R & D & I, Carmen Vela, to then start a series of interviews with the representatives of the Public Administrations, both of the Central Government and of the Autonomous Communities. On Thursday, April 10, they will continue with the interviews, in this case with the agents of the Spanish R&D system (representatives of Public Research Organizations, research centers and institutes, universities, researchers, companies, associations, technology centers, platforms, etc.) These interview sessions will continue in June, when the broad spectrum of agents that make up the system will be completed.
The conclusions of the experts and their indications have great value, since they start from the experiences they have had in each of their countries and from concrete measures that they have already implemented and evaluated. The Ministry will have the report of conclusions in the coming months and will include the recommendations in the National Government Reform Program in 2015.
All the Autonomous Communities will participate in this exercise, which can be very useful to increase collaboration, seek greater synergies and end duplicities and dispersions in the field of R & D & I. The Government is particularly proactive in this regard, so it maintains a fluid dialogue with the Autonomous Communities.
