PODCAST: Supercomputer and particle accelerator – cutting edge research in Catalonia
ALBA Synchrotron and Barcelona Supercomputing Center are key contributions to global scientific effort
r&d
Barcelona Science Park sees all-time record in new companies
25 new companies occupy 1,500 square meters space and add over 115 employees in little over a year
Microsoft creates artificial intelligence R&D hub in Barcelona
Tech giant to employ 30 software engineers and data scientists initially, which could rise to 100
Catalonia aspires to increase R&D budget to 2.12% of GDP to meet EU average
President Torra presents National Pact for a Knowledge-Based Society as post-Covid-19 'compass'
Number of foreign tech companies in Catalonia grew 21% last year to 1,369
Investment in sector from abroad reached €493m, up 18% compared with 2018
More than 25% of Catalan companies invest in R&D
Catalonia Trade and Investment’s Innovation Barometer presented on Wednesday shows innovation in Catalonia is growing
Thunder Power to invest 80 MEUR in R&D center in Catalonia
Hong Kong-based multinational Thunder Power, which specializes in electric vehicles, is planning to open an R&D center in Catalonia. The center will become operational in 2018, involve an initial investment of €80 million, and create 200 jobs, a company statement revealed last Thursday. The group is also considering building a plant in Catalonia for assembly and distribution. This project will be ready by 2020, will create 1,000 jobs, and could produce up to 50,000 vehicles per year. The agreement was signed during the unveiling event of the first running prototype at the prestigious Eaton House in Hong Kong. Over 250 business professionals from Barcelona, Catalonia, and Hong Kong participated in the showcase, including the Catalan Minister for Business and Knowledge, Jordi Baiget, and the Second Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni.
Innovative Catalan projects received €190 million from EU funds
Catalonia received more than 190 million euros from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme, the most important initiative in the EU in terms of innovation and R&D. In the past year and a half, Catalan innovative companies and research projects received 2.6% of the total that the EC has given out so far, representing a higher figure proportional to Catalonia’s population weight within Europe (1.5%).“Catalonia’s R&D system is one of the most productive and successful in Europe”stated general director of Recerca, Josep Maria Martorell, head of the entity which executes and promotes research and innovation initiatives in Catalonia. “During the first year of Horizon 2020, Catalonia has multiplied by 3.5 what was raised in the first year of the previous European funding programme, the FP7”he added. Most of the 142 companies which received Horizon 2020 funds were SMEs and this allowed them carry out feasibility analysis and be able to fund their R&D activities, so that their projects could be launched. The Horizon 2020 programme, launched last year, has an 80 billion euros budget until 2020.