EU funds boost R&D in Spain
Spanish research, development and innovation are to benefit from 1.6 billion euro from the European Union's Structural Funds. The EU grant will be supplemented by 700 million euro from the Spanish authorities, meaning an injection of 2.3 billion euro into research, development and innovation for the period 2000 to 2006. Spain's Objective 1 regions (regions whose development is lagging behind) have benefited significantly from the EU's Structural Funds since joining the EU, as highlighted by The European Commissioner for regional policy, Michel Barnier, as he presented the decision. 'The Spanish regions falling under Objective 1 have benefited, since the accession of Spain to the European Community in 1986, from assistance from the Structural Funds to finance research, development and innovation,' said Mr Barnier. For these regions, the impact has been positive. According to the latest figures available, research, development and innovation expenditure in these regions in relation to gross value added rose from 0.41 in 1991 to 0.57 in 1996. In addition, the disparities in this field between these regions and the country as a whole have been reduced considerably. We must continue our efforts in this direction.' Weaknesses still exist in many areas, due, for example, to the small size of the science-technology-business complex, the lack of results transfers from centres of research towards the business sector, the lack of synergy between public research, development, innovation and the needs of manufacturing, the insufficient development of innovative sources of funding and the need to improve evaluation and monitoring. Some 45 per cent of the grant will go towards research, innovation and technology development projects, 23 per cent to science and technology facilities and 15 per cent towards education in these fields and the transfer of knowledge towards the private sector, while 11 per cent will be invested in public research centres and technology centres, 4 per cent in technology transfer and 2 per cent in large-scale facilities.