The expected impacts can be achieved pursuing the ambitious Athenea3i objectives and work approach.
The importance of Athenea3i for the UGR consists of an opportunity to become a leading Andalusian institution from the point of view of attracting talented researchers. These researchers are expected not only to contribute positively to the overall position of the UGR in different rankings by means of their high quality scientific publications, but also to become pioneering members of the university community, active “magnets” for all kinds of external funding, particularly that coming from the private industrial (i.e. not academic) sector. A tight collaboration with the industrial sector, by means of the transfer of knowledge and bringing the research results to the market, will have a globally positive impact on the overall socio-economic situation of the city of Granada. Granada, housing one of the most ancient and biggest Spanish universities, is, at the same time, one of the most economically depressed areas. It is expected that Athenea3i has helped to create new jobs by means of new research contracts and collaboration with the business sector, increasing the knowledge-based economic critical mass in the city and the UGR at the same time. In this way and in line with the New Economic Geography, economies of scale can be created in which centripetal forces will be responsible for attracting a greater volume of knowledge-based economic activity to the city. At the same time, centrifugal forces will contribute to spreading the economic activity to the wider level of the province of Granada and even the region of Andalusia.
In this way, the Athenea3i programme is expected to trigger a boost, not only of the innovation and research activity in the UGR, but also of the (knowledge-based) economic activity in the city, thus becoming the core of the consequent virtuous circle.
