Manel Balcells, Department of Health Commissioner at LEITAT Technology Centre
One of the challenges of any country relying on a knowledge economy is undoubtedly to look at innovation as a strategic element for the country’s growth and development, and to manage to turn innovation into economic value. That is to say, to return the benefits derived from investments conducted in basic and applied research, back to society.
However, any country prioritizes productive sectors which provide significant benefits, promoting the conditions that make the so called innovation – ecosystem possible, thus completing the value chain from research to market.
Back home in Catalonia, we are well aware of the detachment between the high level of biomedical research – leader in Europe with global significance (you can view the results of the centres in the report from the Central de Resultats) and the moderate degree of innovation reflected by European standards and published by the European Commission in the Regional Innovation Scoreboard. Continue reading