Content with the tag: I+D

The European Union set a target for the business sector to invest 2% of GDP in R&D. How is the convergence of Spain and Portugal towards this goal progressing?

What is society’s opinion regarding the possible impacts of science and technology? Establishing citizen participation mechanisms is necessary to generate confidence and detect points for improvement.

In 2019, the percentage of total public spending assigned to R&D was 1.24% in Spain and 0.82% in Portugal, both below the EU-27 average.

In Spain and Portugal, the proportion of innovative companies, and the degree to which these collaborate with other companies and organisations, is below the EU-27 average.

While the participation of female PhD holders in Portugal is situated above the EU‑27 average in all fields of knowledge considered, in Spain the participation of female PhD holders is situated below the European average in the fields of art, humanities and social sciences.

Does Portugal attract more talent than Spain? In 2020, the attraction of international talent was situated below the European average (18.7%) in the case of Spain (17.2%) and above the average (29.1%) in that of Portugal.

Portugal, together with Denmark, is an exception within the framework of the EU-27 and has percentages of women scientists and engineers that slightly exceed the European average.

Despite growth in the last 10 years, the relative position of Spain and Portugal, with regard to patent applications, is a long way behind that of countries that are leaders in innovation.

Spain stands at the head of the countries of the EU-27 in the global computation of digital society indicators (connectivity, Internet use, etc). Portugal, however, is situated at the tail end.

The model of governmental support for business R&D differs between Spain and Portugal, with a predominance of direct support in the case of Spain and indirect in that of Portugal.

Spain and Portugal are situated above the European average in percentage of women researchers in all sectors considered, although the lowest participation corresponds to the business sector and the highest, to the governmental sector.

Who publishes most: men or women? The percentage of women that publish in the STEM areas in Spain and Portugal is higher than the European average, which reflects that the proportion of women researchers in the academic sector, in turn, exceeds the European average.

Who invents most: men or women?  The proportion in Spain is one in every five inventors and in Portugal, one in every four. Do they exceed the European average?

Spain is among the leading countries in environmental innovation, while Portugal is in an intermediate position.

How should science be evaluated? Does the possibility exist of using other criteria beyond bibliometric impacts, which value different facets of the social impact of research?

Challenge-Driven Innovation is a research funding programme that is pioneering in Europe due to its multidisciplinary, intersectoral and challenge-oriented focus.

One of the great current challenges in research is process integrity and the reliability of results. What reforms are taking place in this area?

Successful experiences such as the Patient Innovation Platform confirm that the future of innovation in health involves connecting patients, carers and other agents from the care sector.

International excellence, strong support for innovation and transfer and bringing science closer to society. CaixaResearch Institute symbolises the commitment of the ”la Caixa” Foundation to supporting biomedical research.

How has science developed in Spain and Portugal and how has it influenced the construction of the Iberian nations?  The two books reviewed here analyse the subject.

Andrew W. Wyckoff, the OECD’s current director of Science, Technology and Innovation, reviews the major challenges posed by the digital transformation in the economic, social and educational sphere. 

People who work in research are a pillar of the system. Are the working conditions of this sector favourable in Spain and Portugal or are they forcing a brain drain?

In Spain and Portugal, only 6% of PhD holders work in the business sector. There is a broad margin for improvement in the relationship between science and business.

What are the factors that define a country’s research and innovation system? The eleventh Dossier from the Social Observatory of the ”la Caixa” Foundation analyses the case of Spain and Portugal in international comparison.

Elizabeth Rasekoala, President of African Gong, defends the importance of science as a tool for social transformation and talks to us about the need for acquiring basic scientific literacy in order to be able to think critically.

How should the social impact of research be measured? James Wilsdon, professor at the University of Sheffield, talks to  us about the need for “responsible metrics”. 

Over the course of the last decade, the number of elderly people who make use of new technologies has not ceased to grow. By 2017, some 28% were sending messages via electronic means.

María Blasco, director of Spain's National Centre for Oncological Research,  shares with the  Social Observatory of "la Caixa" her view on how to extend healthy life years and the possible consequences in society.

Paul Wouters, director of the Centre for Science and Technology Studies at the University of Leiden, talks with the Social Observatory of “la Caixa” about new tendencies in research evaluation.

From an economic viewpoint, innovation is considered to be an engine of growth because of its capacity to generate wealth and employment, a focus that has gained prominence since the start of the financial crisis in 2008. This review by the “la Caixa” Social Observatory comments on two books that analyse this issue from very different perspectives. 

Spain’s Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation, Carmen Vela, describes in this interview the strengths of the current system and highlights those fronts being worked on with regard to the medium and long term.

Historically, technology has transformed many professions. How will technological development affect future employment? The Social Observatory of “la Caixa” analyses the situation in Spain with regard to “risk of computerisation”.

Science is a very relevant activity in economic terms, which also has a very favourable social perception. However, Spain invests less in R&D than the rest of the European countries, confirming a gap between citizens' attitudes and the will of politicians and businesses.

On the global economic map drawn up by the financial crisis of 2008, the emerging countries are displacing the developed countries in the attracting of foreign investment in R&D. What factors influence this phenomenon and how does it affect countries such as Spain?

In what areas will science and technological innovation have a positive impact in the next 15 years? The view of citizens.

Open Access means the online and free availability of the results of research. In Spain, the proportion of accessible and restriction-free documents stands above the European Union average.

This indicator offers a view of the distribution of university research work between men and women. Women represent just 21% of chair professors.

What is the percentage of people employed in knowledge-intensive activities? In Spain, approximately a third of the population, slightly below the European average.

How many students aged over 15 years have excellent results in sciences and how many hope to undertake a research-related career? In 2015, some 28.6% of Spanish students wanted to work in a scientific profession.

This indicator shows a view of innovation from an economic, environmental and social perspective. In 2015, the Spanish eco-innovation index was situated above that of the European Union.

The total number of applications for patents is an indicator of companies' innovation effort. Specifically, those focusing on societal challenges measure the level of application of technology related with the environment and health.

What are the possibilities for innovative ideas reaching the market in each country? In 2014, Sweden was the European Union country with the highest transfer of innovation to the market, whereas Portugal occupied the opposite position.

This index allows comparison of the level of innovation in different regions. Measuring variables such as infrastructures, business activity or tangible results, it shows that in Spain there is still much work to be done.

How much do countries invest in R&D? In more dynamic economies, the business sector is the major funder, whereas in Southern Europe, the governments lead investment.

We interview Lee Rainie and Cary Funk, the heads of Internet, Science and Technology research at the Pew Research Center, the USA’s most prestigious fact tank.

"What purpose does science serve in current times? Is it for the common good or for the benefit of just a few? Science needs to learn humility and be prepared to admit it when a solution cannot be given.” Andrea Saltelli, researcher at the University of Bergen and at ICTA Barcelona, talks about the current crisis affecting science and its possible solutions.

How can we ensure that biomedical research is aligned with social needs? This article from the Social Observatory of “la Caixa” analyses how resources could be assigned efficiently.

Public investment in R & D is one of the pillars of knowledge-based economies. How can we ensure that this effort is applied intelligently? What do governments need to know to support the investments with  greater social return?