The Poblenou Campus of the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) has been the setting for the conference “ Industrial Doctorates and the 22@ Ecosystem ”, a key meeting point between the academic, business and administrative worlds. Organized by the 22@Network with the collaboration of the Industrial Doctorates Plan of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the event has served to highlight a model that directly connects university research with the strategic challenges of the productive fabric.
The welcome was given by Susana Prado , president of 22@Network Barcelona and General Director of INETUM Cataluña, who framed the program as a fundamental tool for economic development . Prado described industrial doctorates as " inspiring experiences and a space for young talent ", firmly stating that " talent is the engine of innovation ". For his part, Jordi Alba , head of program development at the Department of Research and Universities, presented the bases of the DI Plan, highlighting its role as a link between two worlds, the academic and the socio-economic . Alba explained how the traditional academic model can generate a certain " distance from the market ", a distance that Industrial Doctorates overcome by directly connecting advanced research with business needs.
The round table, moderated by Iolanda Triviño , CEO of IFF , delved into the keys to the success of this collaboration model. Pablo Lara, a professor at the UOC, pointed out the philosophy that underpins the program: " the current world, if it is not interdisciplinary, does not work. The key point is for academia and business to meet and understand each other ." This idea was reinforced by Enric Serradell, also a professor at the UOC, who defined it as " a dialogue between academia and business where the incentives of both parties are aligned ." Serradell was optimistic, since, according to him, " managers are aware that they have to stand out, and this is where dialogue with academia comes in ." The long-term value of this collaboration was one of the points highlighted by Miquel Oliver , a professor at the UPF and director of three industrial doctoral projects. Beyond the solution to a specific problem, Oliver underlined the methodological legacy that remains in the company: " based on mutual trust, what remains is a new way of facing problems to be more innovative ."
The experience of the protagonists offered the most practical vision of the program. Daniel López , Director of Innovation at Inetum, explained his particular case, highlighting that the program is so powerful that even an active manager can undertake it to strengthen his company's strategy : " it has been a great learning experience that has helped define the innovation strategy ," he said. Finally, Francesc Font , an industrial doctoral student who is developing his research between the UOC and the company Incapto , made a call to action: " the program must be disseminated more widely. It is a way of retaining talent and establishing long-term projects ."
The Industrial Doctorate Plan, an initiative of the Generalitat de Catalunya since 2012, is based on a strategic research project of a company that is developed in collaboration with a university. Doctoral students act as knowledge transfer bridges , becoming key assets for the economic and social development of Catalonia. This research is defined as strategic, because it responds to long-term challenges; collaborative, because it unites the knowledge of the company and the university; and applied, because it generates a direct return to society.
