The Plan has mobilized 34 million euros, two thirds of which are committed by industries
A total of 176 companies participate together with Catalan universities and research centers
Friday, 26 February 2016
The Government, through the Secretariat for Universities and Research, has launched, since the beginning of the Industrial Doctorates Plan, more than 240 R+D+I projects, with the collaboration of Catalan universities, both public and private, together with 176 companies, from start-ups to large companies and in all fields (sciences, engineering, health sciences and humanities, among others).
Industrial doctorates, which began at the end of 2012 with a pilot plan and will reach their fourth edition in 2016, are, in the words of the Secretary for Universities and Research, Arcadi Navarro, "a clear example of cutting-edge knowledge transfer from Catalan universities to the productive fabric of our country".
The Plan has mobilized 34 million euros, two thirds of which are committed by companies, in order to contribute to the competitiveness and internationalization of the Catalan industrial fabric. In the 2015 edition, the total number of grants for projects has increased, and a total of 86 have been awarded. According to Navarro, "given the success of the Plan, the Government reaffirms its commitment to continue supporting it and its desire to increase the number of grants awarded".
The projects belong to all business sectors, especially engineering and architecture, especially ICT and civil engineering, followed by health sciences. The project's leading research is carried out in areas as diverse as the use of humanoid robots in rehabilitation therapies for people with disabilities, the 5G mobile network, the impact of events in the city of Barcelona, Big Data, 3D food printing or sustainability and energy efficiency.
The Plan counts with the participation of Catalan universities and 16 CERCA research centers. 20% of thesis supervisors are beneficiaries of a grant from the European Research Council (ERC) and/or belong to the ICREA program, internationally recognized at a scientific level.
An opportunity for students, companies, universities and research centres
The objective of the Industrial Doctorates Plan is to contribute to the competitiveness and internationalization of Catalan industry, strengthen the instruments to capture the talent generated by the country and place future doctors in a position to develop R+D+I projects in a company.
The essential element of the industrial doctorate process is the company's research project in which the doctoral student develops their research training, in collaboration with a university, and which is the subject of a doctoral thesis. Industrial doctors thus act as bridges for knowledge transfer and contribute to strengthening relations between the industrial fabric of Catalonia and universities and research centres.
Industrial doctorates allow companies to access leading research groups and the use of their infrastructures, as well as obtain financial aid and benefit from tax deductions and bonuses. Universities facilitate the transfer of their technology and knowledge to the productive environment and strengthen their links with the business world. Doctoral students are allowed to train in a highly innovative environment with dual supervision, academic and business, within the framework of a three-year employment contract and with various advantages, such as free enrolment or a mobility pool.
The Plan is managed by the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) and has the collaboration of the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI) for its dynamization. It also has the support of the 12 Catalan universities and the business world to promote the transfer of knowledge to the productive sector.
