The Minister of Research and Universities, Núria Montserrat , has underlined the strategic role of the Industrial Doctorate Plan (DI Plan) as a fundamental tool to promote the “circulation of talent” between academia and the business sector. In an interview on RTVE’s “Cafè d’idees” program on September 15, the Minister pointed to the program as an example of success in creating “gateways” that allow high-level research personnel to move and contribute value to both the public and private sectors, enriching the entire knowledge ecosystem of Catalonia.
During her speech, Minister Montserrat emphasized the importance of complementing talent retention with a fluid circulation. “ We must create all possible pathways so that talent can also go from the public sector to the private sector and from the private sector back to the public sector ,” she said. In this context, she explicitly highlighted the role of the program:
" And here we have programs like industrial doctoral students that help young talent to have a doctoral experience within a company , but this talent can return to the public sector, it can contribute a lot to the public sector. We must also create entry and exit doors so that talent can also contribute and circulate between the different spheres that we have in Catalonia ."
This strategic vision is supported by concrete results and external evaluations. According to the latest evaluation report of the DI Plan , the program not only has a high degree of satisfaction —91% of participating companies would repeat the experience—, but also presents excellent job insertion rates. 75% of industrial doctors join companies and institutions, the majority in the same entity where they have developed the project, demonstrating the Plan's capacity to generate highly qualified employment and retain talent in the productive fabric. In addition, 83% of them obtain an indefinite contract, consolidating stable professional careers.
The Industrial Doctorate Plan has established itself as a first-rate public policy for knowledge transfer. Since its inception in 2012, it has promoted more than 1,182 collaborative research projects, mobilizing a total investment in R&D&I of 161 million euros, with a majority contribution from the business environment. This model has involved 739 companies and institutions, the 12 Catalan universities and the main research centers in the country.
The commitment of the Department of Research and Universities to this model remains firm, as demonstrated by the call for 2025 , endowed with nearly 6 million euros. This new edition continues to focus on internationalization, diversification into areas such as social sciences and humanities, and the incorporation of new companies, especially SMEs, which in the last call represented almost half of the participating entities.
The statements of the Minister Núria Montserrat highlight the Industrial Doctorate Plan not only as a doctoral training program, but as a key piece in Catalonia's research and innovation policy . Her words, supported by the positive employability and satisfaction data, reaffirm the DI Plan as the main driver for building an ecosystem where research talent flows and connects, boosting the country's competitiveness and resilience through knowledge.
