We present the 2024 Activity Report of the Industrial Doctorates Plan, the balance sheet document of a year of successes and records in which 149 new projects were promoted.
Inside you will find the analysis of the results of the call, a summary of the dissemination activities, the complete historical data (2012-2024) and the conclusions of the external evaluation that confirm the high return of the program in employability and scientific production. It is a key publication for accountability that demonstrates the consolidation and impact of the DI Plan on the Catalan innovation ecosystem.
A year ago we celebrated the consolidation of the Industrial Doctorate Plan as a public policy for knowledge transfer and, today, thanks to the shared commitment between the Government and the research ecosystem, we can see its extraordinary results. In 2024, it allowed the promotion of 149 new projects with the participation of 121 companies and 117 research groups. This success illustrates a key duality of the Plan: the ability to incorporate a high percentage of new entities (61%) and researchers (69%), while maintaining the trust of those who have already been part of it, identifying the added value of collaboration.
To measure the return of these alliances, an impact assessment (PROAVA) has been launched in 2024 that will highlight how collaborative research responds to social challenges. This analysis will add to an already remarkable historical balance, with 1,182 projects promoted, an investment of 157 million euros, 739 companies and the 12 Catalan universities involved. Based on these results, it is necessary to continue working to reach more companies and promote the internationalization of the Catalan model of Industrial Doctorates.
In conclusion, 2024 has been a year of successes and records that becomes a new point of reference to continue improving the Plan. It is this binomial between the socio-economic and academic fabric, with knowledge transfer as the central axis, which will allow us to move towards a more advanced, sustainable and resilient model, placing knowledge as a differential asset.
Nuria Montserrat Pulido
Minister for Research and Universities
The year 2024 has been a stage of continuity in the growth and consolidation of the Industrial Doctorate Plan, a fact made possible thanks to the involvement of the entire community. The vitality of the Plan has been reflected in the call, which exceeded the figures of previous years with 196 proposals and culminated in the awarding of 149 projects. This success is the result of an intense dissemination activity, with more than fifty promotional actions that have facilitated the connection between the different actors of the R&D&I ecosystem.
The analysis of the 2024 data shows that 61% of the participating companies were new and 12% of the projects belonged to the field of social sciences, showing the Plan's capacity to attract new actors and diversify. In order to measure its long-term impact, at the beginning of the year we received the results of the evaluation of the 2013-2018 period (PROAVA), which highlight its positive effect: a high employment rate - three out of four doctors continue in the company -, a high scientific production with patents, and the continuity of the collaboration between the company-university binomial.
These results, both those of the 2024 call and those of the historical evaluation, confirm the usefulness and relevance of Industrial Doctorates as an essential tool to promote applied, strategic and collaborative research, reinforcing its role in the scientific and economic development of our country.
Albert Sangrà Morer
Academic director of the Industrial Doctorates Plan
The year 2024 has represented a period of growth and consolidation for the Industrial Doctorate Plan, marked by a notable increase in dissemination activities to strengthen its visibility and impact. This proactive strategy has materialized in 51 campaign actions, a significant increase compared to the 30 of the previous year, which have covered various formats such as personalized attention, conferences and webinars. This effort has translated into record interest from the research and business community, reflected in the 196 project proposals published and the 155 applications formalized in the call.
The range of activities has been wide, including visits to 9 universities and 4 CERCA centers, 13 advisory sessions to companies and institutions, personalized attention to future doctoral students and 3 international promotion actions. In addition, 22 data requests have been managed and, in the field of communication, 7 in-depth reports and 41 news items have been published to make the projects visible.
As outstanding actions, the Plan was presented as a model of success in science-industry collaboration at the Annual Conference of the RDI-IA Network. The autumn concentrated a highly relevant activity, with participation in the Scientific Conference of the INEFC in Lleida, to underline the value of applied research in sports sciences, and at the breakfast of the UPF Social and Business Forum, where its role as a bridge for transfer in areas such as AI or cultural heritage was illustrated. It is also worth noting the presence at the IV Corporate Lunch of Telecos.cat, a key meeting on the future of microelectronics where the strategic role of the Plan in the training of talent for priority sectors was emphasized, a vision reinforced by the Minister of Business and Employment.
All these interventions have consolidated the Plan as a key instrument for innovation. The growth in proposals demonstrates that the intensification of dissemination has been effective and validates the importance of collaboration between universities, research centers and companies to respond to current challenges and contribute to the economic and technological development of Catalonia.
During 2024, the Industrial Doctorate Plan has published a series of reports with the aim of highlighting applied research in Catalonia and the impact of alliances between companies and universities in essential sectors. This selection of innovative projects, available in full on the DI Plan website, highlights the diversity and capacity for innovation that characterize the program, underlining its strategic relevance in the social, academic and economic spheres.
Featured projects address strategic challenges across multiple sectors. In the field of quantum computing, work has been done on the first commercial European quantum computer, while in biotechnology, sustainable solar filters have been developed to minimize environmental impact. The reports have also given visibility to female leadership in STEM through projects in biomedicine and energy. Other initiatives include the design of an autonomous system for aerospace launches, research into the cultural impact of exhibitions at the Fundació Joan Miró, the application of artificial intelligence to entrepreneurship through simulators, and the creation of digital twins to optimize electricity grids and facilitate the integration of renewables.
Taken together, these examples reflect the great potential of the program. With more than 1,000 projects promoted throughout its history, the Industrial Doctorate Plan strengthens the indispensable connection between science and business, generates highly qualified talent and contributes to positioning Catalonia as a benchmark in applied innovation.
Dissemination on digital platforms has been a key element in raising awareness
the activity of the DI Plan. The LinkedIn profile has been consolidated as the main communication channel, which has reached 5,268 followers and has generated 124,158 impressions and 2,280 interactions.
In parallel, 4 newsletters have been sent to a base of 2,950 subscribers, who have achieved an excellent average open rate of 51%. On the X social network, the hashtag #DoctoratsIndustrials has been used 108 times in different profiles, and the profile of the Department of Research and Universities in X has periodically communicated the main news and milestones of the Plan, amplifying its impact and visibility in the innovation ecosystem.
The 2024 campaign phase, which closed on December 10, 2024, managed to promote 196 proposals: 141 in the co-financing modality and 55 in the specific aid modality. Of these proposals, 155 applications have been formalized and 149 have been granted, 106 in the co-financing modality and 43 in the specific aid modality. Partial resolutions have been resolved in June, July and December 2024, and in February 2025.
Participation of two new academic environments: VALL-HEBRON ONCOLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (VHIO) PRIVATE FOUNDATION – IRIS-CC PRIVATE FOUNDATION
"Industrial doctorates allow us to access specialized talent and transfer knowledge to improve the experience of our users."
Marc Serra
Director of the Machine Learning area of InfoJobs (Adevinta).
"This industrial doctoral project represents a unique opportunity to jointly apply the two branches of knowledge in which I have trained, within an interdisciplinary project with great future prospects."
Judit Lloreda Rodes
Industrial PhD, candidate for the Consortium for Waste Management of the Vallès Oriental
and University of Barcelona.
"We bring more knowledge to companies and share this knowledge from universities to companies and from companies to universities. Now I face a problem in a different way. And I propose a project also in a different way».
Elisenda Bou
Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Vilynx, now responsible for Apple Media Knowledge. He has directed four industrial doctorates with Vilynx.
"An excellent experience that allows the training of highly qualified professionals in key sectors and the development of applied research projects of great added value."
Marc Guell
Professor and researcher at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF). Ángela Ruiz Robles National Research Award for Young People 2022.
"For research groups, the industrial doctorate is great for having contact with companies and doing research projects, and for originating new ones."
Miguel Angel Gonzalez Ballester
Doctor from Oxford, ICREA professor at UPF and founder of BCN Medtech, expert in medical technology with more than 400 publications and 22 supervised theses.
"The industrial doctorate has given me the satisfaction of knowing that the results that have been obtained will have continuity and practical application, and that they will possibly reach future clinical trials."
Claudia Resa
Industrial doctor of the project between the Hospital de Sant Joan de Déu and the company
Gate2Brain on research in pediatric oncology.
"Research is essential for us, because it allows us to develop unique and innovative products that would not be possible without this work."
Judit Camargo
CEO of Roka Foradada, DeepTech award for the most disruptive technological innovation, and Women in Tech Start-Up Award internationally.
"Honestly, it's one of the most transformative and exciting experiences I've had so far."
Ramon Balcells Sailing
Filmmaker, teacher and industrial doctoral student at the Joan Miró Foundation.
"Collaborative research provides me with an essential basis for the development of my project, connecting me with experts in different areas and facilitating the transfer of knowledge."
Alejandro Saban
Industrial PhD student at the company GTD, where he leads pioneering research within the framework of the European SALTO project.
"Incorporating the nature and foundations of university research and study into the company allows us to align ourselves with the reality that is to come."
Yolanda Castellon
Owner of the company iGrid T&D, which develops a project to monitor
and optimize electrical networks in real time.
As projects in the fields of social sciences, arts and humanities increase, new types of business environments such as foundations, associations, NGOs or public administrations are incorporated. Despite this, the vast majority of companies participating in the DI Plan are SMEs as a reflection of the country's reality.
Companies with two and three projects tend to repeat it, on average, two and a half years after starting the first project. As companies accumulate more projects, they reduce the time between projects, causing many to co-exist over time.
Industrial PhD projects with a PhD student, a researcher and a company manager.
