Their Majesties were accompanied by the Minister of Economy and Competitiveness, Luis de Guindos; the Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation, Carmen Vela; and the President of the CSIC, Emilio Lora-Tamayo, among other personalities, among whom were the directors of the CSIC Centres and Institutes.
In his speech, Don Felipe highlighted that “today the CSIC is the third European Research and Development organisation and the seventh in the world. Thousands of men and women work there, and it is the largest meeting place for Spanish scientists, who belong to universities, other research centres or to the R&D of the private sector.”
“The CSIC has been a pioneer and has led the way in the integration of various emerging disciplines and approaches in the context of Spanish science. It has been – and continues to be – an essential and irreplaceable backbone of Spanish scientific and technical research through its collaborations with universities, other public and private R&D+i organisations, local and regional organisations, and regional governments,” the King emphasised.
Likewise, Don Felipe pointed out that “service to our society requires not letting down our guard in matters of science, in the development of new technologies, the promotion of innovation and the encouragement of entrepreneurial initiative. Overcoming unemployment, which is the primary concern of the Spanish people, will also undoubtedly be helped by both the growth of science and continuous innovation in all areas of activity – including also in management and organisation.”
In reference to young scientists, the King stated that “we cannot allow ourselves the luxury of preparing them to go abroad with no possible return. It is true that in a globalised, hyper-connected civilisation, it is good to promote the international aspect of scientific relations, but it is by no means a good thing that this should be the consequence of an unacceptable unemployment rate; which is so detrimental to our young people, because in too many cases they see no way out in their homeland; and which is detrimental to our entire society, because it is left without assistance from many of its best assets.”
Don Felipe concluded his speech by encouraging public authorities and companies to “promote a new development of Spanish science in the interest of each and every one of us, for the common good of our society. In this task we cannot improvise, but neither can we conform. A society well informed about the strategic nature of science and its essential contribution to common progress will always support science and its development more easily.”
Source: Europa Press
