There has mainly been a call for roads, railways, ports, airports, energy production and transport, water resources, etc. As was seen during the debate on the State Budgets and on the issue of the 18.5%, the definition of the infrastructure cannot be limited to strictly physical works. It is also necessary to add others such as cultural, health infrastructures, etc.
But this is not all. The progress of a country requires roads, energy, large hospitals, museums, ports, railways, etc. But also, and increasingly so, education, technology, research and an innovative spirit.
Andreu Mas-Colell, during his stint as conseller of Universities, Research and Information Society, pioneered a systematic plan to set up research institutes. He said “the most dynamic and innovative cities are usually ones with a large airport and a large university offer, with outstanding postgraduates and plenty of research”.
The battle for control of Barcelona airport has demonstrated that the airport lesson has been learnt. However, the university and research lessons have not. Our politicians and businessmen have yet to assimilate this. They do not give enough priority to these areas, even if things have begun the change over the past decade, for the best.
In Catalonia many research institutes have been set up. The Communications Technology Centre, the Institute of Photonic Sciences, the Centre for Genomic Regulation, the Catalan Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, the Catalan Institute for Chemical Research, the Institute of Nanotechnology, etc. are just a few examples. And we have seen the launch of the Catalan Institute of Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), which has began to give good results attracting foreign scientists and bringing back Catalans who were working abroad. Another project that is up and running is the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, and R+D is on the increase, probably more than what the statistics show. And major facilities have been or are being set up such as Marenostrum supercomputer and the Synchrotron laboratory. The EU has recognised the merits of this policy by appointing former Conseller Mas-Colell as Secretary General of the European Research Council for the 2009-2011 period. This progress should be mentioned so that we are all aware of it, because it rightly lends encouragement and confidence.
But we still have far to go. And politicians, businessmen and the media should give this top priority.
Which is precisely what they are not doing. Roads and trains often receive all the attention. Although they deserve plenty of attention, we should bear in mind the following four points. One: there is a greater deficit in research and innovation than in physical infrastructures. Two: many physical infrastructures have been correctly analysed, and their development is merely a question of time management (which is another problem). Three: public opinion does not perceive the infrastructures related to knowledge, research and innovation as pressing as physical infrastructures. Four: the creation of strong research and innovation infrastructures is very complicated and time-consuming; hence it is paramount to give priority to them.
