Third Technology Plan for Navarra

The Third Technology Plan for Navarra (2008-2011) fosters activity in R+D+i by companies without previous experience in the field; however, it also encourages a more radical and intensive approach to R+D+i among participants with experience of the regional innovation plan, by promoting greater co-operation in R+D+i between the different partners, as much in the regional domain as at the national and international level. The financial injection anticipated up until 2011 represents an increase of 62% compared to that budgeted in the Second Plan (2004-2007).

Macroeconomic Objectives

• To position Navarra among the 50 most innovative regions in 2011 (in 2006 the European Commission placed Navarre in 76th position out of 208 European regions).
• To attain a level of expenditure in R&D equivalent to 3% of GDP, with two-thirds of this expenditure coming from the private sector.
• To lead the contribution of Spain in terms of knowledge-based value.

Overall Objectives

1. To promote a balanced and sustainable development of the business fabric, benefiting from the potential of strategic projects and sectors such as those already carried out in biotechnology (oriented towards health, food/agriculture and energy/environment), nanotechnologies, renewable energies, ICTs, automotive and other sectors that may come to the fore in the future.
2. To drive regional competitiveness based on knowledge.
3. To strengthen links between Universities-Technology Centres-Business-Society.
4. To increase competitiveness on a global scale by encouraging continuous innovation.
5. To stimulate international co-operation and integration in the European Research Area.

Up

Fundamental Working Principles

1. Innovation; without it, knowledge is not converted into financial and social results.
2. Cooperation with reference to R+D+i, given that no single entity has all the knowledge at its disposal to be competitive.
3. Education and Training, given that qualified people generate and apply the knowledge.
4. Internationalisation of R+D+i, because knowledge excellence has neither regional nor national boundaries.

Competitiveness

Regional competitiveness will be driven by forward-looking technology and systems (anticipating change), technological awareness, industrial and intellectual property, networking and knowledge development versus cost.

Sectors

The strategic sectors that will be strengthenen in the Third Plan are as follows: agrifood and agriculture, automotion, capital goods, biotechnology, bioclimatic construction, renewable energies, logistics and transport, leisure, culture and tourism, information and communication technology, and health.

Additional sectors will also be enabled, such as bioclimatic construction, leisure, culture and tourism, as well as others that will come to the fore in the future.

Up

Budget

A Plan for All

The development of the Third Technology Plan has been conducted through six working parties, split into strategic sectors (renewable energies, biotechnology, agrifood and agriculture, nanotechnologies, information and communication technology and plant, machinery and automotive). Companies in the sector, together with experts working on the design of the Plan, have participated in each group. From the analysis obtained in each sector group, a joint meeting has taken place in which the conclusions have been examined, to be incorporated into the final review of the Third Technology Plan for Navarra.

A new feature in the drawing up of the Third Technology Plan has been the addition of a further group, a ‘Committee for Science/Technology/Business’ made up of representatives from universities, technology centres and trade associations in Navarra. The intention is to continue encouraging knowledge transfer and to create solid, collaborative networks between all partners that are capable of innovation.

First and Second Technology Plans

The First Technology Plan (2000-2003) set itself the primary objective of increasing R+D+i activity in companies and extending this activity to companies without previous experience in this area, by gradually expanding the business culture for innovation; at the same time, it established the basis for a technological infrastructure that would be capable of providing services to companies in a variety of sectors. 

The Second Technology Plan (2004-2007) did not abandon the objective of making R+D+i activity even more widespread among companies in Navarra; however, it put the emphasis on consolidating companies’ R+D+i activities, creating favourable conditions for them to carry out more stable planning and programmes in R+D+i and seeking to foster cooperation between the parties in Navarre belonging to the Science/Technology/Business programme. In this way, value is derived from the technological infrastructures established in the First Plan and research conducted in the academic environment is taken to market.

Up