IBEC to represent Catalonia in EC’s Smart Specialisation Platform

IBEC is to be the official representative of Catalonia in the European Commission’s Smart Specialisation Platform for Industrial Modernisation (S3P-Industry) in the area of Medical Technology.

S3P-Industry, which was launched in 2016, is one of three Smart Specialisation Platforms created by the EC to help regions develop or share infrastructures such as testing facilities, pilot plants or data centres, with the ultimate goal of fostering interregional cooperation in specialist areas and creating an investment pipeline of mature projects.

IBEC director Josep Samitier will attend S3P-Industry Steering Group meetings on behalf of ACCIÓ and the Generalitat and keep them informed about the progress and activities of the platform, which covers several thematic areas alongside the Medical Technology one, such as New Nano-enabled Products, High Performance Production through 3D-Printing, and Bio-economy.

At the meetings Josep will represent the interests of Catalonia, which are defined in the Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialization of Catalonia (RIS3CAT) and have the following priorities: (1) to modernise business by improving the efficiency of production processes; (2) to promote new emerging economic activities through research and innovation to create and develop new market niches; (3) to consolidate Catalonia as a European knowledge hub and link technological and creative capacities to existing and emerging sectors in the territory; and (4) to strengthen leadership of Catalan industry in industrial systems, chemicals, food and drink, and energy and resources sectors.

The EC’s first Smart Specialisation Platform was set up in 2015 to foster interregional cooperation in the field of Energy, and the platforms for Industrial Modernisation and Agri-Food followed in 2016.