The Rafael del Pino Foundation's Chair in Science and Society has finalised the report Ten technologies to boost Spain. Under the supervision of Professor Javier García Martínez, the Chair's team is preparing a document to identify the ten emerging technologies that offer a competitive advantage to the Spanish economy and society.
The report Ten technologies to boost SpainThe report, written by journalists Julio Miravalls, Andrés Valdés, Cristina Martínez and Jordi Sánchez Navas, has the backing of a committee of experts. It is made up of eight leading figures in science and technology, who contribute their experience and knowledge in various fields.
They are currently members of the Committee of Experts:
- Andrés Pedreño MuñozProfessor of Applied Economics, former Chancellor of the University of Alicante and former CEO of Universia
- María Blasco MarhuendaBiologist. PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO).
- Nuria Oliver RamírezTelecommunications Engineer. PhD from the Media Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Director of Research in Data Science Vodafone. Chief Data Scientist Data-Pop Alliance.
- Héctor Perea SaavedraIndustrial Engineer. Director Strategy and Business Development at CEPSA
- Manuel de León RodríguezMathematician and Doctor in Exact Sciences. Research Scientist at the CSIC. Former Director of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT).
- Pablo Artal SorianoD. in Physics and Professor of Optics at the University of Murcia.
- Javier Ventura-Traveset BoschD. in Telecommunications Engineering. Executive Secretary of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Galieleo programme of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Spokesperson in Spain for ESA.
The report Ten technologies to give Spain a competitive edge does not seek to disseminate the latest and most striking innovations in the field of research, but rather to recognise those science and technology-based initiatives that are in the process of being incorporated into economic activity, by connecting their innovative nature with a high degree of maturity in their development and application.
Presentation in Madrid in mid-2020
The presentation of the report is scheduled to take place in autumn 2020 at an event to be held at the Madrid headquarters of the Rafael del Pino Foundation. This presentation was initially scheduled for April, but had to be delayed due to the Covid 19 health emergency.
The report draws on a long tradition of such documents promoted by leading international organisations and reputable scientific publications. This is the case of the Top ten emerging technologies The World Economic Forum, the World Economic Forum's version of this report, the magazine Scientific American or the selection made each year by MIT with the title 10 breakthrough technologies and that in 2019 Bill Gates has been involved in its development.
The report, applied to the specific case of Spanish competitiveness, prepared by the Chair in Science and Society of the Rafael del Pino Foundation, incorporates the experience of its director Javier García, who is a member of the Committee of Experts that draws up the list of the World Economic Forum and participates in the drafting of the publication that Scientific American dedicates to this subject.
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Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the cornerstone of the technological revolution that organisations and society as a whole are undergoing. The availability of massive amounts of data and the development of algorithms capable of detecting certain behavioural patterns in them provide the material to generate predefined responses. Its impact on mobility, healthcare, health, education and...
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Genetic editing
Since the field of gene editing underwent a revolution years ago with the introduction of the CRISPR technique, this technology has continued to develop and find new applications that may prove to be key in the near future for health, food and industry.
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Digital security
The new digital world is a territory of unsuspected economic opportunities and possibilities, as well as a threat to the private lives of individuals and the security of society. Combining both aspects creates a cyber security industry and a complementary need and opportunity for the development of all other digitalised activities.
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Internet of Things (IoT)
The internet of things is based on three elements: sensors that capture information of any kind and transmit it at appropriate intervals; the communications network that carries the messages; and systems that receive the information, store it, process it, analyse it or warn a human operator. It is a key technology for...
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Advanced photoactive materials
Significant improvements in the use of solar energy will in any case require new photoactive materials, which react to light and trigger energy-generating processes capable of overcoming the limitations of silicon and multiplying the performance of the panels.
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Distributed energy
The emergence of renewable energies, and with them the possibility of having a large number of electricity production plants of different sizes, has significantly changed the electricity distribution map. With this new grid interconnected by a bi-directional and variable flow of energy, the electricity system is gaining...
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Satellite data for decision-making
The manufacture, launch and management of satellite systems is the core activity of the space industry. The barriers to entry into the aerospace industry are now lower, the technology more advanced and societies' need for knowledge higher than ever. A synthetic overview of space markets offers four main activities:...
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New technologies to combat ageing
The research being carried out in the field of anti-ageing focuses on prolonging life, but in better conditions. There is also great interest in preventing degenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which have a high incidence in the elderly population. Scientific research has...
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Renewable energies
The formula for obtaining maximum performance and flexibility from renewable energies is to apply intelligence to consumption curves. This makes it possible to shift and adjust them as much as possible, and to integrate massive storage mechanisms to reach the last part of the curve, which are essential if a high penetration of renewables is to be achieved.
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Blockchain
The emergence of distributed ledger technologies (DLTs), also known as blockchain due to the popularity of the blockchain that powers the Bitcoin cryptocurrency, virtually challenges the role of intermediaries. In essence, a blockchain ensures the exchange of unique cryptocurrency codes through an accounting system....