On 1 October 2003, the President of the European Commission, the Rafael del Pino Foundation, Rafael del Pino y Morenoand the President of the Board of Trustees of the Fundación Conocimiento y Desarrollo (Fundación CYD), Ana Patricia Botín Sanz de Sautuola O'Sheasigned a collaboration agreement for the annual publication of the "CYD Report". This report was intended to be a barometer to analyse the incorporation into university culture of the importance of orienting its activity towards economic and social development and, in particular, that of the environment in which university organisations are located. The third report was finalised at the end of 2006 and published at the beginning of 2007. Its presentation, presided over by the Prince and Princess of Asturias, took place on 23 January 2007 at the headquarters of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade. During the event, the Minister of Education and Science, Mercedes CabreraThe CYD Foundation's contribution to the debate on the challenges facing universities and their role in the economic and social development of our country is more useful now than ever," he said. The best reflection of this effort is this annual report, which is being published for the third consecutive year, where a detailed analysis of our university system is carried out and often provides paths to follow in the future".
At a later launch event, Ján FigelEuropean Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism, said: "Universities must be able to open up to society in general and to the business world in particular. We must free them from unnecessary regulation and bureaucracy, equip them (including financially) to deliver on the commitment made on research, education and innovation: the so-called "European Higher Education Area". knowledge triangle. One of the central conditions for success is a strong partnership with the business world, which must extend to the design of the academic programme, with a greater emphasis on the development of entrepreneurial skills. This is the specific area where the Commission's work coincides with that of the CYD Foundation. Many of the issues proposed by the European Commission are also recommended in the CYD Reports".
The report's conclusions are as follows: firstly, that the general opinion shows a clear trend of improvement in the performance of a series of relevant aspects of the university system, which express the new dimensions of the university demanded by the knowledge society; secondly, that university-business relations are expressed in a bidirectional manner and, for this reason, those aspects of these relations that show the greatest weaknesses are led by both universities and businesses. Only decisive action by both will enable results to be obtained that are beneficial for both and for the Spanish economy and society as a whole; and thirdly, and lastly, that universities have not ceased to multiply their initiatives in aspects which, in the opinion of the experts consulted, are perceived as weaknesses. The report pointed out that "for these reasons, it seems absolutely essential that all these initiatives be made known in a much more effective way to society as a whole".
The Foundation continued to support the annual publication of the CYD Report for a five-year period.