Yesterday, the Executive Council approved the final text of the Catalan Agreement on the Knowledge Society (PN@SC), which will guide future public policy with the aim of making Catalonia an innovation leader with a knowledge-based economy. The crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic and social fallout have highlighted how central knowledge is to the development of any kind of strategy. In this context, the Catalan Agreement on the Knowledge Society is intended to serve as an instrument for deploying a comprehensive RDI strategy in Catalonia based on the understanding that an excellent innovation system requires a sustained public strategy to promote and facilitate business innovation.

The resolution adopted by the Executive Council represents one more step in the journey of the PN@SC, developed under the leadership of the Ministry of Business and Knowledge. The highest governing body responsible for the agreement, the Plenary, unanimously approved the final text at a meeting on 13 May headed by President Torra and the Minister of Business and Knowledge, Àngels Chacón. The 78 members of the Plenary – representatives of universities, research centres, student groups, trade unions, the business world, territorial jurisdictions, and all political groups represented in the Parliament of Catalonia, as well as other areas of the Government of Catalonia – expressed their full agreement with the 84 major actions included in the agreement, which aim to make innovation the backbone of a broad strategy for Catalonia.

Strategic instrument

The vision that has guided the development of the PN@SC over the course of a full year – formulated by representatives of the field of research and innovation, the social and business fabric, and universities – has gained currency as a result of the emergency situation Catalan is experiencing, which has necessitated the rapid deployment of all the technology and knowledge that the autonomous community is able to produce and generate for itself.

In the first stage of deployment (2020–24), the goal is to achieve total spending on RDI equivalent to 2.12% of Catalonia’s GDP and increase the percentage of knowledge-based employment and production.