€59 million for the Barcelona Supercomputing Center until 2029

The Government has reaffirmed its support to Barcelona Supercomputing Center - National Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS) and the construction project for the new European Supercomputer MareNostrum 5 with the approval of a total contribution of €59,154,062.67 until 2029.

This agreement enables the Catalan Government to fulfil its finance commitments regarding the Catalan scientific and technical infrastructure for the period 2020-2029 signed by the Catalan Government, the Administration of the State and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). The Administration of the Catalan Government completes thus the procedures of the agreement, and its implementation is now pending the obtention of funds from the Spanish State. In addition, the approval process by the Governing Council of the UPC is also pending.

The Barcelona Supercomputing Center is a major scientific infrastructure and a leading research centre in technology development. Its capacity for influence materialises by establishing alliances with multinational companies and attracting international headquarters, as well as promoting the creation of new spin-off companies.

During Covid-19 pandemic, Barcelona Supercomputing Center has become one of the main research assets in Catalonia, promoting, leading and participating in Covid19-related research. Barcelona's candidacy defends its role as a major strategic infrastructure in order to host the new headquarters of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

The Government Promotes the New 'Space Economy' with the Aim of Launching a New Industry that Generates 1,200 New Jobs and a Turnover of €280 Million

With the desire to turn Catalonia into a hub of innovation, leadership, attraction of talent and companies in the field of the growing New Space sector, the Government has agreed to promote the New Space Strategy of Catalonia.

New Space is a new economic space with an enormous growth potential that will enable the development of a new market and a new technological network with a catalytic effect on other digital technologies such as 3D printing, artificial intelligence, advanced sensor and computer electronics, and new generation mobile communications.

The strategy approved by the Catalan Government will enable to set up a programme of specific actions that strengthen the Catalan New Space ecosystem and lead the generation of knowledge, social and business applications and the creation of new solutions based on data provided by the use of new technologies in New Space.

New Space uses small satellites, low in cost and development time compared to current satellites. They orbit at low altitude and use commercial technologies. These characteristics represent a paradigm shift when it comes to space missions and will enhance the use of their services by many more agents, which represents a significant transformation of the sector.

“This is a crucial moment to make a firm commitment to the New Space sector, and to develop a new market and a new technological network that has a driving and unifying effect on other technologies, and Catalonia has the knowledge and capacity to become a new actor in the field of New Space”, said the spokesperson of the Catalan Government Meritxell Budó.

Catalonia has excellent capabilities in research and innovation in this field, experience in launching missions and designing payloads, a very complete knowledge in the field of telecommunications, with various research centres of great solvency, capacity and experience, a remarkable position as a country when it comes to attracting investment and talent, emerging companies and a first-class digital ecosystem. In addition, Barcelona is the world capital of mobile phones and home to the world's leading technology fairs.

It is estimated that the development of this new high value-added economy will generate 1,200 new jobs and a turnover of €280 million by 2025. In 5 years, the number of companies engaged in the sector today is expected to multiply by 2.5 and become 75, as well as multiply jobs by 4 and turnover by 6.

The first action will be the implementation of an advanced experimental telecommunications infrastructure in the field of New Space in Catalonia in collaboration with the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia.

The project, which has a budget of €2.5 million, includes the definition, design, construction and launch of two nanosatellites to deploy and validate experimental applications and services of global Internet connectivity, image processing and remote sensing of terrestrial observation.

The launch of these two nanosatellites, scheduled for the first half of 2021, will enable the Administration to have coverage in areas of the territory uncovered to date and, at the same time, to obtain images of the Earth from the space in different spectral bands to develop new technological solutions that enable the improvement of services of the Catalan Government and various productive sectors of the Catalan economy and society.

Currently, there are several countries (such as the United States, Canada, Luxembourg, Finland, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates) that have a strategy in the field of New Space.

The strategy has a total budget of €18 million (for the period 2020-2023, with co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund).

The Government Authorizes the Participation of Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus in the European University Hospital Alliance

The Government has authorized the participation of Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus in the international non-profit association (European University Hospital Alliance).

The European Alliance of University Hospitals is currently a strategic meeting place made up of nine of the most important university hospitals in Europe. Its members, including Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, have considered it necessary to intensify their activities and links, and to form an international non-profit association with the aim of creating a network of sustainable health ecosystems in Europe that achieve the best quality of care possible with the available resources.

From the point of view of opportunity and strategy, participation in this international partnership will enable us to work together with the best university hospitals in Europe and achieve the goal of learning and sharing good practices in areas such as management, assistance, teaching or research. In addition, it will enable the establishment of fruitful collaborations and synergies of high added value in Europe and, at the same time, position Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus as a leading European university hospital in the European biomedical ecosystem, with the capacity to influence within its area.

Finally, the Government has amended the Decree on the structure of the Ministry for Foreign Action, Institutional Relations and Transparency in order to establish the dependence of the Center for Contemporary Studies on the General Secretariat of the Ministry. The purpose is to expand the scope of its studies and enhance its services beyond external action and incorporate any issue of interest regarding the competences of all ministries of the Catalan Government.