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Spain passes new Science Law

Spain’s new Law on Science, Technology and Innovation, which has been highly criticized by scientists, has finally been passed with broad political support. The law seeks to modernize and boost Spain’s R+D system and includes the creation of a State Research Agency, while not addressing tax and financing issues

STAFF | MARCH 17TH, 2011

After a tortuous process that has dragged on for two years, yesterday Spain finally passed the Science, Technology and Innovation Law. The text was debated and approved by the Commission on Science and Innovation and won the support of virtually all the parliamentary parties except IU and ICV (Spain’s leftist Green parties). The next step is the approval of the new law by the Senate. It is expected to come into effect in May.

The new law, which does not have much support among scientists, will replace the current Scientific and Technological Research Law in place since 1986. Its aim is to "establish a general framework for the promotion and coordination of scientific and technical research to contribute to sustainable development and social welfare through the generation and dissemination of knowledge and innovation."

The text explicitly recognizes that the jurisdiction of innovation falls to the regional governments in Catalonia and the Basque Country (which already had domain over this area) after having not done so in the first draft. In addition, the law also includes two new strategies for managing the Spanish scientific system. On the one hand, there is the Spanish Strategy on Science and Technology, which will focus on achieving the overall goals established in the law and defining the objectives of scientific and technical research of the Spanish state as a whole and the individual autonomous communities. And, secondly, there is the E2i, or State Innovation Strategy, which will be renamed the Spanish Research Strategy.

To oversee both strategies the new Council for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy will be created. The council will be constituted by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) and representatives from the autonomous communities. Unlike other ministries, the MICINN did not previously have a formal mechanism for dialoguing with regional governments.

The law also envisages the creation of a State Research Agency for the financing of R+D in Spain, and another agency to fund Innovation, which already exists as part of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI). However, the law does not include tax incentives to promote the patronage of scientific research; it is not accompanied by a financial report; and it does not detail how the future State Research Agency will be funded, among other deficits.

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