As part of the fifth edition of the Tech Summer Sessions taking place in Barcelona until early July, yesterday, June 15, the two-day-long MIT Conference came to a close. The second day of the meeting consisted of an intense session centered on the major Catalan as well as international technological projects in the fields of energy, water and transport. Apart from these three themes, the protagonist of the day, both in terms of the challenges it presents and its transversal characteristics, was the theme of technological developments in the field of energy. The Catalan Councilor for Innovation, Universities and Business Josep Huguet was in charge of bringing down the curtain on the MIT Conference.

Despite the achievements of the last decade in research and innovation policies, Catalonia still has much to do to join the world’s elite in R+D+I. In terms of innovation, the Spanish autonomous community is at the forefront of a disadvantaged OECD country, but it is still below the average for this group of countries. These and many other findings are highlighted in a report that the OECD itself has developed to evaluate the Catalan research and innovation system. The report was presented on Thursday, June 3, at the Capilla of Santa Àgata in Barcelona.

The Minister for Innovation, Universities and Enterprise, Josep Huguet, gives the go-ahead to the conference that is being held at the Palau de Congressos de catalunya, together with Minister for Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia, and the General Director of Research of the European Commission, José Manuel Silva.