ICIQ hosts CERCA 2022

Internationally renowned scientists such as Prof. Avelino Corma and directors of the CERCA centers participate in the annual meeting to define the strategic research projects of Catalonia

The CERCA 2022 Conference took place this morning at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), bringing together the directors of the 41 research centers of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

The conference was opened by Lluís Rovira, director of the CERCA Institution, who presented the strategic lines for the coming years. Rovira highlighted the uniqueness of Catalan centers in European research, which have attracted European H2020 projects, only behind of the French and German centers. He also stated that the challenge now lies in maintaining and improving the position within the new program of the European Commission, Horizon Europe. “This would be possible if we maintain the collaboration with other international centers “, he added.

On the other hand, Dr. Miguel Sierra, Innovation Manager of INIA (Uruguay) shared the analysis of the impact of research in Ibero-America, highlighting the importance of this international collaboration and of the researcher mobility programs that have been developed for some years with CERCA.

Moreover, Dr. John Kettle, director of international relations of the Natural Resources Institute of Finland LUKE, focused his talk on the links between research and innovation in the Nordic country, and has called on the Catalan research centers to work together in view of the next call for competitive projects to be promoted by the European Commission.

To finish, the prestigious Prof. Avelino Corma, an international figure of heterogeneous catalysis awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Scientific Research in 2014, has pronunced a speech on the importance of knowledge transfer.

The closing of the conference has been in charge of Prof. Emilio Palomares, director of ICIQ who has thanked CERCA for its contribution to enhance cooperation and scientific exchange with centers around the world.

The CERCA conferences are held annually and aim to establish the strategic objectives of the system of CERCA centers while promoting the emergence of synergies with other international centers.