The Valencia Innovation Agency, a Public Law body affiliated with Generalitat, has distributed the subsidies foreseen for the 2022 fiscal year. The budget allocated to finance R&D initiatives in the regional framework has exceeded 47 million euros. This time, the province of Alicante You will get 16% more coins compared to the previous year. Total, 9.7 million € It will be distributed among companies, universities, research institutions, non-profit associations and local organizations. In this way, the strategy of promoting the improvement of the production model through the sustaining organization, Andres Garcia Reche As vice-president, he once again relegated the Alicante region. In the end, only you get one out of every five euros.
Neither the spate of criticism as a result of the controversial outcome of the 2021 edition, nor the alleged efforts of the Director, chaired by Ximo Puig, to try to increase the volume of projects submitted from Alicante, succeeded in reversing the data. The distribution of the cake remains practically the same, obviously disproportionate. Valencia-based institutions, organizations and universities receive more than three times the subsidies injected into the state. Receive 66% of the total available budget.
Global balance is not new, complaint standsbut this time, in an even bloodier context, with an energy crisis that forces us to accelerate innovative capacity to set the course for efficiency-driven sustainable growth. Therefore, having the same opportunities to compete on an equal footing and to promote research activities remains a delusion in Alicante.
Analysis of data on aid delivery programs supported by AVI, according to data always provided by Generalitat, shows that Alicante province only 20% of total funds managed by GarcÃa Reche for the development of four strategic programmes: promoting the business value chain, collaboratively evaluating and transferring strategic projects and research results to companies. These add up to 9.7m euros for the province, while in Valencia the aid is more than tripled. There they exceeded 31.3 million eurosCastellón receives 4.3 million euros.
It is true that data is even more difficult to maintain (€43,535,522) when only 16.8% of total resources (8,807,091 euros) are allocated to projects created in the province, compared to 83.2% monopolized by Valencia and Castellón. In this regard, it should be noted that the total volume of the planned assistance is significantly higher. 52.3 million were available in 2021, compared to 47 million of this annual revenue. Therefore, Alicante received more assistance in this call, despite less budget. However, it cannot be ruled out that one in five euros is too little to draw a line, contributing around 30% to regional GDP and where SMEs are one of the pillars of the production fabric.
competition compliance
The official position of AVI has not changed. It is argued that projects are determined by competitive competition and in no case is aid distributed according to regional criteria. Controversies resulting from the latest repression, which put even the rectors and famous researchers in a state of war, Forced the ministry to take action on the issue. Subsequently, the low injection of funds reaching the province was attributed to a lower volume of projects submitted compared to Valencia. As a result, in one of the programs, in particular the program for the evaluation and transfer of research results to the company, it was recognized that the Alicante region received much less than it would have received proportionally according to the proposals made. Therefore, a strategy that worked in two ways was implemented to try to remedy this situation. On the one hand, disseminating the call for help through an information campaign, meetings with all academic institutions and scientific staff, and guiding them in the presentation of projects that meet the objectives supported by AVI. On the other hand, working on the creation of scientific business innovation units, which is a system for university research institutes and research centers, is to create an innovation-specialized structure that will facilitate the transfer of project results to the company. at the beginning of this year. However, the numbers are as they are, and the reality is that four out of every five euros managed by AVI continue to be invested outside the province. Therefore, success is doubtful..
With 47 million subsidies provided for this year, a total of 215 projects, in which 163 different institutions cooperate, are being financed. By type of beneficiary, companies stand out as the main recipients of aid, with 57% of the total in this edition; universities with 20% of it; and technological institutes and research centers with 7% in each case.
Source: Informacion
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