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Mujika, Alfontso

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According to the plan, the State Administration will allocate 508 billion pesetas to R&D in 2000. The objective of the new Plan is that in 2003 R&D spending reaches 1.3% of the national gross domestic product (GDP). In 1998 this expenditure was 0.8%. Ugalde recalled that currently in France this expenditure is 1.6% of GDP and in Japan 3.3%. Given that in these countries the GDP is much higher, it is observed that the amount of money allocated to R&D is much greater by administrations and companies. "Therefore, the money allocated here is not so much," says Ugalde. "In addition, more than half of the money spent by the state on that is spent on military expenses."

This money is spent in Spain in three areas: The CSIC (General Council of Scientific Research), an entity founded 75 years ago and formed by officials, in universities and companies. In Ugalde's opinion, companies do little research. Therefore, it cannot be said that in the State there is a "strong system" of R&D. It indicates that the system is improving but has clear and known weaknesses. It points to three weaknesses: that companies in general do not investigate; that the ministry overcontrols researchers; and that there is little collaboration between research institutions and researchers. According to the Plan, efforts will focus on two areas: basic research and its application in companies. And they have also set priorities in each sector.

"We have formally participated in this prioritization, that is, we have attended the meetings," Ugalde said. "But then, to decide, votes are made and the results do not reflect our vision." Each Autonomous Community has its own characteristics. Both the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country (CAPV) and Catalonia have different peculiarities than the rest, and this is not included in the Plan. "I believe that the Plan is the fruit of the conception of the State. Our structure is different: we, for example, have a young university and we don't have public research centers."

The Basque Government has a research and development plan that aims to raise awareness of the tools and resources needed for this. All of them are defined in the Autonomy Statute, "but transfers to the ACBC in this sense are scarce."

In the ACBC 1.2% of gross domestic product is spent on R&D, above the state average. "Euskadi brings to the State about 30,000 million annually in science and technology. But in State R&D programs only 5 billion return to the ACBC. This is because Spanish research centers are historically located in Madrid. We are in negotiations, but until the new state government is constituted, no conclusion will come. However, although this is not a transfer, we put money from our budget to consolidate the CAPV's R&D system."