With the aim of promoting the transfer of knowledge and technology between University-Business and supporting innovative entrepreneurship, the University of Valencia Science Park Foundation (FPCUV) has signed a collaboration agreement with the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE).
This nominative line pursues, through the financing of independent R&D activities, activities of diffusion of independent R&D results and activities of promotion of innovative entrepreneurship, the improvement of the impact of the results obtained through investigation. Likewise, it wants to contribute to the increase of private investment in R&D, to the evolution of the productive sectors and to the creation of stable and quality employment in Valencian companies, at the same time favoring the achievement of a positive impact in social, economic, environmental and employment terms in Comunitat valenciana. "This is, contributing to improve the state of well-being and sustainability in the whole of our society," said Rafael Climent, conseller of Sustainable Ecomomy, Productive Sectors, Commerce and Employment, who considers that "science parks are habitats of innovation that facilitate the flow of knowledge and technology transfer to companies".
Most of the financiang will go to independent R&D activities. Specifically, the FPCUV will carry out an independent research for the identification and characterization of the innovative companies of the Comunitat valenciana in order to value their capabilities, milestones, structures and technology. The results of this work will be materialized in the publication of a public report of results and magnitudes of activity and performance of these companies.
In addition, the FPCUV seeks to analyze the potential of the concept of technocell in the Valencian region. These micro-spaces linked to universities might be able to catalyze innovative entrepreneurship and technology transfer in environments far from large urban centers. The research project will be carried out through the launch of two pilot experiences, as a living-labs, in different geographical enclaves of the province of Valencia.
With regard to the dissemination activities of independent R&D results, two regional events are planned, organized in collaboration by the five science parks of the Comunitat Valenciana, to reinforce the results of the research carried out by the Valencian public universities in the fields of specialization identified in the Research and Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy of the Valencian region. During 2019, two meetings focusing on Industry 4.0 and Health-Biotech will be held.
At the same time, the FPCUV will identify research groups with results that are likely to be presented to international R&D projects while organizing free and open dissemination sessions to publicize the results to Valencian companies. In addition, these results will be collected in e-books, with open access, where valuable information focused from a technical, research and professional perspective will be offered.
The dissemination actions also include the realization of networking conferences between research institutes of the University of Valencia and Valencian innovative companies in order to find possible ways of transfer or collaboration in R&D projects that are being carried out in research centers.
Finally, in reference to activities to promote innovative entrepreneurship, the FPCUV is committed to disseminating the technological potential of the University of Valencia for the creation of international consortiums and the collection of resources in international R&D projects .
In addition, it will put in line a pilot project of digital transformation, framed in the activity of managing the business area of the University of Valencia Science Park, for the improvement in the delivery of services. And it is planned to create awards that recognize the activity of the most innovative companies linked to the Network of Valencian Science Parks.
For Juan Antonio Raga Esteve, director of the University of Valencia Science Park, “it is vitally important to continue supporting R&D and the transfer of research results to respond to the real needs of companies. This contributes both to increasing private investment in innovation, and to driving the evolution of the productive sectors towards a 4.0 industry. ”
The same agreement has also been signed between IVACE and the public foundations responsible for managing the business areas of the other four Valencian science parks: the Polytechnic City of Innovation Foundation, the General Foundation of the Jaume I University, the Universitas Miguel Hernández Foundation and the Alicante Science Park Foundation.