Isla: "We are a pro-science government," compared to others who defend a "very dangerous relativism."

BarcelonaPresident Salvador Illa asserted this Friday that his is a "pro-science government, which means in favor of truth, objectivity, and certainty." He emphasized the importance of saying so and standing up as defenders of science at a time when "there are movements in the opposite direction" by governments, which are leading us "toward a very dangerous relativism." Isla made this statement at the signing ceremony to bring a subsidiary of the German Fraunhofer Institute, one of the world's most important applied research centers, to Barcelona. Also speaking were the Minister of Science, Diana Morant, who asserted that "Barcelona is the scientific capital of this country," and the Mayor of Barcelona, ​​​​Jaume Collboni, who underscored the Catalan capital's commitment to research and innovation. Also attending the event on behalf of the Generalitat (Catalan Government) were the Minister of Research and Universities, Núria Montserrat, and on behalf of the City Council, Jordi Valls, Fourth Deputy Mayor.

As previously reported by ARA, this initiative, in which the Spanish, Catalan, and Barcelona governments are participating, is materialized with a contribution of 14 million euros from the Catalan government, eight million euros from the City Council, and 4.5 million euros from the Ministry of Science. Before closing the final agreement, the German institute established Fraunhofer Spain as a foundation that has led to the creation of the Fraunhofer Center for Applied Theragnosis (Fraunhofer-CAT). The president of the parent company of the German institute Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Holger Hanselka, has stated that Barcelona "is the best place" to implement the first center they will have in Spain, which joins others they have in Austria, Portugal, and Switzerland.

During his speech, Morant emphasized that the implementation of the new center in collaboration with the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) "consolidates an existing biomedical ecosystem" and framed this move within the commitment "to a Spain that is transforming its growth model by emphasizing transfer." He asserted that Barcelona is the hub of biomedical research.

Isla, for his part, emphasized that the collaboration between the three administrations and the Fraunhofer Institute demonstrates that "the only way forward is cooperation" and a formula for moving toward a Europe "that will be federal or will not exist." For the president, a decision like that of the German institute, which strengthens Barcelona as the capital of science, demonstrates that investment in science is being made here and that those who seek to undermine it are being denounced.

The new center will be located at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), which belongs to the University of Barcelona (UB). The Fraunhofer Gesellschaft is a German public institution consisting of 74 applied research institutes, whose goal is to transfer research results into products and services useful to society. It currently has 26,600 employees, of whom 10,300 are scientific staff. This center has produced innovations such as the MP3 format. Its main areas of knowledge are health and the environment, safety and security, communication and knowledge, mobility and transport, energy and resources, and the production and supply of services.