Rearmament: the risk to scientific collaboration in the Mediterranean

BarcelonaThe Prima Foundation (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area), based in Barcelona, ​​leads the largest scientific cooperation program in the Mediterranean. This program, which promotes scientific collaboration between northern and southern countries, now faces an uncertain future due to discussions surrounding the European Union's new budget framework for the 2027-2034 period. In the previous budget, this program received €700 million in funding, but new EU priorities, such as rearmament, raise concerns about the loss of these resources. "Without this money, the program cannot continue," explains Octavi Quintana, director of the foundation. The creation of Prima was an EU initiative to support science and local talent following the surge of migration from south to north in 2015. The program is based on what is known as science diplomacy, that is, collaboration between the south and the north to find solutions to problems affecting both sides of the Atlantic, such as food security. In this struggle to secure EU resources, Prima is calling on the northern European countries, including Spain, but also France, Italy, and Greece, to express their "firm commitment" to moving the project forward. "Without EU support, it is very difficult for the southern European countries to participate" in the various ongoing projects, explains Quintana, because for these countries, the investments made "represent a very significant effort." In this regard, he emphasizes that the overall difference in per capita income between the south and the north is sevenfold.

From the EU member states, Prima partners are Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain. From the Mediterranean countries outside the EU, partners are Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey.

Quintana highlights what Barcelona can contribute to this North-South collaboration. The city is the scientific capital of the Mediterranean, with a hub European R&D in biotechnology and deep scienceBarcelona is far ahead of Madrid, thanks to a combination of public investment—with universities playing a very active role—and private investment. It also boasts facilities such as the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC). Since its creation in 2017, Prima has promoted transnational projects, with the participation of experts from different countries, fostering what is known as "scientific diplomacy." This has enabled joint projects between Morocco and Algeria, two countries with a difficult relationship, as well as between Greece and Turkey, and Israel with its neighboring states. Prima focuses its research on climate change—the Mediterranean is the most affected region in the world after the Arctic—drought, and food. In this regard, Quintana asserts that collaboration between northern and southern countries can be very beneficial. For example, in food-related issues, northern countries have a problem with food waste because it is not consumed, while southern countries also have a problem with food waste, but in this case, due to the lack of a cold chain.

Specific projects

Scientific collaboration has already yielded some results. For example, the Sure-Nexus project focuses on how to produce more wine with less water and in a less polluting way. This project originated in Catalonia and involves several countries. The Codorníu Raventós group, for instance, participated in this project. The tool has already attracted the interest of institutions such as the Central Bank, the Spanish government, and the Chilean Water Authority. Another project is Spore-Med. Tested in Terrassa, it is a wastewater treatment plant that uses less energy, generates fewer emissions, and makes more water available for regeneration. In this case, it is not a prototype, but a technology that can already be deployed industrially, and it directly addresses the need of Mediterranean countries to combat drought and reuse water. Universities such as the University of Girona (UdG) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), and companies like Adasa, from the integrated water cycle sector, have participated in this project.

Amid concerns about climate change, projects like Res-Mab, in which the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC) in Solsona participates, have developed a living laboratory next to its facilities. There, applied science can be observed in a concrete and visual way, offering a tangible example of how research translates into solutions on the ground. An international consortium has been created to combat the growing threats of climate change in the Mediterranean. The Res-Mab project, funded by Prima, brings together research institutions, government agencies, and NGOs from across the region and focuses on UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserves (BRs), areas recognized for their contribution and capacity to balance human activity and nature conservation.