One outstanding issue for Catalonia is improving technology transfer, that is, the process of transforming knowledge from scientific and technological research into practical solutions or applications for the market. It is an essential element of innovation and, by extension, improving productivity, the variable that ensures long-term progress. The Basque Country in Spain and Flanders in Belgium are two benchmarks that Catalonia looks to, characterized by having innovative ecosystems focused on industry.

It's one of the essential issues for an economy: increasing productivity, which translates into true progress. And the Spanish economy lacks that leg to gain quality, as reflected in the investment data as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), which is below the European average. However, it is competitive, as shown by the trade surplus data, that is, it earns more from what it sells abroad than what it pays to import. The opinion group EuropeG, co-directed by former Minister of Economy Antoni Castells and Professor Josep Oliver, has focused its new debate on this subject based on a study by Joan Ramon Rovira, head of research at the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce.