In front of the Next Generation stage, we all have an extraordinary opportunity that we must seize, not only to recover, but also to come out even stronger and make way for the Next Generation.
On 21 July 2020, the Council of Europe agreed to a temporary recovery instrument to face the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 crisis for the European Union and the Member States. Named Next Generation EU, the project implements a series of emergency measures to rebuild the European Union after the pandemic, and will provide support for investment in environmental and digital transitions. The €750 billion included in this package will be disbursed to EU Member States between 2021 – 2026.
The Member States are drafting their corresponding national recovery and resilience plans. In this environment, the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan of the Government of Spain has defined 30 projects and lines of actions while the Government of Catalonia has drafted the document Next Generation Catalonia that includes 27 significant projects.
Faced with this situation, we all have an extraordinary opportunity that we have to take advantage of, not only to recover, but also to come out of this situation stronger than ever and to take a step towards the Next Generation.
Committed to our economic and social surroundings, and aware what this opportunity can mean for IQS, we want to share with you this statement and our desire to take action to achieve a new transformation within IQS.
We know that there are opportunities for our buildings and infrastructure, but there also options to train the professionals of the future (the next generation), as well as research and transfer activities. We know that digitalisation, the environment, societal transformation, energy transition, equality, and innovation, among others, are key aspects that we must consider. We know that we will have to collaborate with other entities, companies and other schools within our university.
We are pleased to inform you that we are working hard internally and we’ll keep you up-to-date.
We would also like you to keep us in mind for your projects. We are sure that there are possibilities for establishing collaborative bonds with each and every one of you. You can count on IQS, with our knowledge and experience in diverse scientific and technological fields.
Likewise, we are happy to receive your recommendations of what you believe the Next Generation IQS should be like.
Dr Núria Vallmitjana
Director of IQS Tech Transfer