There is barely one month left until the end of the Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union, a presidency marked by the legacy of the pandemic caused by covid-19 and the war in Ukraine, which have highlighted Europe’s important strategic dependencies in general and Spain in particular, in the supply chains of fundamental areas such as health, food or energy.
In addition to putting the well-being of our societies in check, these events reveal the great speed with which innovations are occurring and the extraordinary impact they have on our way of life.
In this way, during these six months of the Spanish presidency, Europe has focused on open strategic autonomy, and pointed out the key role that deep or deep tech in our ability to respond to future challenges.
The European Commission has also identified some of these as critical technologies for Europe: biotechnology, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum technology have been identified as transcendental areas for the future of the Union and its strategic autonomy, not only because of the risks of dependencies and threats that Europe may be left behind, but also because of its disruptive potential.
Furthermore, the European Commission announced the launch of a sovereign fund called STEPwhich is aimed at the development of industrial capabilities related to these technologies.
However, the impulse of deep tech is not easy. It requires very particular views and efforts because its nature and impact, as the Report points out Deep Tech and the Great Wave of Innovation, are very different from other technological developments. They are scientifically based innovations, which is why companies that develop deep tech They are often at the center of a deep R&D ecosystem involving universities and research laboratories, and government grants that provide a supportive environment. They also focus on responding to global problems, as evidenced by the fact that 97% of deep technology companies contribute to at least one of the UN sustainable development goals. Finally, these technologies are characterized by the difficulty and cost of their innovation, since it can take years to reach the market, and they usually require large amounts of investment, imply high uncertainty and high risk.
In this context, it is inevitable to ask what role Spain wants and can play. Now is the time to think and develop a strategy that allows us to position ourselves. Firstly, because in recent years we have made an unprecedented effort in investment in R&D, which has allowed us to reach 1.44% of GDP, a figure that, although far from the European average, has represented a notable leap. Secondly, because this investment has been accompanied by the recent approval of the law of start-ups, key in driving innovation. And, thirdly, because our country has the opportunity to take advantage of its scientific potential with deep technologies made in Spain.
This work program requires a transversal, coherent and collaborative view between the different agents and levels of government. Only the implementation of inter-ministerial agendas through a High Commissioner can guarantee the governance of an issue as complex as promoting profound strategic technologies that will have an unquestionable impact on our health, our food, the sustainability of our planet, our industry. , our defense or our economic model. Each of these policies corresponds to a ministerial department and many of them have their own funds, agents or specific instruments linked to these deep technologies, in many cases linked to Next Gen funds, but we need a holistic view that no ministry is in. conditions to offer for himself. It is not about duplicating efforts, but about integrating and connecting them with the first level of the government agenda: no forward-thinking leader can remain on the sidelines of these revolutions that are changing geopolitics on a global scale.
Ion Arocena He is CEO of AseBio.
Jorge Barrero He is general director of COTEC
Alfonso Gabarron He is manager of AESEMI
Sergio Saez He is director of SECPHO
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