barcelona

The government of the Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia has launched a US$16.6 million programme of non-repayable capital grants to encourage the entrepreneurial activities of scientists.

The objective of the scheme, called Network of Centres for Technological Innovation Support, is to finance 100 research teams for the next three years. Each group will receive about $55,000 a year. Nine research teams have already been approved for funding since the scheme was launched last month.

The scheme is intended to support researchers who have ideas about how their results could be turned into commercial propositions, but who lack access to the necessary funds. Successful grant applicants will be able to build up the resources needed to offer their knowledge to private industry, or to create their own companies.

The initiative stems from a desire by the government of Catalonia to boost links between the scientific and business communities.

Applicants will have to demonstrate potential commercial interest in their work. They must produce a strategy suggesting how the project might become self-financing within three years. If, after this period, the researcher has not achieved a profitable result, the grant will end.