“In Spain we need to do better in all aspects of sciences, from investing more until better organisation, and make certain themes the priority” affirmed José Antonio Gutiérrez, director of the Foundation GADEA for Sciences, at UCAM presenting the Foundation in the region. Others present at the act were Estrella Nuñez, vice-rectorate of Investigation at the Catholic University of San Antonio and Javier Celdrán, Employment, University, Companies and Environment advisor of the CARM.

Foundation GADEA pretends to bring together the interests of scientists of all the areas of knowledge, and in about a year and a half there are already 275 excellent researchers partaking from 12 different fields. “Willing to make the scientific opinion asserted when defining scientific policies in Spain”, assured José Antonio Gutiérrez, who emphasized that when politics will take decisions regarding sciences, “they need to listen to those with knowledge in the area”.

Scientific situation of the region

According to the director of GADEA, “Region of Murcia is between those who are really supporting sciences, if we compare within the country”, but said that “they need to do more, as all need to do”.

The advisor Javier Celdrán, after highlighting the work of UCAM in the development of the region on qualification of personal, affirmed that the Regional Government has always worked together with researchers. Furthermore, he highlighted the importance of the fact that the research won’t be financed and developed only by public entities, but through a collaboration between public and private sectors: “That every time there will be more companies involved in sciences and that there are more scientists that can collaborate with the corporate sector, so that this top of the talent can turn into innovation”.

Estrella Nuñez, vice-rectorate of Investigation at UCAM, highlighted the important role that science represents at the university. “We invest a lot of money, and we are backed by results. In the last three years we grew more than 150% in publications on impact gathered at JCR”, she assured. Javier García Martínez, lecturer on inorganic chemistry and director of the Laboratory of Molecular Nanotechnology from the University of Alicante also participated; lecturer Carmen Herrero Blanco, expert in Fundamentals of Financial Analysis from the University of Alicante; professor Carlos García Izquierdo from the area of Biochemistry of Soils, Organic Waste and Biorremendatic Processes of the Centre of Edaphology and Applied Biology of Segura (CEBAS)-CIS, and the lecturer Manuel Vidal, director of the Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Murcia, who have evaluated the situation of science in Spain.

Four researcher from the Region at GADEA

There were representatives assisting the presentation from many murcian institutions, from the three universities of the region, scientific academies, professional schools, centers of investigation, companies, technological centres and other entities committed to the scientific advance in the Region of Murcia and the exchange of knowledge for the benefit of the society. The Foundation GADEA for Science has researchers from the Region of Murcia in its Scientific Committee: Estrella Nuñez, Pablo Artal, Carlos García and Manuel Vidal. There are other researchers internationally renowned at the committee such as Margarita Salas, Juan Carlos Izpisúa, Francisco Mojica, Pedro Cavadas, Rafael Matesanz, María Teresa Miras, Mariano Barbacid, Maria Blasco, Catalina Ruiz o Alberto Ruiz, between others.