- More than 25 representatives from technological centres across Spain gathered at DFactory Barcelona, the hub of the new 4.0 district of the Catalan capital.
- The meeting reinforces Leitat’s role as a key player in the European network for technology transfer and industrial innovation.
- EARTO is the European association that represents and brings together more than 350 research and technological centres across the continent.
The technological centre Leitat hosted this Thursday, at DFactory Barcelona, the annual meeting of the Spanish members of EARTO (European Association of Research and Technology Organizations), the European association that represents and brings together more than 350 research and technological centres across the continent.
The meeting gathered more than 25 representatives from the main Spanish technological centres, including Tecnalia, Eurecat, Tekniker, Cidetec, Itene, Ceit, Ideko, Ita, Aimplas, Cetaqua, Vicomtech, Atiga and SPRI, as well as representatives from Fedit, Brta, Redit and Aimen, who attended either in person or online. The event featured the participation of Jesús Valero, President of EARTO and General Director of Tecnalia, and Áureo Díaz-Carrasco, member of the EARTO Executive Board and Executive Director of Fedit, the Spanish Federation of Technological Centres.
On behalf of Leitat, the General Director, Jordi Cabrafiga, and the Business and Operations Director, Dirk Saseta, attended the event as hosts and gave the institutional welcome to the participants.
“This meeting reflects the importance of sharing strategies and synergies among European technological centres to continue promoting competitiveness and innovation through applied knowledge,” highlighted Jordi Cabrafiga, General Director of Leitat.
During the session, topics related to European innovation support policies, collaboration among technology centres, and research priorities applied to the industrial fabric and SMEs were discussed — an area in which RTO centres play a key role in connecting research with industry.
The joint organization of this meeting underlines the cooperation between EARTO and Leitat in promoting knowledge transfer and technological innovation at the European level, strengthening the role of Spanish technology centres within the continental network.
“The strength of EARTO lies in its unity when facing global challenges. We thank Leitat for its leadership and collaboration in this meeting, which strengthens the role of European technology centres,” said Jesús Valero, President of EARTO and General Director of Tecnalia.
After the working session, participants visited Leitat’s digital industry facilities and laboratories at DFactory Barcelona, including the 3D printing, robotics, sensorics, photonics, and artificial intelligence labs.
Later, the delegation moved to Leitat’s headquarters in Terrassa, where they learned first-hand about the centre’s capabilities in applied research, technological innovation, and industrial transfer.
