The relevance of academic interests in the Catalonian science and technology policy

Abstract

This paper describes the emergence and orientation of R&D and innovation policies in Catalonia. The factors with a greater explanatory power about the orientation of these policies are also analised. The research and technology policy developed by the Catalonian government since the beginning of the eighties has been, despite the preferences revealed by the political discourse, one in which an academic model has been predominant over a pro-business one. In the same way, in organisational and institutional terms, research and technology policies have belonged to separate and independent administrative domains, despite the initial creation of inter-departamental institutions within the regional administration.

The main reason why Catalonian R&D policy has not followed a pro-business model, was the strong pressure that Catalonian Universities showed, in order to get both institutional designs and policy contents which favoured them and which matched their needs. The previous academic background of policy makers contributed in the same direction. In spite of the relevance of firms in the Catalonian R&D scene, these actors did not either mobilise or pressure governments sufficiently. From an analytical point of view, this case illustrates how the political creation of institutions is not a sufficient condition for the advancement of political preferences. It also makes clear how the time framework of political decision making has an effect on actors’ expectations, who develop learning processes from experiences in similar political arenas at different levels. Lastly, it shows how, within these type of distributive policies, decision power within management institutions becomes very important.