Torres Quevedo Program

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The Torres Quevedo Program in Spain is a government initiative that promotes R&D through collaboration between academia and industry. The program is named after the prolific Spanish inventor and scientist, Leonardo Torres Quevedo.
What are the main aims and objectives?
The main objective of the program is to foster innovation, technological development, and knowledge transfer within the Spanish economy. The program achieves this by providing grants to companies, technology centers, and science and technology parks, thereby encouraging the hiring of PhD holders for innovative projects. By doing so, the Torres Quevedo Program aims to bridge the gap between research and industry, pushing for the practical application of scientific knowledge in various economic sectors. This approach is intended to be in line with the spirit of Leonardo Torres Quevedo, who was known for his pioneering work in electromechanical techniques, radio control, and automation. 
How does the program work?

The Torres Quevedo Program is designed to fund companies, technology centers, business associations, and science and technology parks to hire researchers with a doctorate degree for their R&D projects. The funding lasts for the duration of the R&D project which can be up to 3 years maximum. It is a non-refundable grant under a competitive bidding regime from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. 

Moreover, the R&D activities they will engage in must be additional to the company's regular activities. The funding only covers the salary and social security contributions of the hired researchers, with a grant range of 25% to 70% of the salary cost. The minimum gross salary for the hired researchers should be €23,000, with a maximum budget of €55,000 per year.  

The level of aid available varies depending on the size of the project and entity applying: 

 

Industrial research 

Feasibility studies 

Experimental development 

Small business 

70% 

70% 

45% 

Medium-sized company 

60% 

60% 

35% 

Big company 

50% 

50% 

25% 

The program allows up to three applications per entity, with each application corresponding to a different project and researcher. The hired researchers must have a PhD in a relevant field and must have obtained and defended their degree before the period of the grant application. These researchers will be engaged in the implementation of research and development projects for the duration of the full three years. Additionally, the applicant must have no prior history of employment with the company recruiting them.  

The program works by employing PhDs for the development of industrial research projects, experimental development and feasibility studies. The intention of this is to stimulate demand in the private sector for highly qualified personnel who are prepared to undertake R&D projects and help the consolidation of recently launched tech companies.  

What is the overall cost?
The Torres Quevedo Program has an annual budget of €15 million, for a maximum of 300 projects per year.   
How was it implemented?

The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities is responsible for administering the bidding regime for the Torres Quevedo Program. The program was launched in 2002 and the application process typically takes places in February.  

The program was created as part of the National Program for the Promotion of Human Resources of the National R+D+I plan (2000-2003) but its design was also influenced by several other factors including the experience that came from the IDE Action program (which was a previous attempt at unlocking R&D funding through the incorporation of PHDs in private companies). 

The objectives of the program have remained consistent since its inception, however, the management structures have been altered since 2011 when responsibility was split between the Research and Management for the National R+D+I plan and Technology Transfer and Business Development.  

What impact has been measured?

An academic paper, published in 2012, analyzed the impact of the first five calls that run from 2002 through to 2006. 

Distribution of aid: 

  • 67 million euros were awarded to a total of 1,777 projects with 900 separate entities 

  • 70% of all aid was received by SMEs 

  • 24% of all aid was received by technology centers 

  • 6% of all aid was received by big companies 

  • The program reached 742 SMEs out of a pool of roughly 4600 (approx. 16%) 

  • The program reached 87 technology centers out of a pool of roughly 100 (approx. 87%) 

  • The program reached 71 large companies out of a pool of roughly 1000 (approx. 0.7%) 

  • Most of the subsidized projects were for research work, followed by feasibility projects 

Duration of aid: 

  • Of the 1,777 grants approved, 1,708 received the first payment, 1,281 received the second payment and only 878 received the third payment 

  • Grants that went to doctors in technology centers (57%) were more likely to be completed than those at SMEs (49%) or large companies (48%) 

The number of companies that carried out R&D increased from 6,200 in 2002 to 15,000 in 2008. However, the data in this report indicates that only a fraction of that increase can be attributed the Torres Quevedo Program.  

There are not currently any more recent impact assessments of the program which means it’s not possible to judge its full impact since 2006.  

What lessons can be learned?
It is difficult to judge the efficacy of the Torres Quevedo Program based on only 878 of the projects completing the full three years as no quantitative objects were set at the outset of the programs launch. Moreover, it is possible that the contracted researcher could have continued working on different R&D projects within the company without extending the grant or move to a different company that did not receive aid. In these circumstances the program would still be delivering on its aims though it would not be reflected in the statistics.  

CURATED BY

Tom Hancock

Research Associate
Global Entrepreneurship Network
United Kingdom