•    Madrid hosted the presentation of the prizes, highlighting that the deadline for applications is 16 March

•    The prizes, in their seven different categories, aim to promote and encourage research, science, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Spain

•     José Luis Bonet, Vicente Boluda, and Javier agreed on the importance of increasing private investment in R&D&I to prevent Spain from losing position in the international market

Madrid hosted the presentation of the Rei Jaume I Prizes. The event, organized by the Foundation in collaboration with the Valencian Business Association (AVE) and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, served to vindicate the essential contribution of science and research towards the growth of society. During the event, it was pointed out that the deadline for nominating candidates for the different categories is March 16 via the official website www.fprj.es.

The purpose of this travelling initiative, which has already visited cities such as Zaragoza, Bilbao, Barcelona, Seville, Santiago, Pamplona and Malaga, is to bring the business world closer to science and research, whose contribution is essential for the development and evolution of our society.

At the welcome ceremony, the president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, José Luis Bonet, assured that there are opportunities for Spanish companies to improve their competitive capacity by expanding cooperation with the academic world, and he advocate for a closer relationship between academics and the productive sector, to increase the return to the community.  For Bonet, “connecting universities and businesses is the most direct way to strengthen the growth of the Spanish economy,” and initiatives such as the Rei Jaume I Prizes allow us to “move towards that goal,” recognizing the talent and dedication of researchers and entrepreneurs who, “through their efforts, contribute to the advancement and well-being of our society and promote the connection between universities and businesses.”

The president of the Foundation, Vicente Boluda, who is also the head of the Valencian Business Association (AVE), highlighted the role of these prizes as the most important in their category. Boluda emphasized that science, research, technology, and business are essential elements for the development in our country, pointing out that without these four activities, which demand enormous effort and dedication, any progress would be impossible. During his speech, Boluda also made a direct call to the business community and civil society: “We must strive to reduce excessive public dependence in these areas and take on much more responsibility from the private sector.” In fact, he pointed out that the leading regions in the world, Europe, and Spain in R&D&I are those where private enterprise is more deeply involved.

Javier Quesada, executive president of the foundation, was responsible for introducing the Rei Jaume I Prizes in Madrid, its seven award categories (Basic Research, Medical Research, New Technologies, Business Revelation), its winners, and its main objectives. The presentation aimed to convey that “the prestige of the prizes comes from institutional and business support and, on the other hand, from the level of the jury, which is made up of, among others, around twenty Nobel Prize laureates each year. It is the event in Europe that brings together the most Nobel Prize laureates.” Quesada highlighted the importance of science, research, and entrepreneurship in Spain: “Priorities must be set. If a significant part of GDP is not invested in science, the consequences will be very serious, and the longer it takes for business to approach science and technology, the more risk Spain will run of falling into the second or third international league”.

Round table: Collaboration between science and business, prospects for the future

After the official welcome, the journalist Pepa Fernández, director of RNE’s No es un día cualquiera, moderated a round table with the participation of leading figures from the technology sector and laureates of the institution.

Inés Bermejo, Vice President and General Manager of HP Spain and Portugal, has focused on education and the institutional framework: “From school, we must position entrepreneurship and give visibility to what it is and the success of entrepreneurship. And, that the learning comes from failure, it is sometimes important to fail or not be successful to learn.”. Bermejo added that “the regulatory aspect is important for companies, being close to the administration from the point of view of R&D incentives and being very close to universities so that there is employability and talent helps to develop that R&D.” He also advocated for patent enforcement: “We need solutions that help people. The more patents we have, the more value we can create.”

Damià Tormo, winner of the 2025 Rei Jaume I Business Revelation Prize, insisted on the importance of acting in the face of the speed of global change: “Everyone talks about how important R&D and innovation are, but no one really believes that they are essential to our future survival; either we increase productivity and innovation, or we will not be able to maintain this social state.” Tormo pointed to the shortage of talent as a critical problem and proposed changes to the academic system: “If university professors were valued equally for publishing a paper or giving a lecture as for creating a patent or setting up a spin-off, many things would change.”

Finally, Francisco Pérez, director of IVIE and winner of the 2024 Rei Jaume I Prize for Economics, analyzed the evolution of the Spanish economy: “There is a problem of structural productivity, but if we look at the composition of Spanish growth, especially since the post-COVID recovery, we are growing more because part of the growth is already a consequence of increased productivity.” Pérez highlighted that behind this improvement there is a greater weight of intangible assets such as digitalization, although he warns that “it is a tragedy that there are no agreements of any kind” in the face of challenges such as the digital transition or sustainability, which require profound changes in both universities and companies.

If you want to see the recording, watch it on our YouTube page: