• The capital of the Costa del Sol is becoming the focal point of the debate on collaboration between science and business, bringing together experts and leaders for the annual awards, with King Felipe VI serving as honorary president
• “We want the best candidates, and the best way to achieve this is to engage with the local community,” say representatives of the Foundation, emphasising the importance of strengthening the link between research and the business sector
• The deadline for submitting nominations remains open until 10 March

On Tuesday, the city of Málaga hosted the launch event for the Rei Jaume I Prizes, which are presented annually at a ceremony organised by the Fundación Premios Rei Jaume I, with King Felipe VI serving as honorary president. The event served to raise awareness of these prestigious awards amongst Andalusia’s scientific, business and academic communities, as well as to promote the awards and their impact in the fields of research, innovation and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the event provided a forum for reflection on collaboration between science and business, with the participation of leading experts and figures in these fields.

The event, which forms part of the programme of activities organised by the Fundación Valenciana Premios Rei Jaume I, aims to raise awareness of and recognise these prizes – considered among the most prestigious in the country – in a city that has established itself as a benchmark for innovation and economic development. In the words of the organisers, the aim is to “engage with the region”, and to convey the importance of these Prizes, delving into their significance and the annual event held in the Comunitat Valenciana, at “a ceremony attended by a broad cross-section of the country’s civil and political society”, they said.

Consequently, the Gran Hotel Miramar in the city of Málaga served as the venue for a gathering attended by prominent figures from the business, academic and scientific worlds, including the city’s mayor, Francisco de la Torre; the president of the Valencian Business Association (AVE) and of the Fundación Valenciana Premios Rei Jaume I, Vicente Boluda; the executive vice-president of the Malaga Confederation of Entrepreneurs, Natalia Sánchez; as well as other institutional and business representatives.

During his speech, the Foundation’s president emphasised the importance of these events, which are touring different cities across Spain to broaden their impact and reach. “We want the best candidates, and the best way to achieve this is to engage with the local communities, encouraging scientists and businesspeople to put themselves forward,” said Vicente Boluda. In this regard, he acknowledged the history of the awards, which are celebrating their 37th edition this year: “When they began, nobody was talking about research, development and entrepreneurship in Spain. Now it has become a cornerstone of the country’s progress.”

For his part, the Mayor of Málaga, Francisco de la Torre, highlighted the city’s role in the innovation and technology ecosystem, emphasising the importance of hosting initiatives such as this one, which strengthen its international standing. Similarly, the mayor emphasised the need to increase investment in R&D&I in Spain, particularly from the private sector, as a key factor in improving competitiveness and business development. “It is essential that investment in R&D&I exceeds 4 per cent of GDP, and that the majority comes from the private sector,” he said, “because this ensures more immediate benefits for the business community. When companies commit to innovation, they gain in competitiveness and growth potential. To this end, it is vital that senior managers understand the importance of R&D&I and allocate resources within their budgets to move in this direction,” she emphasised.

Natalia Sánchez, for her part, highlighted the importance of this type of event in strengthening ties between the business community and the world of research and development. “The list of winners of these awards speaks for itself,” she said, emphasising that “the term that best defines it is excellence”. In this regard, the CEM’s executive vice-president emphasised the connection between the scientific and business spheres, noting that “science needs businesses to develop and reach people. And businesses need science to generate economic activity”.

Science and business: a key combination for development

The event, organised by the Fundación Valenciana Premios Rei Jaume I, in collaboration with the Valencia Business Association, the Málaga Confederation of Entrepreneurs and the Málaga Business Circle, featured a round-table discussion entitled ‘Collaboration between science and business: a look to the future’.

This panel discussion was moderated by the Foundation’s executive president, Javier Quesada, who highlighted Spain’s significant role in the scientific and business spheres. “In Spain, we have outstanding researchers and technologists, as well as leading companies, but these two worlds remain too far apart. In other countries, collaboration between universities and business is closer, and that is the path we must follow,” he said, emphasising the need to strengthen collaboration between the two sectors to drive innovation and economic development.

Participants in the round-table discussion included Carlota Escutia, winner of the 2023 Jaume I Prize for Environmental Protection; Virginia Calvo, owner of Giants Gaming (GiantX), founder of the eSports Association and CEO of Versus Gamers and Atlas Informática; Francisco Tinahones, scientific director of the Malaga Biomedical Research Institute (IBIMA); and Francisco Jiménez, president of the Malaga Business Circle.

It was a discussion session in which participants had the opportunity to share their views on the relationship between research and business, highlighting the need to strengthen ties in order to boost competitiveness and economic development.

In her speech, Escutia elaborated on “the significant problem posed by the failure of businesses and universities – both technological and scientific – to engage in dialogue. “We speak different languages, after all, and we must begin to understand each other’s language,” he said, also emphasising the point made by the Mayor of Málaga regarding the need for greater investment in R&D&I. For his part, the director of IBIMA took up the baton, supporting the need to increase investment in this area and highlighting the difficulties faced by the private sector in committing to long-term research. “The assessment is entirely accurate. In the health sector, public investment in research is greater than private investment, partly because achieving the levels of depth, equipment and development required in the public health system is very costly for the private sector. But perhaps also because we offer few incentives for companies to invest in research,” noted Tinahones.

For her part, Virginia Calvo explored the disconnect that still exists between the academic world and the private sector, particularly in emerging industries. “Whilst there is already a gap between universities and established companies, in sectors such as mine—professional video game competition—that disconnect is even greater. We speak different languages: we businesspeople focus on profit and loss accounts, whilst the academic sector operates in more theoretical terms. This means that many joint research projects fall by the wayside. In our case, we’ve had to self-fund and forge ahead on our own, because by the time academic knowledge reaches us, we as companies have already had to take the plunge to avoid losing our competitive edge in the market,” said the CEO of GiantX.

Finally, the president of the Málaga Business Circle, Francisco Jiménez, highlighted the need to strengthen collaboration between businesses and researchers, in order to better align research with market needs. “Often, discoveries with great potential are made, but at that moment we are not prepared to make the most of them. If there were a space where companies could find out what lines of research are available and, in turn, researchers could focus on the needs of the productive sector, we would be moving in the right direction. In Spain, collaboration in research remains very low, and this is a challenge we must address,” he said.

The Rei Jaume I Prizes, established in 1989, recognise excellence in various fields of knowledge and business activity. The jury includes Nobel laureates, researchers, scientists, business leaders, university vice-chancellors and professors, who work to recognise talent, effort and innovation in Spain.

At the awards’ launch event in Málaga, the significance of these prizes at both national and international levels was highlighted, reinforcing the need to recognise and showcase talent as a key element for progress.

The deadline for submitting nominations for the 2025 Rei Jaume I Prizes remains open until 10 March this year, providing an opportunity to highlight the candidates’ outstanding careers, as well as their impact on the progress of society.

IF YOU’D LIKE TO WATCH THE PRESENTATION, CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO: