Taking advantage of the excellentarticle published by David Arias in his analysis of the program GESTIDI by Adeuropa, I venture to contribute my opinion on this program, which although formally it seems an attractive program, hides a series of weaknesses typical of its youth. Let us hope that the wrinkles of time will help improve this program and not hide it or turn it into another degenerative pathology, like many other fateful policies and actions carried out in this region.
And with the intention that this program reaches its maturity in full faculties, I would highlight the following points for improvement.
- Putting into practice for two months, in a company, the knowledge acquired during four months of training, does not seem to be enough time to implement the learned dynamics, and that for the most part In general, in the field of R+D+i they tend to longer over time. In addition, two months of contact with the company does not seem enough either so that, in parallel to the work to be carried out, one can acquire knowledge of the company’s own activity.
- Is a degree taught by a foundation such as Adeuropa whose mission is to promote and facilitate the incorporation of agents from the region into initiatives and programs related to R+D+i and international business cooperation really attractive? From the student’s point of view, this degree would be even more interesting if it were taught from the university, which, under the umbrella of an official degree, allows recognition throughout the national and European territory. For the companies themselves, training from the university, with specialized and recognized teachers, would provide more guarantees of success when it comes to getting involved in the GESTIDI project.
- In relation to the content of the training, which fundamentally revolves around the search for financing for R&D projects at a regional, national or European level, it seems very presumptuous that the program talks about training project managers of R+D+i. If the training agenda does not evolve, the name of the training that the students acquire should change to R&D&I grant and aid managers, which is not a bad thing, but it is convenient to call each thing by its name and thus prevent the company from being deceived into thinking that it is incorporating a project manager when instead it will have the collaboration of a technician specialized in R&D aid and subsidies.
- A professionalization of training could bring with it, for example, the formation of a master’s degree at the university that monopolizes all the faces of R&D project management, which includes Specific training on project management, technology surveillance, knowledge management, valuation of R&D strong>, management of technology-based companies, scientific infrastructures, and management of creativity, in addition to the respective sources of financing, which, apart from including aid, subsidies and the corresponding consortia, include other possibilities such as the incorporation of investors in the project. The fact that no university in Castilla y León offers this type of degree and that this training is only available through aid and subsidies from Adeuropa leads to a loss of position in the battle to improve the competitiveness of companies and therefore in the change in production model.
- Another interesting question would be to find out if the business network of Castilla y León has enough capacity to absorb the annual offer that Adeuropa generates with its 30 experts in search of subsidies, grants and financing of R+D+i projects. With this third promotion, which is announced, there will be more than 90 professionals who are in a position to carry out this work. Perhaps with training more oriented towards the comprehensive management of R+D+i projects, the job opportunities for these professionals are broader and they do not have to go through emigration. In this sense, a transparent communication is missing, by Adeuropa, in which the percentage of students who consolidate a job in the companies with which they start their journey, or the percentage of students who, after this first experience, have obtained a related job in the region.
- This lack of transparency of information and institutional secrecy, which, despite being widespread in most regional institutions, is aggravated in the case of Adeuropa, may be a factor of demotivation in attracting companies and entrepreneurs who want to start their activity in Castilla y León. The network of managers, directly linked to Adeuropa managers and technicians, can become a privileged channel of information that only companies that include among their workers professionals trained by, through this program, by Adeuropa will have access. . This aberration can be perceived with great suspicion by any foreign actor and any native who deludedly considered that information is publicly accessible in this region and that cliques are only formed to play mus.
In view of these lines and those introduced by David Arias, the capacity for improvement that the GESTIDI program presents is clear.