It is in difficult times that true nature is seen of each person… phrase that could also be applied to our governments. Thinking about the adjustments in R&D and innovation made by the Government, I remembered an article that I published three years ago, when the crisis was still only a mirage in Spain.
Sauna Strategy. Finland faces the crisis without complexes.(3/2/2009)
The article used the example of Finland’s performance in the crisis it suffered in the 1980s and 1990s. The Finnish crisis stemmed from the collapse of the Soviet Union, to whom Finland supplied raw materials and on which its economic model was based. Finland knew how to respond by greatly increasing its commitment to R&D and innovation and today it is a benchmark in levels of progress and quality of life. Unfortunately, Spain’s response is being more tourism, construction, casinos and soccer…
My article ended with a sentence that has turned out to be almost prophetic:
“In recent years, innovation has been in Finland what brick is in Spain, in the same way that the sauna is to the bar. We’ll see who will sweat more”
In such a sentence I already wanted to point out that the growth model in Spain did not seem sustainable. Does it seem that some today still think otherwise? Our government still does not believe that technological research and development is the only way to make Spain progress and get it out of the hole it has gotten itself into. After the huge cut to R&D and business innovation in the 2012 general state budget, I am afraid that we will have many years of economic and social deterioration in this country.