ESCÚZAR (GRANADA), 19 (EUROPA PRESS)
The President of the Andalusian Government, Juanma Moreno, attended the laying of the foundation stone of the main building of the Ifmif-Dones particle accelerator in Escúzar (Granada), positioning Andalusia in «the scientific elite and projecting it as an international reference in research» with an estimated economic impact of 6 billion euros, 4 billion of which will be in Andalusia where «many job opportunities for specialized and qualified personnel will be generated.»
In this context, Moreno has stated that this is the «largest scientific infrastructure in Spain» with an estimated investment of 700 million euros, of which the Spanish Government and the Andalusian Government have financed more than 422 million, at 50% until 2034. «With this foundation stone of the building that will house the particle accelerator, an initiative is being realized that is the result of joint effort, shared work of administrations and political, scientific and academic institutions, European, Spanish, Andalusian, and local,» he added.
He has also indicated that this project unites Spain and Croatia since 2022 and attracts the interest of many other nations including Italy and other EU members, with Japan joining on Monday after signing an agreement that highlights «the clear scientific leadership exercised by this country.» «The foundation stone of the building unleashes a torrent of enthusiasm and brings us closer to the moment when Andalusia will have a critical infrastructure for the European scientific community.»
The Andalusian President emphasized that Andalusia will be among the leading regions in energy research, R&D, and Fusion Energy in the future, and recalled that the Junta has shown support «from the very beginning to this project, which is part of the strategic research infrastructures for Europe (Esfri) and where the materials to be used in future nuclear fusion energy plants will be tested, validated, and qualified.»
He explained that the 211 million euros that Andalusia will contribute are «a firm expression of absolute commitment to a strategically important complex that projects this community as an international reference in knowledge and research in the quest for alternative energies.» Furthermore, he stated that «Andalusia’s commitment has not only been limited to the financial contribution to the accelerator project but is also actively involved in creating the ecosystem that will allow this infrastructure to be surrounded by an environment that fosters its progress and growth.»
In this regard, he emphasized that the UGR-Dones building, with an investment of around 15 million euros, is already operational in the Escúzar Metropolitan Industrial and Technological Park (Granada). It is a scientific-technical space where R&D will support this infrastructure, bringing together research groups from different areas such as physics, chemistry, materials science, and computer science to develop projects to promote knowledge generation and optimize the possibilities of using Ifmif-Dones.
Moreno pointed out that «Andalusia is determined to support this key project for this community, support that will be accompanied by other initiatives that will demonstrate to Europe and the project stakeholders that they made the right choice in selecting Andalusia to install this accelerator.» He assured that one of these measures is related to the training of human capital, a factor he considered «essential to establish any new human, scientific, or economic venture.»
Here, he highlighted the «joint effort» made by the Junta and universities to renew an academic offering that had not been updated for 14 years, with the University of Granada (UGR) introducing new programs in the upcoming academic year that will be useful for Ifmif-Dones, such as degrees in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Industrial Technology and Materials Engineering, and a Master’s in Science Industry.
The President of the Junta emphasized that «Andalusia is fully integrated into the scientific elite and is a key player in the creation of a unique building and complex for science and research.» «Andalusia’s commitment is beyond doubt for the largest scientific infrastructure in Spain, the Granada particle accelerator, to start operating and unleash its full potential for the benefit of humanity.»
Finally, he highlighted the Andalusian government’s commitment to innovation, increasing the average investment by 54% since 2018 and surpassing, for the first time, the 2.285 billion euros in investment allocated to all entities in R&D.
The event was attended by the First Vice President of the Government and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero; the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant; the Minister of Universities, Research and Innovation, José Carlos Gómez; the Mayor of Escúzar, Antonio Arrabal; the Director of Ifmif-Dones, Ángel Ibarra, and the Ambassador of Japan in Spain, Takashiro Nakamae.
