Last December 2019, the Secretary of Universities and Research assigned co-funding from European Regional Development Funds (ERDF), to construct emerging technologies programs to promote the development of new emerging activities in Catalonia, based on innovative or disruptive technologies or processes that aim to open new markets or transform existing ones.

IREC actively participates in 6 sub-projects within the 4 Associations:

• GRAPHCAT (projects Integro i Autograph), focused on graphene technologies
• FEM IoT (projects P1 i P2), focused on Internet of things technologies
• FUSIONCAT (project P3), focused on fusion for energy
• BASE3D (project LIGHT3D), focused on 3D printing (additive manufacturing) technologies

The call is framed within the Pla Acció of the research and innovation strategy for smart specialization in Catalonia, RIS3CAT. These associations should act as pilot demonstration platforms addressed to the productive market. The aim is to enhance the valorisation and knowledge and technology transfer of the absorption capacities of the productive market. Once this knowledge is incorporated to the processes, products and services, they are intended to create high added value for companies and society. They aim to accelerate the introduction of new products or disruptive processes to the market, or to generate significant social benefits.

The project is co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development fund (ERDF) Operational Programme Catalonia 2014-2020 and supported by the Government of Catalonia.