President Rodriguez Zapatero at “El Debate del Estado de la Nacion” insisted (as he has done in the last months) that there is a need to change the Spanish Production Model. It is assumed by most people, and confirmed by MP’s speeches, that he means to change towads a more technology related, higher productivity society.
Till this point, most Spaniards will agree.
However, I would ask Ministra Cristina Garmendia, tghe Scientific and Technology Spanish Minister (and a former top executive at bio companies) whether she agrees that the President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is moving in that direction. Last week, the Government approved a reduction of this year budget. They approved to reduce a bit over 1 Billion Euros.
Here comes the surprise: around 500 Million Euros will come out of the Science and Technology ministry of Cristina Garmendia. Another 200 (roughly) will come from Defense Ministry. That will mean to suspend or drastically reduce a number of technology development and technology deployment projects, especially of those related with Biotech and ICT. And that will happen directly by aborting some of Garmendia’s plans, and by stopping technology purchases by Defense (obviously, Defense will not stop paying salaries or reducing the food for soldiers, so it has to come out from their purchasing budget, and thus, from the technology related activities).
So far for the Spanish Government desire to change the economic model of their country.
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