The President of the Government of Aragón, Jorge Azcón, met this Tuesday at the European Commission with the European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva, to discuss the growing technological potential of the community and its integration into the innovation strategies of the European Union.
During the meeting, Azcón expressed that he was “very pleasantly surprised” by the precise knowledge the Commission has about the reality in Aragón. “They know that Aragón is the autonomous community with the highest technological investment in southern Europe,” the president emphasized.
Commissioner Zaharieva expressed the full alignment of the European Union with the educational policies of Aragón, especially the promotion of strategic university degrees such as Physics, Mathematics, Computer Engineering, and health-related degrees. Both parties agreed that these initiatives are key to realizing the necessary transformations in artificial intelligence and in European society.
Commitment to startups and increased funding
Azcón and Zaharieva agreed on the need to invest and attract funding to foster the creation of startups and the emergence of new small technology companies in Aragón. “It is an idea we are working on in Aragón, and I am convinced it will soon become a reality,” the regional president stated.
The head of the Aragonese Executive thanked the Commissioner for the support of the European Union, as Aragón has benefited from the Regional Innovation Valleys (RIV), a strategic initiative of the Horizon Europe program.
Aragón, present in two European innovation valleys
Aragón participates in two Regional Innovation Valleys that mobilize a total of nearly 35 million euros:
- RIV Manufacturing (15.5 million euros): drives the transformation of the industrial model towards a more digital, flexible, and connected manufacturing, moving towards the concept of “manufacturing as a service” with artificial intelligence, automation, and data analysis.
- RIV Unite (about 20 million euros): positions Aragón at the forefront of digital health, developing innovative solutions that enhance the efficiency, accessibility, and quality of healthcare systems through the intensive use of data and artificial intelligence.
These valleys enhance cooperation between European regions to address major common challenges in industry, health, and the digital and green transitions.
