PITA, full member partner of the Spanish Association of Scientific and Technologic Parks
A new historic day for the Scientific and Technologic Park of Almería, PITA, it was last Tuesday November the 10th at Sant Cugat del Vallés, Barcelona, during the VIII APTE 2009 International Conference PITA was recognised as full member partner of the Spanish Association of Scientific and Technologic Parks (APTE). Cristina Garmendía, Science and Innovation Minister opened this international conference the same day that the new EsadeCropolis facilities had been inaugurated. EsadeCropolis is an innovation park that counts on with entrepreneurial and academic areas where ESADE expands their Barcelona installations.
PITA and another three new Partners, received from APTE’s President, Felipe Romera, the certificate granting Almerias Park as a new member of APTE, leaving behind its condition of affiliated member. Romera showed its happiness and satisfaction and recognised “I am very happy because PITA is running” “To me”, as he remarked “is a beloved Park and one of the bests of Spain”, he was interrupted by a big ovation.
PITA accreditation as APTE full member partner is a recognition; 4 months ago the Almerían Park opened a Scientific Site by the Almería University Campus and is performing at full capacity. The Park has recently obtained a public subsidy of 12,1 mio euros for new infrastructures and R&D projects, PITA good results show the intensive activity and dinamism of this technopolis that is part of the Andalusian Technology Space Network (RETA)
The public subsidies got by PITA –which could have not been possible without the Scientific Site building- reached a 7% of the total domestic subsidies that Andalucia will get to be dedicated to Scientific and Technology Parks. The total figure for PITA will be 11,3 mio euros out of the Acteparq call (Scientific Technical Infrastructures) for the development of two important projects: PITA Research Centre and Technology Transfer and CTAER Solar Energy Concentration Receiver Trial Platform. In the other side PITA has obtained 782.022 for two projects lodged at the Applied Research call, designated to carry out the R&D projects of companies Decisiones Geoconstructivas S.L. and Biogolden Solutions, S.L.
PITA sent an application letter to APTE in order to request a title hold change, an APTE commission visited PITA last October 20th that should evaluate if the technopolis was suitable as partner member inclusion. The commission concluded that: “Scientific and Technologic Park of Almería, PITA, has matured and developed in a very positive way their project, is now a complete reality that open great development expectations to the entrepreneurial and research sectors of Almería and its province in a spectacular manner”
During the visit the commission checked that PITA counts on with all the attributes needed to be considered as APTE’s Partner, this consideration was officially stated last Tuesday at Barcelona during the VIII APTE International Conference.
