The document summarizes recent Spanish science and innovation news from June 3 to July 20, 2014. It reports that: 1) The Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness allocated €5.5 million to consolidate 40 technology platforms in Spain bringing together 5,000 organizations to promote innovation. 2) A Spanish company received an international prize for excellence in innovation for its quality control services for the fruit and vegetable supply chain. 3) A Spanish engineer won the European Inventor Award for designing an improved wheel-to-rail contact control system for high-speed trains.

1. Sara Cebrián | Science and Innovation Attaché Iberia| sara.cebrian@fco.gov.uk | TEL: 00 34 91 714 6357
Ana María Román | Science and Innovation Iberia| anamaria.roman@fco.gov.uk | TEL: 00 34 91 714 6362
British Embassy Madrid | Torre Espacio, Paseo de la Castellana 259D, 28046 Madrid
UNCLASSIFIED
S:POL (RESTRICTED)Science & InnovationANA MARÍASIN Press SummaryAna's Press SummarySpanish Press Summary (From 3 June to 20 July).doc
SPANISH MINISTRY OF ECONOMY AND
COMPETITIVENESS ALLOCATES €5.5M
FUNDING TO CONSOLIDATE SPANISH
TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS
The Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness
launches €5.5M call for the creation and
consolidation of technology platforms in Spain.
There are currently 40 technology platforms,
which bringing together around 5,000
organizations, play a key role in promoting
innovation amongst research centres and
businesses.
Spain Science and Innovation Press Summary
From 3 June to 20 July 2014
Policy news
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FOODEXPERTS AWARDED WITH
‘INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN
INNOVATION 2014’
Foodexperts is a Spanish technology company
specialising in quality control and risk
assessment for the fruit and vegetable supply
chain. The company also provides online services
for retail markets, aimed at distribution chains,
importers, exporters and producers in the agri-
food sector who need to monitor products on
sale. This distinction was given by International
Procurement & Logistics, the biggest single
importer of produce into the UK and owned by
industry giant Walmart.
A SPANISH ENGINEER WINS EUROPEAN
INVENTOR AWARD OF THE YEAR
Spanish engineer José Luis López has received an
award from the European Patent Office (EPO) as the
author of the 2013 best invention in Europe. He has
designed a revolutionary wheel-to-rail contact
control system for the railway transport company
Talgo. This technology entails an extraordinary
improvement for driving stability and passenger
comfort, even on high-speed trains.
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2. Sara Cebrián | Science and Innovation Attaché Iberia| sara.cebrian@fco.gov.uk | TEL: 00 34 91 714 6357
Ana María Román | Science and Innovation Iberia| anamaria.roman@fco.gov.uk | TEL: 00 34 91 714 6362
British Embassy Madrid | Torre Espacio, Paseo de la Castellana 259D, 28046 Madrid
SPANISH COMPANY PATENTS A
SMARTWATCH THAT MEASURES BLOOD
SUGAR WITHOUT AN EXTRACTION
ImasD Tecnología is a Spanish engineering
company that has patented a watch that not only
monitors glucose levels, but also measures blood
oxygen and takes a patient’s pulse. The system
gently heats the user’s skin in order to almost
imperceptibly open pores. A microscopic drop of
fluid is released into the pores and then later
recovered, thereby capturing the necessary data
about the patient.
THE SPANISH VIDEOGAME INDUSTRY IS
EXPERIENCING SPECTACULAR GROWTH
The Spanish videogame industry recorded
revenues of €313.7 million in 2013, an increase of
130% over the previous year. Exports have been
especially high in the European and North
American markets.
In 2013 Spain had a total of 330 companies
operating in this space. The industry sales
forecasts sales will reach €723.6 million over the
next three years.
Technology
Health
“MADE IN SPAIN” THERAPY INCREASES
CHANCES OF SURVIVING ADVANCED BREAST
CANCER
Spanish oncologists have led research on a new
therapy that increases chances of surviving advanced
breast cancer by 35 percent. A total of 250 centres in
19 countries (9 hospitals in Spain) and 808 women
with HER2 positive metastatic cancer took part in the
study. This new Roche drug (pertuzumab) is one of
the most important therapeutic innovations in the
past 15 years.
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SPANISH RESEARCHERS DISCOVER MORE
THAN 40 MELANOMA-SPECIFIC GENES THAT
DETERMINE AGGRESSIVENESS
The discovery by Spanish National Cancer
Research Centre (CNIO) researchers will help to
identify unique aspects of melanoma that could
contribute to determine the risk of developing
metastasis in patients with this disease. It explains
why a drug is being used to selectively attack the
melanoma tumour cells. Melanoma is one of the
worst, most metastatic cancers known today.
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3. Sara Cebrián | Science and Innovation Attaché Iberia| sara.cebrian@fco.gov.uk | TEL: 00 34 91 714 6357
Ana María Román | Science and Innovation Iberia| anamaria.roman@fco.gov.uk | TEL: 00 34 91 714 6362
British Embassy Madrid | Torre Espacio, Paseo de la Castellana 259D, 28046 Madrid
UNCLASSIFIED
S:POL (RESTRICTED)Science & InnovationANA MARÍASIN Press SummaryAna's Press SummarySpanish Press Summary (From 3 June to 20 July).doc
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AERTEC SOLUTIONS PRESENTS VIDEOGAME
TECHNOLOGY PROJECT APPLIED TO UK
AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
The Spanish company Aertec Solutions has
unveiled the project ‘Digitizing Expressions for
Manufacturing Optimization’, which aims to
analyze videogame technologies and find new
practical applications for them that can be adapted
to the industrial aerospace sector. The project also
includes developing technological demonstration
units and prototypes that can validate the new
technology. The final product will be sold
worldwide by Aertec Solutions.
THE SPANISH TOP SEEDS LAB ACCELERATOR
JOINS THE GAN GLOBAL NETWORK
The Spanish firm Top Seeds Lab has been invited to
join the Global Accelerator Network, which enables
the world’s top accelerators to share technological
services.
GAN is an accelerator network for tech startups
which can only be joined by invitation. The alliance
with GAN will let its participants have access to an
expanded package of technology services worth
$500,000, as well as to a vast number of highly
experienced international mentors.
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THE FIRST ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENT ISLAND
With its new hydro-wind power plant, El Hierro, the
smallest of the Canary Islands, has become the
world's first island to achieve energy self-sufficiency
from renewable energy, reducing carbon dioxide
emissions by 18,700 tonnes and saving €1.8million
every year.
An investment of €65million has turned it into a
global green energy pioneer. Estimates are that
around 1,000 islands across the world could use the
same supply model, which is based on a hydro
power and wind power combination.
Energy
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MADE IN SPAIN TECHNOLOGY MAKES
BREAKTHROUGHS IN CLEAN ENERGY STORAGE
The European Union’s storage project, which
includes the participation of Spanish companies
Endesa, Televent, Isotrol e Ingeteam, has proven that
it is possible to store electricity produced by
renewable energy. This is beneficial for both the
electricity generation system and for the
environment.
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4. Sara Cebrián | Science and Innovation Attaché Iberia| sara.cebrian@fco.gov.uk | TEL: 00 34 91 714 6357
Ana María Román | Science and Innovation Iberia| anamaria.roman@fco.gov.uk | TEL: 00 34 91 714 6362
British Embassy Madrid | Torre Espacio, Paseo de la Castellana 259D, 28046 Madrid
Infrastructure
THE US SETS ITS SIGHTS ON SPANISH HIGH-
SPEED RAIL
The US Head of Transportation Policy signed a
collaboration agreement with Spain’s Minister of
Public Works and Transport during his visit to
Madrid last June. Under this agreement both
countries consent to cooperate on infrastructure
related issues. Spain has the world’s second
largest network of high-speed railways, behind
only China, spanning over 3,000 km. The US
Secretary for Transportation, Anthony Foxx,
visited Spain in order to study the country’s
experience with high-speed railways.
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