José Manuel López Nicholas, Designated Member of the Panel of Experts Coordinating the Transfer of the Ministry of Science and Innovation – Press Room

José Manuel López Nicolás, Vice-Chancellor for Transportation, Communication and Scientific Publication of the University of Murcia, has been appointed as a member of the expert group that coordinates the Transportation and Collaboration Plan published by the Ministry of Science and Innovation through its General Secretariat for Innovation. . In an act held at the headquarters of CSIC in Madrid, López Nicolás presented to the Minister of Universities, the Minister of Science and Innovation and the various persons belonging to the world of science and business the innovative knowledge transfer model that he has successfully implemented at the University Murcia from the Vice-Chancellor’s Office he manages and which has already been recognized by the Congress Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE). In the past four years, UMU has multiplied by seven the number of knowledge transfer projects realized and in 2022 this institution has broken the record for contracts with companies and the record for income obtained thanks to commercial cooperation.

The plan is structured around 3 action axes and includes 15 actions. The first axis focuses on the transfer of knowledge generated in the general research system to companies, the public sector and society, through various channels such as the creation of new companies, patent licenses, publication of publications or scientific advice. The second axis includes measures to strengthen corporate cooperation with universities, other higher education centers and public research centers during the knowledge generation phase, not only through specific innovation collaboration projects, but also through new, more ambitious models of public-private partnerships, as well as through the mobility of research staff. and citizen science. The third axis of the plan aims to improve the training of researchers, technicians, and administrators with regard to the valorization of knowledge, as well as to strengthen the links of the ecosystem, with special attention to the role of technology centers and knowledge transfer offices. , agents and other intermediary platforms that help the interaction of actors in the innovation system. This third axis of the plan is transversal, as it affects both knowledge transfer (Axis 1) and cooperation between the public and private sectors for innovation (Axis 2).

The group of experts of which López Nicolás is a part will contribute to the evaluation of the various measures contained in the plan, their coordination and the verification of the success of the three action axes.

On the other hand, López Nicolás has also been appointed as a member of the advisory board of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) for his work in scientific publishing at the individual and institutional level. In addition to conveying knowledge through conferences, books, and the media (press, radio, television, websites, etc.). López Nicholas was Coordinator of the Science Culture Unit at UMU, a structure now incorporated into the Office of the Vice President for Scientific Transfer, Communication and Publishing that he currently directs, and is responsible for the science communications developed in this institution.

In both positions, López Nicolás is part of a group of independent members affiliated with various scientific or commercial institutions.