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2/20 SUB-PROGRAMME OF EXCELLENCE

CEI 2010

SUB-PROGRAMME OF EXCELLENCE

ADDITIONAL FINANCING BY AGREEMENT WITH THE AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY


Content

1.- EXTENSION OF THE INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS OF CANTABRIA (IFCA). ........................................................... 6

2. COMPARTMENTALIZATION AND EQUIPMENT OF THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE INSTITUTE OF BIOMEDICINE

AND BIOTECHNOLOGY OF CANTABRIA (IBBTEC). ............................................................................................ 9

3. UC-FIRE RESEARCH CENTER ....................................................................................................................... 11

4. ACTIONS DESIGNED FOR THE MATERIALIZATION AND DESIGN OF NEW STRATEGIC CENTERS OF

REFERENCE. ................................................................................................................................................... 13

4.1. PUBLIC-PRIVATE CENTEN IN TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORKS AND SERVICES ............................. 13

4.2. PROJECT: R+D+i CENTER FOR THE SUSTAINABLE USE OF GEO-DIVERSITY RESOURCES. ................... 14

ANNEX I ............................................................................................................................................................. 17

ANNEX II ............................................................................................................................................................ 19


Cantabria International Campus (CCI) constitutes the conversion Project for the whole of Cantabria into a

Region of Knowledge, by means of the strategic aggregation of the University of Cantabria with the

Menéndez Pelayo International University and another 16 regional and national public and private agents.

CCI, which was recognized as a Campus of Excellence in the 2009 official announcement is articulated with

an investment of 193 Million Euros, around six strategic areas or International Campuses: Water and Energy

(CIAE); Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Banking, Finance and Entrepreneurial Activity (CIFBA);

Heritage and Language (CIPAL); Technology (CIT); Physics and Mathematics (CIFMA). To give the greatest

international and social promotion possible to all the actions generated within the CCI, there is also a

transversal area for the Dissemination of Knowledge and Social Development (CIDIS). (See the chart on the

following page).

Within the Sub-Programme of Excellence 2010, further financing is now being requested via “an agreement

with the Autonomous Agreement”, and within section b) Scientific improvement and transfer of knowledge,

for 5 principal actions with regards to CCI objectives. Three of these are directed at enlarging research

centres and two are directed at highly-valued strategic projects for international promotion and regional

development of the Region of Knowledge.

These actions are coherently described within the CEIR 2009 and their importance for the Campus of

Excellence and all its agents is presented.


1.- EXTENSION OF THE INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS OF CANTABRIA (IFCA).

The IFCA is the central element of the Campus of Physics and Mathematics (CIFMA) in our project of

excellence Cantabria International Campus. The Institute (UC-CSIC) has grown constantly since its creation

in 1995 and this has been reflected in the strengthening of its international position, a substantial

improvement in its laboratories and associated equipment and an increase in staff. It has doubled its staff

members since the creation of the building in 2010. It is important to emphasise that a great part of this

staff comes from contracts which were created for the same research activity. This increase in staff, as well

as the need for more space for laboratories in order to withstand the activities described below, make it

necessary for an extension of the Institute. (Objective B.4.1. CCI Strategic Plan)

Its principal lines of research have been consolidated throughout this time: Advanced Computation,

Astrophysics, Particle Physics and Physics of Non-linear Systems. Examples of this activity are the

participation, often by researchers with leading positions (X. Barcóns, T. Rodrigo, A. Ruiz, J. Marco amongst

others), in important international collaboration for the design, construction, operating and use of some of

the principal scientific instruments in recent years. Among them we will highlight the XMM space missions

(operational) and Planck, EURECA the implementation project for the study of the universe in X-Rays, the

OSIRIS instrument of the Great Telescope in the Canary Islands. In High Energies, participation in the DELPHI

experiments of LEP, CMS of LHC (both in CERN, Geneva), CDF in Tevatron (Fermilab, USA) and the

implementation development for ILC. All of this has allowed participation in many of the important scientific

results in this field in the last decade.

It is necessary to point out the huge effort carried out in strengthening the implementation development in

all areas, incorporating instrumentation to the Planck mission, launched into space in 2009 and designing

and building the corresponding one for the CMS in LHC, and the new particle detectors for ILC.

A more recent line of creation, as a transversal axis is that of Advanced Computation, which has reached

national and international importance. It develops e-fiction projects financed by the European Union and is

one of the 3 initial nodes in the GRID-CSIS Project. Likewise, for the processing of data in the CMS

experiment in LHC, this centre is one of the existing nodes in Spain and it offers its services to the whole of

the international community (about 2,000 scientists from all over the world). Besides, it is a reference


centre for the analysis of data for the Planck and XMM missions and forms part of several European

distributed computation networks GRID (WLCG, EGEE, EGI).

IFCA houses the Altamira Node, within the Spanish Supercomputation Network (RES). This deals with a

Singular Scientific-Technical Infrastructure (ICTS), included within the scientific-technical research services in

the University of Cantabria, and which is also the computation reference centre for the cluster of Marine

Energies, through the Institute of Hydraulics in Cantabria (IH Cantabria), the central axis for the International

Campus of Water and Energy (CIAE). In this campus the area of meteorology also has an active

participation, with agreements with AEMET and MeteoSwiss, fronting work-groups in the European project

about the ENSEMBLES climate change.

The activity of IFCA has lead to the creation of outstanding and often unique infrastructures in the

geographical surroundings, such as a laboratory in dimensional metrology in the accreditation phase, a

cleanroom 1000 class with equipment for the development and characterization of semi-conductors, and a

laboratory for optical communications.

In the same way, it has favoured the establishment of a variety of actions for technology transfer, reaching

the recent creation of two spin-off type companies, MetroSensors (for the application of metrology

solutions) and Aqualia (for integral monitoring of reservoirs). Also being carried out is a provision of services

(in dimensional metrology, precision machining and thermal characterization) and agreement are being

developed with companies such as CIC and TTI North (whose head offices are in the PCTCAN Scientific-

Technological Park), and others such as ASG Metrology, WEP Industrial Projects, Ecohydros, Erzia or ENSA.

Transversally, IFCA support projects in other international campuses such as Water and Energy, Technology

or Biomedicine and Biotechnology. In the first case, through collaboration with companies and consortiums

such as Sinery, EUFER, KIERS, Siemens Renovables, Renovalia, GMVE and others, contributing to regional

wind-power development.


All of this activity about research excellence, internationalism and transfer in our CCI, imperatively needs

to be extended, with a 3rd storey in the existing building (see Annex 1-Letter CSIC). The current activity is

at saturation point. New projects need to develop new laboratories and the predicted growth in staff

means an urgent adaptation of new spaces for the Institute, just as was foreseen in the strategic plan

presented in 2009 and with the possibility of construction which would allow a special plan for the

Campus, developed by Santander Town Council.

The total estimated budget for this action to be carried out is 1,459,090 Euros in 12 months.


2. COMPARTMENTALIZATION AND EQUIPMENT OF THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE INSTITUTE OF

BIOMEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY OF CANTABRIA (IBBTEC).

IBBTEC is a strategic project for the development of R+D+i in Cantabria, created in 2007 as a mixed centre,

with joint ownership between the University of Cantabria, the Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC)

and the Government of Cantabria, for research into the field of basic and applied technology, becoming the

central element of the International Campus of Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB) in CCI.

IBBTEC’s mission is to carry out scientific research in excellence and at the same time develop an important

transfer activity in technology, also providing services in the work area.

The research activity of the Institute considers 2 important lines of basic research, Cellular Transduction and

Microbiology. These lines cover fields such as Biology of Development, Neurobiology, Molecular Oncology,

Immunology and Molecular Microbiology (research of great relevance and importance has been carried out

in the last year by some of its researchers, among them M. Ros and P. Crespo). In a transversal way,

research in IBBTEC considers an important component of genomic approximation.

IBBTEC with head offices in the Scientific-Technological Park of Cantabria (PCTCAN) was already born with

the objective of becoming a reference centre and the focus of attraction for biology-based companies,

especially those in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and agro-alimentary sectors. In this sense, the

agreement for creation considers the existence of a Specialized Unit for Diagnosis and Biological Evaluation,

responsible for activities which are more connected with transfer and which will receive the activity with a

more applied character within the research groups, encouraging research to be expressed as patents and in

technological transfer. Two examples of this wish to carry out applied research are the immediate setting-

up of a Sequencing Service, backed by the Government of Cantabria, and the creation of a Service for the

Evaluation of Medicine, considered and approved in the Strategic Plan of the Institute, which will

consolidate the already existing collaboration with companies in that sector.

IBBTEC has been designed to house, at full capacity, between 20 and 25 work groups, half of whom would be

advised by researchers in CSIC, and with more than 150 researchers. At the present moment, 10 research


groups belong to the Institute, developing their work temporarily in the Medicine Faculty (5 are from the

University and 5 are from CSIC) and all of them were chosen by an international external Committee.

At this moment, a building with a total surface area of 6,000m2, divided into 4 floors and a basement is

being built by CSIS. This will be the head office of the Institute in PCTCAN. After the specific official

announcements and obtaining permits, work began last October and it is estimated that it will be finished by

Summer 2011 (objective B4.11). However, due to limits in the budget, the current approved plan considers

that the third floor will remain open-plan, without dividing it or building any further pipes than those that

are common within the building. This fact represents a clear limitation for the development of the scientific

and technological project of the Institute (see Annex 1-Letter CSIC) for several reasons.

a) It limits the possibilities to attract and install new research groups in Cantabria; the scientific growth

project of the Institute requires the use of the whole of the new building.

b) It clearly makes it difficult for the immediate development of the Unit for Diagnosis and Biological

Evaluation, which is hoped to be given a physical area of its own: dividing and equipping the third

floor is necessary in order to reserve the mentioned space. If this is not so, the possibilities of

transfer and application of results would be seriously affected.

c) If construction work currently being carried out does not divide the new floor, doing it afterwards

would cause very serious and non-feasible problems for the life of the Institute because for a long

time research activities and construction work would have to co-exist.

It is calculated that the necessary investment for the distribution and finishing of the above-mentioned

floor (total surface of 1,000 m2, usable space 750 m2), plus cost of equipment and work cost is

approximately 1,823,862 Euros, throughout a 12-month period.


3. UC-FIRE RESEARCH CENTER

This action is contemplated within the CCI in the International Technological Campus (CIT), and in its

presentation for improvements it refers specifically to a line of research and fire prevention supported by

CENIT projects, professional associations and companies such as ADIF or Metro. Likewise, within CIT

development it appears as objective B4.15, “Provide spaces for fire research”.

There are well-founded reasons of strategy and opportunity for it to materialize in this moment, since the

contacts it currently has with Santander Town Council for the development of this project have allowed

some land to be identified, which the Town Council will make available to the University of Cantabria for

the construction of the Fire Research Center, showing particular sensitivity towards this infrastructure.

The extraordinary activity of the GIDAI group in recent years, as well as the support of other public and

private organisms and the high level of internationalization obtained, make this action become a priority.

Recently, the GIDAI Group – Fire Safety – Research and Technology, has been developing intense research

work, one of technologic and educational transfer, in a position of national and international level in this

area of scientific-technological knowledge. The capacity for generating resources for research for the

GIDAI Group has been especially intense. Likewise, stable cooperation has been strengthened in the

public-private sector, with multiple Collaboration Agreements, emphasizing amongst others those

formalized with the General Railway Management, Ministry of Public Works (Dirección General de

Ferrocarriles del Ministerio de Fomento), RENFE Operadora, Metro de Madrid, Riofisa, FCC, Center for

Aeronautical Technologies, etc. and with regional-based companies. Likewise, in the context of this

undertaking, the technology-based company MSC, S.L. and the recent company IRTech, S.L. have been

created. Scientific productivity has notably increased in recent years.

An investment of more than 1 million Euros has been carried out the University of Cantabria and this has

allowed the materialization of outstanding research infrastructures which are unique in our country. Full

equipment for laboratories designed for the combustion of materials and a full-scale calorimeter will be

available. These infrastructures have to complement the ones that are necessary in order to develop

other fire trials in conditions of final use, small-scale physical models by means of a dimensional

similarity, experimentation of the answer of advanced systems against fires, analysis by means of infrared


thermography techniques, equipment for the behavioural study in emergency evacuation processes and

remarkable processing resources for computational modeling, for which the Altamira Node in RES is

already being used.

The integral development of this entire Project, with adequate installations, outwith University buildings

and the strengthening of the actions in this field which have a great social repercussion, is the reason why

creation of this CENTRE is being requested.

The construction and setting-up of the UC-Fire Research Center has the mission of guaranteeing the

growth of research capacity and knowledge transfer, generating an international pole of scientific

excellence in Cantabria, devoted to improving knowledge about the Dynamics of Fire and Combustion,

Fire Safety and the safety of people during emergency evacuation processes, with the aim of offering its

services to society. The centre will be established as unique in Spain and one of international reference,

having previously obtained financing for a great part of the necessary scientific equipment.

The UC-FRC will be promoted for collaboration with other International Reference Centres, in particular with

the BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering, University of Edinburgh (UK), the University of Maryland (USA),

the University of California-Berkeley (USA) y the Industrial Research Chair in Fire Safety Engineering,

University of Carleton (Canada)..

(See Annex II-Documents for support and collaboration of Professional Associations/Companies/Foreign

Universities).

It is calculated that the necessary investment for construction of the CENTER (total surface of 1,000 m2,

usable space 750 m2), is approximately 1,810,000 Euros, throughout a 12-month period.


4. ACTIONS DESIGNED FOR THE MATERIALIZATION AND DESIGN OF NEW STRATEGIC CENTERS OF

REFERENCE.

These actions correspond to Objective B2.5. “Programme for Strategic Research and Transfer Centers”

(CEITs), key factors for promoting the creation of multi-disciplinary research centers linked to areas of

excellence with active participation of non-university members and transfer capacity and aimed at R+D+Ii

transfer.

They are mainly established in two cases: the first case corresponds to programmes B2.6 and B2.7 integrated

in CCI and the second one corresponds to B2.15, with an effect on CIT and the Campus of Water and Energy,

CIAE in environmental aspect and optimization of resources.

4.1. PUBLIC-PRIVATE CENTEN IN TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORKS AND SERVICES

The Community of Cantabria occupies one of the leading positions in the paradigm of an intelligent city with

the SmartSantander Project. In this integrated project, belonging to the 7th Framework Programme,

there are 14 European members and an Australian one, as well as multinational companies such as Ericsson,

Alcatel-Lucent, Telefónica, EON…… This places Santander and the Community in the display window of

technologists, operators and manufacturers of telecommunication equipment, given that it offers an

infrastructure of massive experimentation which is open to the community, not only scientific, international.

As its name shows, the Project deals with experimentation in the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) in the

area of the city, involving the participation of all the agents who conform to the value chain in such an

experiment.

The availability of an experimentation platform with 20,000 devices belonging to the IoT world makes it

easier for the International Campus of Technology to have a privileged position in which most ICT groups add

synergy together with companies in order for the project to come into line with the different vectors, so that

the concept smart city becomes a singular and distinguishing fact of Santander and Cantabria with regards to

other competitors at an international level. This also allows the implication in the project of Collaborating

Institutions in the International Campus of Excellence, such as Santander Bank, which on supporting


Cantabria for the installation of its Data-Processing Centre (CPD) is creating important synergies in this area

such as that which has allowed collaboration in the IBM project.

This framework justifies only too well the creation of a centre of excellence as a public-private collaboration

aimed at research and innovation in telecommunication networks and services and which acts as a meeting

point for all the above-mentioned actors, with the aim of materializing this distinguishing concept,

constructed around the SmartSantander platform.

750,000 euros are requested for the Project and development of the first actions aimed at its

materialization.

4.2. PROJECT: R+D+i CENTER FOR THE SUSTAINABLE USE OF GEO-DIVERSITY RESOURCES.

This centre is conceived as a joint initiative of the Government of Cantabria, the University of Cantabria and

the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME), together with companies connected with the sector of

exploration, exploitation and transformation of geological-mining resources, as well as the use of other

resources in the geo-diversity. It remains transversally classified in CCI within the areas of CIT, CIAE, CIFMA

and CIBFA.

The fundamental mission of the centre would be to promote carrying out R+D+I activities, aimed at

achieving the development of related sectors, directly or indirectly, with the use, transformation and

conservation of resources within geo-diversity, in accordance with sustainable guidelines, all with the

general idea of contributing to creating employment and economic activity in the region, as well as

improving the quality of the area.

Among the specific objectives of the Center are the following:

Research about geological materials with potential for mining exploitation in Cantabria, with an

improvement in exploitation methods and a reduction in environmental impact.


Research into methods, techniques and rehabilitation procedures, restoration and environmental

recuperation of areas deteriorated by mining or other activities, and the development of models and

activities for conservation and an evaluation of non-consumer geo-diversity resources.

Research about and development into geothermic energy in Cantabria.

Follow-up activities, audits, assessment and whenever necessary certification of those activities

related to the use of geo-diversity resources.

This Project is the natural consequences of work carried out about the assessment and exploitation of dry

goods by the UC Geo-dynamic Group. The location of the Center is designed to promote the Campus in

Torrelavega (Mining and Energy). Besides the University of Cantabria and IGME, the Industry Department

and the Environmental Dept. in the Government of Cantabria (See Annex II-letters of support) are also

involved. The structure of a mixed UC-IGME-GobCantabria center is proposed, the first associated IGME

center in Cantabria.

With regards to companies within the sector, they are initially identified as companies more directly involved

in future activities to those brought together in the Chamber of Mining and Solvay, S.A., amongst others.

The center will have collaboration with foreign centers of reference with similar objectives. BRGM in France

and TNO in Holland have been identified initially.

For this action 250,000 Euros is requested, aimed at the elaboration and drafting of the Project for the

Center.


(*) CODING OF ECONOMIC DATA SHEET (CEI 2010)

(**) CODING OF PROJECT CCI ECONOMIC DATA SHEET (CEI 2009)

SUBPROGRAMME OF EXCELLENCE: SUMMARY OF ACTIONS AND CONNECTION CCI PROJECT

Code (CEI

2010) (*) Description Strategic area

Line of action CCI Project

(CEI 2009) (**) Specific action CCI Project (CEI 2009) (**) Aspect Budget

B.1

Construction of an additional

Storey in the Physics Institute of

Cantabria

CIFMA B4. EQUIPMENT OF

INFRASTRUCTURES

B4.1. Programme of Scientific-Technological Infrastructures

Scientific improvement and

knowledge transfer

1.459.090,21 €

B.2

Compartmentalization and

resources of 3rd Floor Institute of

Biomedicine and Biotechnology of

Cantabria (IBBTEC)

CIBB B4. EQUIPMENT OF

INFRASTRUCTURES B4.11. CIBB. Construction of IBBTEC Head Offices


knowledge transfer 1.823.862,65 €

B.3 (UC-Fire Research Center) CIT B4. EQUIPMENT OF

INFRASTRUCTURES

B4.15. CIT. Provide Spaces for Fire Research


knowledge transfer 1.810.000,00 €

B.4.1

Public-private center in

telecommunication networks and

services

Centro público-privado en redes y

servicios de telecomunicación

CIT

B2.

STRENGTHEN RESEARCH

STRUCTURE (FEDI))

B2.5.

Programme: Strategic Reserach and Transfer Centers

(CEITs)


knowledge transfer 750.000,00 €

B2.6. CIT. CEIT in Computing and Computation

B2.7. CIT. CEIT in Information Technology

B.4.2

Project: R+D+i Center on the

sustainable use of Geodiversity

resources

CIT B2. STRENGTHEN RESEARCH

STRUCTURE (FEDI))

B2.5.Programme: Strategic Research and Transfer Centers

(CEITs)

Scientif improvement and

knowledge transfer

250.000,00 €

B2.15. Desarrollo de Nuevas Líneas de I+D+i de

Excelencia

ANNEX I

ANNEX II

Castelar, 27 Ent. Dcha. – 39004 Santander ∙ Telf.: 942 211 385 ∙ Fax: 942 365 371∙ Email: [email protected]

Presidente

UNIVERSIDAD DE CANTABRIA

VICERRECTORADO DE INVESTIGACIÓN

Sr. D. José Carlos Gomez Sal

Santander, 28 de mayo de 2010

Estimado Vicerrector,

El objeto de esta carta es expresar el interés y el apoyo de la Cámara Oficial

Minera de Cantabria a la idea de creación, dentro del marco del Campus

de Excelencia Internacional, de un centro de I+D+i dedicado a los temas

relacionados con el uso sostenible de los recursos de la Geodiversidad

(GEODIVERSICANT), tanto los de tipo extractivo como los patrimoniales.

En diversas reuniones mantenidas con el profesor Cendrero sobre este asunto

hemos podido apreciar que un centro de ese tipo podría contribuir de

manera apreciable al desarrollo ordenado del sector, propiciando la mejora

de las prácticas de extracción y transformación de los recursos explotables,

desde el punto de vista de la eficiencia económica y ambiental y de la

seguridad de las labores. Igualmente, ayudaría a poner en marcha acciones

de protección, conservación y puesta en valor de los recursos patrimoniales

no consumibles, por medio de estrategias que consideren de manera

integrada todos los recursos de la Geodiversidad (consumibles y no

consumibles, o extractivos y patrimoniales), con el objetivo de lograr un

balance final positivo de los servicios ambientales que de dichos recursos se

derivan.

Castelar, 27 Ent. Dcha. – 39004 Santander ∙ Telf.: 942 211 385 ∙ Fax: 942 365 371∙ Email: [email protected]

Presidente

Una característica interesante del proyecto que se nos ha presentado es la

propuesta de financiarlo a través de un gravamen de tipo finalista sobre

cada tonelada de producto vendida, cuya viabilidad legal, parece ser, ha

quedado establecida en el estudio jurídico realizado al efecto. Se nos ha

comentado también que ese gravamen, que debería ser aprobado por el

Gobierno de Cantabria y recaudado por las empresas del sector,

representaría un incremento ínfimo del coste de aquello a lo que los recursos

minerales se dedican (edificios, infraestructuras, productos de

transformación) dada la pequeña contribución de estos materiales a los

costes finales. No obstante, al ser los volúmenes extraídos muy importantes, la

cantidad que se podría obtener es considerable, y no recaería sobre los

presupuestos públicos.

Por todo ello, la Cámara Oficial Minera de Cantabria, que agrupa al 99% de

las empresas que se dedican a la extracción o primera transformación de

recursos minerales, estaría interesada en incorporarse a esa iniciativa, y

colaboraría en el desarrollo de sus actividades.

En fases subsiguientes del proceso se podrá definir la modalidad y ámbito de

dicha colaboración.

Reciba un atento saludo,

J. Ramón Berasategui Moreno