The Minister of Research and Universities, Joaquim Nadal, the Director General of Research Joan Gómez Pallarès and the Director of CERCA, Laia Pellejà, met today with the directors of the 42 centres that are part of the CERCA system. Nadal congratulated the centres that have recently achieved the distinction of Severo Ochoa centres of excellence and highlighted the positive spiral of the CERCA system.

The new Director, Laia Pellejà, took the opportunity to outline some points of her project, which begins with getting to know “the centres, their research, histories, and concerns” in detail. Among the priorities is the renewal of the assessment system, which will be worked on jointly with the centres. At the same time, she wants the institution to be seen as a reference point that helps to resolve doubts and implement joint policies.

With a clear international orientation, Pellejà emphasised the prominent position of the CERCA system in global rankings, stating that “as a system, we are unstoppable.” However, she recognises the need to increase the visibility of the centres among the public, and therefore, she will emphasise communication so that students and future researchers become familiar with and embrace the system. Alongside the science law, Pellejà will also implement language policies, gender equality plans, and technology transfer plans.