It is truly a pleasure as always to be here in Valencia and a real honor to officially inaugurate this Congress, organized by the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. An outstanding event that gathers almost 4,000 participants from more than one hundred countries from all over the world.
So allow me to give all of you the warmest welcome to the city and region of Valencia, and generally to the Kingdom of Spain; a country that is strongly committed to research and innovation, and has ─as this International Congress also demonstrates─ an increasing interest in applied mathematics.
In light of the great effort this occasion entails, I would sincerely like to congratulate ICIAM and the Likewise, I cared and congratulate the achievements recognized today by ICIAM in the 2019 edition of its Prizes. Spanish Society of Applied Mathematics on putting this splendid event together.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am happy to wish you all a very pleasant stay in this hospitable and joyful city, which is already full into its summer mode and has so much to offer those of you who have some time to spare or choose to stay-on for a vacation.
Valencia is home to abundant talent and creativity, in entrepreneurship, the arts, sciences, trade and sports, all of which have seen great examples of excellence and endeavor. It is a city actively engaged in promoting technological progress, environmental development, marine conservation and an overall stronger feeling and interest in science. With this commitment, it is no surprise that it has earned the title of “City of Science and Innovation”: an honor bestowed by the Spanish Government to those cities that show true leadership in their support for innovation. For example by defining specific policies and promoting organizations, institutions and local companies with a strong focus on science, technology and innovation.
Our host today, the University of Valencia, is a key player in this commitment, as are all the universities of this Autonomous Community. Without the role played by universities, without their capability to both generate knowledge and transfer it to society, scientific and technological progress would simply not be possible. I sincerely thank the UV for welcoming us here today and for collaborating in the organization of this important event.
Valencia and the Valencian society also show their strong commitment to science and innovation at the yearly King Jaime I Awards ceremony, which the Queen and I are delighted to attend quite often. These awards have, for over 30 years, been paying tribute to the work and talent of individuals who devote their lives to making the world a better place, by fighting against a variety of diseases, by protecting the environment, by enhancing new technologies, or by creating wealth and generating competitiveness.
During these past 30 years, the King Jaime I Awards ─whose juries have included a good number of Nobel Laureates─ have become an unmissable event for Spanish science: a magnificent opportunity to highlight the importance of research, innovation and entrepreneurship in a modern, developed, and forward-thinking society such as ours. However, frankly speaking, one could say the same about any one of our countries.
"...I believe events like this are also a great opportunity to go further. To encourage all those involved in our science and technology system, public and private to persevere; to reach out and harness any way possible for us to be more effective and efficient in generating, attracting and retaining scientific talent, and in channeling the adequate resources for them to do their job successfully. Bottom line, to make this truly a strategic aim for our country..."
The inauguration today of this very important International Congress here in Valencia can also be read as a strong acknowledgement of the valuable research that is being carried out in our country, allow me to bring little with some feats.
Over the past few decades, Spain has attained a key position in terms of scientific output, generating over 3% of global publications. Our researchers are internationally recognized. Some of our research centers, renowned for the quality of their infrastructure, are world leaders in their fields. Spain is increasingly present in major international organizations, and our contribution to Europe’s achievements in science and innovation are ever greater thanks to the hard work and competitiveness of our scientists and institutions ─both public and private─ like universities or corporations.
Similarly, Spanish mathematics is enjoying remarkable good health and is highly valued. The Shanghai Ranking Consultancy has listed three Spanish institutions among the top 100 universities for Mathematics in 2019. Moreover, Spanish research centres such as the Basque Centre for Applied Mathematics, the Instituto de Ciencias Matemáticas, and the Barcelona Graduate School of Mathematics, have led the Spanish mathematical research to rank 7th in the world by number of citations.
In fact, mathematics is today one of Spain’s greatest assets in science and innovation. This discipline produces high-quality basic science, but it as you all well know will also serve more and more every day as a vector for technological development and innovation regarding major challenges in basic areas such as health, energy supply, biodiversity and environmental sustainability.
Mathematics is especially relevant in technologies associated with AI (artificial intelligence), a field in which Spain and Europe are making a considerable effort at all levels. In this context, data science is particularly significant, as it enables the mining of useful information from the data we generate, through statistical tools and machine learning. That’s where all those famous algorithms one into play.
According to the experts, it is an undisputed fact that in the past two years, we have produced a greater volume of data at a global level than throughout all preceding periods. The real revolution lies in the possibility of harnessing these data to improve people’s lives. There are endless examples: like designing cars that analyze data on the surrounding environment so that they are able to drive themselves, help you avoid risks, or call-in for maintenance. In health, by creating algorithms capable of making diagnostic decisions by interpreting x-rays or genetic information… and so on.
Furthermore, important sectors, such as finance, railways, aerospace and energy, use mathematics intensively and, therefore, need to employ mathematicians. This has unquestionably contributed to make the double major in physics and mathematics become the most popular degree option in Spain for the past five years.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Apart from recognizing and highlighting the value and level of our scientific effort and results, I believe events like this are also a great opportunity to go further. To encourage all those involved in our science and technology system, public and private (i.e., researchers, technicians, decision makers, teachers, sponsors…) to persevere; to reach out and harness any way possible for us to be more effective and efficient in generating, attracting and retaining scientific talent, and in channeling the adequate resources for them to do their job successfully. Bottom line, to make this truly a strategic aim for our country.
Señoras y señores,
Su labor es fundamental para el futuro de nuestra sociedad. Así lo entendemos todos y por eso no hemos querido dejar de asistir a esta importante cita, a la que tan amablemente nos han invitado sus organizadores. Les agradezco que hayan elegido Valencia para organizar este evento: no se arrepentirán. Les deseamos un trabajo muy fructífero y unos días inolvidables en nuestro país.
Muchas gracias. Thank you very much. Moltes gracies.