AseBio, AESEMI, COTEC, and Secpho request the new Government to establish a High Commissioner for Deep Strategic Technologies

Europe is at a turning point regarding its future. Following significant events such as the health crisis caused by Covid-19, the war in Ukraine, and crucial challenges like climate change, strategic dependencies have been highlighted in key supply chains in fundamental areas such as healthcare, food, and energy. In this context, advancing towards strategic autonomy is one of the established priorities for Spain. An objective for which the European Commission has focused on deep strategic technologies.

In this regard, the European Commission has initiated a review process to identify the risk of dependence in four areas considered crucial for the future of Europe: biotechnology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and quantum technology. These four technologies have been selected due to their risks of dependencies and threats, but also for their transformative nature and potential to drive radical changes. Concurrently, the Commission has launched a Platform (STEP) whose mission is to support deep technologies for the development and/or manufacturing of critical technologies in the European Union.

Given the steps taken by Brussels and in a context where the challenges and opportunities facing governments are increasingly complex, requiring joint action from all actors and government levels, AseBio, the Spanish Association of the Semiconductor Industry (AESEMI), the Cotec Foundation, and Secpho, a technological innovation cluster, have joined forces as representatives in Spain of the various deep strategic technologies highlighted by the European Commission to request the new Government to create a High Commissioner for Deep Strategic Technologies.

An instrument through which to catalyze the specific needs of these fundamental areas for the achievement of Europe's strategic autonomy in a strategic and collaborative manner, focusing on concrete challenges that countries must address.

We believe that now is the time to establish a High Commissioner for Deep Strategic Technologies to propel the legacy of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, maintain the momentum of the Next-Gen funds and the PERTE, continue the legacy of the Start-ups Law, and contribute to the efforts made by the European Commission to highlight the crucial role that deep strategic technologies play in the future of Europe.

In a moment when we face interconnected global challenges that require robust responses, we argue that the creation of this High Commissioner is crucial as a coordination instrument for the policies, regulations, and tools needed to drive these critical technologies in our country.

We believe that this instrument is the ideal figure to provide an overall view, both of the problems and the solutions, to all ministerial departments involved in this challenge, thereby maximizing the results of actions developed by different ministries. In this way, the High Commissioner would respond not only to the needs of our country but also to the pressing requirements set forth by Europe.

Therefore, the proposed High Commissioner sets its objectives in the definition, selection, and promotion of deep strategic technologies in Spain, as well as in raising awareness to generate public understanding of their key role in Spain's prosperity. This instrument is tasked with monitoring and overseeing the state of these technologies in our country, as well as accompanying the nature and pace of their innovations through appropriate instruments and regulations.

In summary, the purpose behind our request for the creation of the High Commissioner is to consolidate Spain's commitment to Europe for deep strategic technologies at a critical moment for the future of the Union, where we have the responsibility to highlight all the scientific and technological potential that we can contribute from our country to the strategic autonomy of Europe.