OECD Survey on the STI policy responses to Covid-19

⇤ OECD Survey on the STI policy responses to Covid-19

Spain

Updated on: 2020-04-01

	Response
Q1A. What arrangements, if any, do you have in place to ensure scientific advice informs national policy and decision making in relation to Covid-19?	Since March 14th, the Alarm State Managing Board is composed namely by Health, Defense, Home Office and Transportation Ministries. The Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICIN) provides scientific and technical support to the Presidency and to the Managing Board. Scientific advice and research and technical capabilities on COVID-19 are provided mainly by: (i) the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), depending on the Ministry for Science and Innovation (MICIN) and attached to the Ministry of Health, responsible for funding and executing national biomedical research, and housing the National Center of Epidemiology; and (ii) CSIC, that has also mobilized its capabilities in biological and health research, including international reference research centers such as the National Centre of Biotechnology. The government has appointed six highly recognized clinical experts and scientist, mainly in the epidemiology field, as members of the Spanish “COVID-19 Scientific and Technical Committee”, to inform policy making and provide scientific advice to the government management board. https://www.msn.com/es-es/noticias/espan... The Ministry of Science and Innovation has also established a set of critical infrastructures and RDI centers to continue their work on Covid-19. Similar initiatives to provide the best available scientific knowledge are being promote by Research Performing Organizations such as CSIC establishing a specialized scientific advisory group among CSIC researchers. Information and reports from Ministry of Science and Innovation: http://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MI... Cvid reports developed by the Institute of Health Carlos III: https://www.isciii.es/QueHacemos/Servici...
Q1B. In what ways, if any, are you coordinating on Covid-19 STI responses at international level?	Research on COVID-19 requires international collaboration at different levels, but concerted actions for STI policies are still under discussion. Spain throughout the Ministry for Science and Innovation is actively participating in the definition of a common European and international response to COVID-19 in the domain of research and innovation, to accelerate results and joint efforts in order to avoid fragmentation and duplication. Spanish research groups actively involved in the European COVID-19 Horizon 2020 Call include: participation in a multidisciplinary network I-MOVE-COVID-19 (ISCIII); modelling projects such as RiPCoN (IRB) and EXSCALATE4CoV (BSC), diagnostic such as CONVAT (CIN2-CSIC); and treatment projects Solnatide (IRB) and MANCO (CNB-CSIC). Spain participates in established European fora and platforms including the Health Policy Platform and its Health Security Committee, while shows its commitment to participate in a dedicated space on the Health Policy Platform (HPP) for research teams to share information as soon as it will be set up by the EC. Spain also has particular interest in setting up a Working Group on Clinical Case Management (including diagnosis; treatment etc.) under the auspices of the Health Security Committee, where Spain asked for the EU wide support in terms of health professionals (https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health...). STI priorities, as supported by MICIN, should focus in an EU and international coordinated action on COVID-19 in the short, medium and long term, though in the short-term urgent action is required. In the short term Spain’ priorities include: (1) Addition of laboratory testing – strategies, capacities in Member States; (2) Digital solutions for healthcare advice and prompt sharing of clinical practices; (3) full open access to research results and research data; (4) Additional public funding for research and innovation in COVID-19 both EU and national sources, in full synergy. (5) Set up a platform to coordinate R&I activities and national, EU and international level including specific areas such as vaccines, clinical trials, treatments as well as mapping of ongoing research activities. (6) Promote the use of super computing capacities (i.e. Barcelona Supercomputing Center) and shared services at European and international levels. In addition, different European groups and initiatives are promoting actions to gather information in specific areas of STI and establish common actions to work jointly. For instance in the context of ESFRI (European Forum for Research Infrastructures) a dedicated site will be deployed to open European and National Research Infrastructures to demands of research on COVID-19, specific access calls, activities in place, etc. EOSC (European Open Science Cloud) initiative is implementing different kind of actions to offer services in base the capacities already available to compute and share data to cope with matters related to the Coronavirus, and foresee to coordinate resources and services at European, national and regional level. Other research specific fora in which Spain actively support EU cooperation include Horizon 2020’ program committees aimed at establishing proper administrative measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the research community (suspending calls; stopping cost and GA administrative procedures; considering a flexible allocation of research funds directly to Covid-19 funds, etc. The Ministry for Science and Innovation is participating through Agencia SINC of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) in the European Science-Media Hub of the European Parliament to compile a list of reliable information sources, ranging from recognized official international webpages providing daily updates, to data and maps, as well as a selection of resources tailored for reporters and for tackling the spread of disinformation on the topic.
Q2.Do you have dedicated arrangements in place for communicating science advice and for refuting misleading information to the public on Covid-19?	The Spanish government through the Ministry of Health’ web page offers specific information on COVID-19 addressing health professionals, citizens and the press. The Ministry of Science and Innovation’ web page gathers all relevant information regarding scientific actions taken at national level on COVID-19 including main initiatives and impact in current calls. The Carlos III Institute of Health also provides updates on the epidemiologic data that are made available on this website. To refute misleading information, the COVID-19 Scientific Analysis Group, with the support of ISCIII specialists, provides information on scientific advances and possible hoaxes and rumors that may arise. This communication is made available through the Cabinet of the Minister of Science and Innovation (MICIN) in coordination with the Secretary of State for Communication. The Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), hosted by MICIN, also contributes to communicate scientific advances on COVID-19: • The SINC agency is refuting potentially misleading information to the public on COVID-19, and together with ScienceFlows is conducting an analysis on the characteristics of hoaxes and fake news about COVID-19. And together with the European Science-Media Hub the agency has compiled a list of sources, ranging from recognized official international webpages providing daily updates, to data and maps, as well as a selection of resources tailored for reporters and for tackling the spread of disinformation on the topic). • The ScienceTruck scientific dissemination program and YouTube channel for youngsters, starring YouTubers, which FECYT broadcasts live from secondary schools throughout Spain. A special con Covid-19 is planned. • Additional information on international activities of FECYT are included in Section Q1B. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Agenda has been commissioned to provide a new specialized web page, supporting the Ministry of Health, to provide the best available knowledge and evidence and refuse the hoaxes and rumors and fight misleading information. Relevant information at: • https://www.mscbs.gob.es • http://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MI... • https://www.agenciasinc.es/tag/covid-19
Q3. What new STI policy measures, if any, is your country taking to respond specifically to the Covid-19 crisis?	The Royal Decree-Law 8/2020, of 17 March, on extraordinary urgent measures to deal with the economic and social impact of the new corona virus COVID-19, has included the creation of new budget line of specific R&D funding with 30 million Euros for public research institutions. The Royal Decree Law has also included a dedicated CDTI budget line to provide up to 500 M€ in direct support to mid-caps and SMEs throughout partially reimbursable grants, with no need for any financial guarantee or collateral, seeking to facilitate access to capital for ongoing R&I projects or innovations needed to face the COVID 19 consequences. The Spanish research against COVID-19 is competitive and will bring results with the purpose to strengthen it in the research for the COVID-19 different measures has been put in Place: • The Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) which depends on the Ministry of Science and Innovation, has launched the COVID-19 call to finance research projects on the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the disease it causes, COVID-19. This call will have 24 million euros available, as approved by Royal Decree-Law 8/2020, of 17 March, on extraordinary urgent measures to deal with the economic and social impact of the new coronavirus. With this new resources, the ISCIII, as a health research funding body, will develop an urgent program of aid for projects and programs that aim to generate knowledge about the infection: to analyze and know the biology of the virus; to develop new therapeutic and prophylactic options, including vaccines; to develop an epidemiological surveillance system and to analyze its impact from the point of view of the health services. Research areas The initiatives presented, which may be based on projects already under development or be new initiatives, should focus on the following areas: • Development of techniques for rapid virological diagnosis of COVID-19, transferable to the industrial field and applicable to health care, with a priority focus on the diagnosis of early stages of infection and the management of severe cases to optimize stratification and health care. • Clinical, biological and molecular characterization of the disease, with analysis of clinical stages, prognostic stratification and possible complications. • Development of innovative therapies, new antiviral, antiseptic and disinfectant molecules against SARS-CoV-2; studies of antiviral resistance and the effectiveness of non-pharmacological, prophylactic and therapeutic interventions. • Characterization of SARS-CoV-2, knowledge of genetic and antigenic variation of the virus and management of the immune response and virus-host interaction. • Development of vaccines, analysis of their efficacy and applicability • Epidemiological surveillance and molecular study of COVID-19, with analysis of the incidence of mortality, morbidity and lethality; study of environmental and social factors of the spread, risk factors and population dynamics of the infection. • Use of artificial intelligence tools and massive analysis of integrated data oriented to the epidemiological control of the COVID-19. • Socio-economic impact of the disease: use of primary care resources, general hospital resources and critical care resources. Research projects must respect the fundamental principles established in the current wording of the Declaration of Helsinki, promulgated by the World Medical Association, in the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, in the UNESCO Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights, as well as comply with the requirements established in Spanish legislation in the field of biomedical research, personal data protection and bioethics. In addition, the National Biotechnology Centre (CNB) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) will receive 4.45 million € for coronavirus research. CSIC is going to promote the development of its current research and advance in protection strategies against SARS-CoV2. CNB is a worldwide pioneer in a method for cloning viruses that allows them to be genetically manipulated to attenuate their virulence and achieve a vaccine. The team led by professors Luis Enjuanes and Isabel Sola is already working on a project to study the mechanisms of pathogenesis of the new coronavirus. The CNB project has six objectives: to generate basic tools and experimental models for the development of protection strategies; identification and testing of antiviral compounds for the treatment of SARS-CoV2; development of specific monoclonal antibodies for protection against the infection; development of the next generation of vaccine candidates; molecular, structural and functional characterization, and computer modeling to understand the spread of the new coronavirus. The ISCIII, the CNB and other research centers have been declared critical health infrastructures and therefore remain fully operational for COVID-19 research. In the domain of “clinical trials” related with the COVID19 the Spanish Agency for Drugs and Health Products (Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios (AEMPS) has authorized two new clinical trials with a new molecule (remdesivir) for patients with severe respiratory disease. The Ministry of Health is also involved in clinical trials with WHO with drugs related to HVI. All relevant information is available at https://www.aemps.gob.es/la-aemps/ultima.... ---Innovation--- MICIN throughout CDTI – Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology- has been launching extraordinary measures to contribute to the fight against COVID19 and to support business R&I activities and capacities to prevent the slowdown of innovation in Spain, protect business R&I employment and maintain the competitiveness of the Spanish economy through innovation. Actions are part of current CDTI programs, and special attention will be paid to those proposals that may contribute to COVID19 health emergency. The measures adopted include: 1. Exemption from guarantees (from March 14, 2020) requested in partially reimbursable grants for R&I projects of SMEs and midcaps ranging from 0,5-1,0 Million EUROS for SMEs, to 3 Million EUROS for midcaps. For R&I projects related to products considered emergency by the Government in relation to COVID-19, the exemption of guarantees will be doubled. This measure will mobilize around 500 million EUROS. 2. Fast track for proposals in order to help business to maintain its R&i initiatives and prioritizing projects related to COVID19 products. 3. Flexible administrative procedures: (1) extension of justification periods by one month for finalizing projects; (2) flexibility in the repayment of partially reimbursable grants; 4. From March 14, 2020 to June 30, 2020: exemption of payment of interests on principal and/or ordinary for companies benefiting from partially reimbursable grants, when the payment is made within a maximum period of 4 months from it is due. This measure will only be applicable to companies that have a valid loan contract with CDTI. 5. Expansion of the “Direct Expansion Line (LIC-A)” currently limited to Andalusia, Canary Islands, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Comunidad Valenciana (excluding the city of Valencia), Extremadura, Galicia and Region of Murcia, to the entire national territory 6. Flexibility of criteria for accessing to “Innvierte Coinversión” (until June 30, 2020) to especially support SMEs and facilitate access to capital through CDTI co-investment mechanism. CDTI will accelerate time to funding -the minimum time from investors’ analysis to approval-. Innvierte's initial minimum investment requirement is reduced to 250,000 EUROS, jointly considering all investors are leveraged. For actions aimed at technological developments related to COVID19, Innvierte investments may be below 250,000 EUROS to accelerate innovative projects uptake. Relevant information at: http://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MI... https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/serviciosde... http://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MI...
Q4A. At national level, what mechanisms are you developing or relying upon to bring together different STI actors (researchers, industry, government, health sector, foundations, etc.) to effectively collaborate on responses to Covid-19?	The government and different ministries have started to develop joint strategies with different actors involved in research, industrial technologies and innovation. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation has started to develop agreements with business associations regarding some dimension of the responses. For example, with the telecom operators to guarantee the connectivity in the network, to explore the use of AI tools applied to the personal cell phones to monitor the diffusion of contagious, etc. The Ministry of Industry has also started negotiations with sectoral business associations that represent to switch current production lines to produce manufacturing health products. The main initiatives developed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation are already detailed in Q1A. The Ministry of Science and Innovation and Ministry of Industry are also coordinating different innovation initiatives to foster collaboration with the industrial sector in order to provide health and sanitary products and services such as health monitoring apps; respiratory devices; and the elaboration of Individual protection equipment.
Q4B. At international level, what mechanisms are you developing or relying upon to bring together different STI actors (researchers, industry, government, health sector, foundations, etc.) to effectively collaborate on responses to Covid-19?	The main initiatives developed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation are already detailed in Q1B. The Ministry of Science and Innovation has also joined international efforts to ensure open access to scientific publications on COVID-19. Spain has joined the declaration signed by USA, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Portugal, Singapore and the United Kingdom, to promote access to all the information published on the coronavirus pandemic, a key effort to contain SARS-VOC-2 and reduce its impact. The European Commission will also establish that all the publications supported by EU R&I funds should be open access, excepting the rules of commercial publication rights. At the suggestion of Australia, Spain has supported the study of the possibility of also exempting global patent regulation, with the aim of speeding up the licensing and technology transfer processes, in order to manufacture certain products worldwide. Most of the European groups, committees and initiatives continuing operating during the containment period. Many of them intend to share initiatives put in place and exchange lessons learnt in the different European and third countries in different domains in relation the COVID-19, e.g. in ESFRI context, an exercise has been launched to learn about how national research infrastructures are managing the crisis and what resources are being offered to work in the different aspects related to the health crisis, national delegates (i.e. ministry or funding agencies' public employees) responsible for the RIs policies in their countries gather relevant information from national RIs managers and users.
Q5. What novel approaches, if any, is your country using to address the coronavirus crisis (e.g. use of machine learning, open science initiatives boosting access and sharing of data and research results, development and use of prediction models, etc.)?	Different measures have been put in place, in particular in the EOSC framework EOSC Synergy H2020 project that is coordinated by Spain a new COVID19 Galaxy service has been implemented. https://www.eosc-synergy.eu/covid19-gala... The service supports researchers who wish to run computational models for modelling and analysing the current SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. The computation is steered via the Galaxy Portal. The platform offers a series of datasets collections, although every user can download its own data: • All Coronavirus sequences from the China National Centre for Bioinformatics (CNCB) – nearly 40K sequences. • The collection of 961 2019-NCOV samples from China National Centre for Bioinformatics (CNCB) • A reference genome of the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan-Hu-1, accession number NC_045512.2. • The collection of 170 SARS-CoV-2 samples from Genebank • Reference genome indexes for bwa, gatk and bowtie2 for the NC_045512.2 SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan-Hu-1, can be built.
Q6A. What impact on the STI system do you anticipate in the short-, medium- and long-term, and what measures are you implementing to address those?	In the short term, the COVID-19 sanitary crisis is having a dramatic negative impact at the Spanish economy and to the Spanish System for Science and Innovation also. Currently, it has stopped or slowed down the current calls and the administrative procedures. The economic impact will be translated in difficulties to follow the positive investment trends of our systems. More importantly, at the strategic level. Currently Spain is finishing the future Strategy for Science and Innovation and health sector will be part of the main challenges. At short and medium-term at the economic level. After the economic crisis, while Spain showed a positive path of economic growth it was slowly advancing in terms of investments towards RDI policies. Regarding Research and Innovation (R&I), Spain remains a ‘moderate innovator’ with declining-flat overall performance relative to that of the EU. However, while the central government budget for R&I has been growing slightly since 2013 and the relative level remains very low and with modest intensity of the Spanish Business Expenditure on Research and Development (BERD). Thus, the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis will impact in the recovery public and private investment with, perhaps, a window of opportunity in the health sector due to the strength in the centers, initiatives, groups and projects in the sanitary area.
Q6B. Is support of the STI system part of planned stimulus packages aimed at supporting the economy?	The Government has started to approve stimulus packages. The first one was included in the Royal Decree-Law 8/2020, of 17 March, on extraordinary urgent measures to deal with the economic and social impact of the new coronavirus. The main focus of this first package has been proving loans and soft credit lines for business and reducing the effect of economic and social damage of the containment strategy adopted. As reported in previous questions specific EUR 30 million new R&D funding was approved and up to 500 million € soft loans for innovation companies was approved for carry on related COVID19 projects. New stimulus packages are under study. The main initiatives developed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation are described in Q1A.
Q7. Is there anything else regarding the STI policy response to Covid-19 in your country you would like to mention?	The effective coordination of the different STI policies with regions could be a challenge as health policy is a competence of the regions.