MWCC has participated in the presentation of the Cotec Foundation Yearbook 2023. The Yearbook compiles some of the experiences that have been launched in recent years and the knowledge that has been generated around two territorial areas: that of the development of rural areas as response to depopulation; and that of urban development as a challenge of sustainability, equity and coexistence.

Over the next few years, Fundación COTEC will launch it in six small rural communities -A rúa (Ourense); Bugedo (Burgos); Cuevas del Becerro (Málaga); Cervera del Río Alhama (La Rioja); Moraleja (Cáceres); and Carrizosa (Ciudad Real) – initiatives that aim to become “demonstrations” of the circular economy in water, waste and food and to study the impact of additive manufacturing or 3D printing in rural areas.

Cotec’s proposal, which is going to be launched with several companies and the Higher Council for Scientific Research, opens the possibility that some rural communities can even get ahead of urban environments in certain uses and pilot the value of some of the latest technological advances.

Cotec’s latest leading indicator on investment in Research and Development by all economic agents in Spain would have grown by 9 percent last year, which represents the second highest growth rate in the last 14 years.

In absolute terms, the figure for investment in knowledge would have exceeded 18,000 million euros for the first time and would be close to 19,000, but the Foundation has observed that these very positive figures are being recorded in a period of implementation of European funds. Next Generation.

Despite this strong increase in investment that occurred last year, R&D has not increased its weight in the national GDP, and could even have decreased by one hundredth, standing at 1.42 percent of the GDP. and the foundation sees the Government’s objective of placing the Spanish economy at an investment in R&D of 2.12 percent by 2027 as very ambitious and difficult to achieve, advancing convergence with the European Union.

MWCC is an entity linked to COTEC, linked to innovation and sustainability. It is an entity that is committed to urban solutions that improve the quality of life of citizens.