The Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) is a public foundation under the Ministry of Science and Innovation. FECYT was founded in 2001 with the aim of promoting scientific research of excellence as well as the development and technological innovation necessary to increase the competitiveness of Spanish industry and improve the quality of life of citizens, encouraging collaboration between agents involved in R & D and the dissemination and communication of research and innovation results. FECYT’s vision: A Society committed to science as a key value for its development and well-being. FECYT’s mission statement: FECYT aims to strengthen the link between science and society through actions that promote open and inclusive science, scientific culture and education, responding to the needs and challenges of the Spanish Science, Technology and Innovation System.
FECYT and Science Diplomacy: The Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) is a founding member of the EU Science Diplomacy Alliance for Addressing Global Challenges that promotes the integration of science diplomacy and its practices in the EU provide training and institutional capacity development. FECYT has been part of the EU funded project “Using science for/in addressing global challenges-S4D4C”, promoting and leading the “Madrid Declaration on Science Diplomacy”, a common vision of science diplomacy in the future, that emphasizes the benefits science diplomacy can bring to tackling the global challenges of our time, and outlines the principles needed to foster science diplomacy worldwide. It has been supported by hundreds of experts from all over the world. FECYT was deeply involved in the first science diplomacy massive open online course “European Science Diplomacy online course“ , with more than 6000 Trainees and interested users, and the series of 6 interactive webinars about the modules of the course, with over 1000 participants from over 100 countries. Finally, FECYT science diplomacy activities overall aim is to support current and future Spanish science diplomacy for the benefit of Spanish and European capacities and especially to address global challenges.
