Two-day Conference on European Research and Development Project Management

The information corresponding to the forthcoming edition of the programme will be updated shortly.

The subject known internationally as Project Management is relatively new, although it is growing in importance in the industry and services sector. As such, Project Management is becoming an essential part of many areas as a subject aimed at the management of unique and temporary activities which maximises the probability of obtaining results in the time given within a budget and of the quality expected. Although in recent years Project Management has become more established in the industrial sector, in the academic area its application has been scarce, despite the fact that in this area the concept of projects, associated with research and development, carries greater weight due to the degree of innovation and singularity that any research activity implies.

The increase in financial opportunities for research and development projects on a European level during the last ten years, an initiative of the European Commission, has favoured a growth in interest in aspects of professional project management, particularly in countries with little tradition in this area. International collaboration and the economic aspect associated with these types of projects make it necessary to face unknown aspects of management.

Although this preoccupation is becoming increasingly clear, the figure of the main researcher is still a unique and to some point sole reference in the face of management responsibilities which differ greatly from his experience and knowledge. For this reason, at present many Spanish researchers shy away from taking part in European projects, especially in the role of co-ordinators, considering that management work is too heavy a load and too removed from their scientific interests. At present in most cases researchers in charge of a project can only count on the help of their own institution in terms of purely administrative tasks.

In the same way, the need to duly justify the use of public funds forces the European Commission to impose the need for professional management on subsidised projects, a factor which these days has become an essential requirement for the financing of any proposal.

• Researchers in charge of future or current projects financed by public or private institutions who wish to improve their managerial skills on these projects.
• Managers and technicians in technology transfer and research support offices who are interested in complementing their training in Project Management so as to offer better advice to researchers in their respective institutions.
• Professionals with management training who are interested in gaining an understanding of the basics of Project Management and its advantages.
• Project managers who would like to widen their knowledge in the area and understand the particular workings of European R+D projects.