Today's La Vanguardia publishes a wide article based on a study by the Bibliometrics and Science Evaluation research group, directed by Dr. Jordi Camí. The study shows that the scientific research done in Catalonia is gradually being  more recognised at an international level. In the last ten years it has doubled its number and, has registered a considerable increase on the grounds of quality.

The study reveals that the scientific output  in Catalonia has increased from 16.515 papers published ( 1992-1996) to 34.602 ten years later. But more important than the increase of the quantity is the qualitative leap: a 43% of the papers signed by researchers in Catalonia from 2002 to 2006 have been done in collaboration with foreign scientists, in front of the 30% of the precedent ten years, which reflects the increasing international recognisement to the research done in Catalonia. The percentage of papers published in elite scientific journals has also increased in a 17% in the same period.

In the words of Dr. Camí, " Research in Catalonia is above averages of the rest of Spain but under the figures of France, Germany, Britain or the United States. We are in the last positions of the First Division. It has been difficult to reach this position and now we have to keep on working to avoid falling behind."

The article also shows that Dr. Roderic Guigó ( IMIM-UPF)  is the most cited researcher in Catalonia, due to his participation in the decodification of the Human Genome, directed by Craig Venter and published in Science in 2001. Guigó is also in the third and fourth place for his research on the fly and the mouse genome, also highly cited.

You can read the full article here.