Antonio Gallardo made a donation of 45,000 euros last October to the Laboratory of Archaeology of the Department of Humanities, directed by professor  Maria Eugenia Aubet. We spoke to him to find out what led him to make this donation.

He is chairman of the board of directors of Landon Grup Corporatiu and honorary vice-president of the board of Almirall. He has also been president of the Catalan Association of Family Businesses and vice-president and member of the board of directors of the Family Business Institute.

With regard to his philanthropic acts, in July 2015 he ceded an important collection of Romanesque and Gothic art to the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC), thanks to an agreement between the collector and the museum and the departments of Economy and Knowledge and of Culture of the Generalitat (Government) of Catalonia.

- What led you to make a donation to UPF, to the Laboratory of Archaeology specifically?

It is a research group headed by a person of great prestige, as is  Maria Eugènia Aubet, and that is crucial. As an entrepreneur, I always look for projects led by competent people, and this is a good example.

- What results are you expecting from your contribution?

I think that my contribution can help to increase and improve our knowledge of the Phoenician culture, one of the main research lines of the Laboratory of Archaeology. The hard work and effort put in by the whole team of people working there is appreciated, especially since they conduct their work often in areas of armed conflict, as in the case of the excavation in the city of Tyre, located in southern Lebanon.

- In our society such actions are not common. Are we lacking tradition in this regard?

It is not a matter of a lack of tradition, but the incentives offered by the state for this kind of patronage are not enough. Conditions should be similar to those in most neighbouring countries.

- How could private patronage actions be encouraged?

There is a new law on patronage that has been on hold for a long time. It must be re-floated to promote this type of action. On the other hand, crowdfunding, which has taken off lately, may be part of the solution, but it is important to know how to get to enough people.

- It is sometimes said that the university, and the research conducted, are not close enough to the ordinary citizen. How could this perception be improved?

The problem between university research and the needs of enterprise is still an issue. Sometimes, despite working in the same line, they just do not come together. However, much progress has been made in recent years.

- UPF has just created the  UPFund  scheme to encourage patronage and sponsorship of its initiatives. What advice would you give it for success?

You have to know how to sell this UPFund scheme to society. Sometimes, universities lack a marketing perspective in the initiatives they promote.