Letter from the Chairman
of the Board Trustees

This Activities Report collects the activities carried out by our Institution during 2020: a year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic that has led to a profound human, social and economic crisis throughout the world.

Lockdown, restrictions, and social distancing measures imposed by the Government and the health authorities made it necessary for our Foundation, like for many other institutions and companies, to face changes in our work organization and temporarily replace face-to-face activities with online alternatives.

The efforts made in recent years in digital transformation allowed us to adapt quickly and flexibly to the new situation. Remote working and the use of new technologies made it possible to effectively meet the different needs of our employees, trainees, and researchers, and to use our website to share the knowledge generated in the fields of knowledge we address.

In 2020, nearly 600 Spanish researchers were working on 124 ongoing projects in fields such as cancer, rare and neurodegenerative diseases, ALS, food safety, renewable energy, new materials, financial system, labor market, economy, education, and sustainability.

Funded research opens new paths of knowledge for the future of health and well-being of society. Our Institution supported projects that resulted in more than 400 scientific articles published in journals of great international prestige and 570 communications in national and international congresses. The results and details of each research are included in the final part of this Report under the section "Scientific Report".

In addition to this contribution, the Foundation did not want to remain oblivious to the impact that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has had on particularly vulnerable people. Throughout the year it has carried out several humanitarian projects, sometimes with the collaboration of El Corte Inglés to provide hospital supplies, or with donations to organizations such as the Spanish Red Cross, the Integra Foundation, Cáritas, or Doctors Without Borders, among others.

One of the most affected groups was the scholarship holders who were undergoing their postgraduate studies abroad. I would like to use this letter to thank all of them for the adaptation effort they have made in order to continue with their studies. The Foundation has helped them to quickly resolve all individual cases, doubts, and queries by replying to requests, making requirements and deadlines more flexible and, in some cases, assuming the costs of unforeseen trips.

Furthermore, we have continued to support Spanish scientific associations in sixteen countries. Some of its members have played an important role in the research of SARS-CoV2.

Most of the 57 events we held (conferences, seminars, round tables, and talks) were carried out online and focused on the most current and interesting topics.

The online broadcasts were followed by a wide audience. Our video platform has increased by seven the number of users compared to the previous year, consolidating itself as an important channel for the dissemination of scientific knowledge.

Year 2020 has been unique and difficult. Complex and urgent decisions had to be made. Therefore, I want to thank the trust shown by the Foundation's Board of Trustees and acknowledge the work carried out by our Advisory Councils, our management, and our professional staff.

There is no doubt that pandemics change the course of history and leave us lessons to learn: the importance of Science and the need to increase the resources allocated to scientific research; the necessary worldwide collaboration between scientists from multiple disciplines as an essential element to fight and prevent emerging diseases; the need for institutions and companies to face the necessary changes and accelerate the digital transformation and logistics processes that their activity requires; and the search for balance between health and economy.

On the institutional side, I would like to highlight the incorporation to our Board of Trustees, as Member-Secretary, of Mr. José Ramón de Hoces, a state attorney with a long professional career and recognized prestige. We are glad to welcome him, and we are sure that his knowledge and contributions will be of great use.

And finally, we must once again highlight the validity of the goals of the Ramón Areces Foundation since its creation in 1976: “the promotion and development of education, culture, scientific and technical research”.

These values mark the way for us, and we continue to be strongly committed to them.

Florencio Lasaga Munárriz
Chairman of the Board of Trustees