INNOTALENTUM Review

Technological center in nanotechnology and health in that location.

I work there. Good working environment and interesting R + D + i projects

The reality is not reflected in the google note posted by businessmen and occasional visitors.

At first glance, Leitat could be a great place to develop an applied research career and projects with impact, although it takes you little to realize that it will not be like that.

Despite having enviable facilities achieved as a result of the capture of huge public funds, these facilities and personal resources are wasted by system and do not revert in any way in the generation of wealth or social improvement. The direction and culture of the company lacks strategy and the only purpose is to raise public funds regardless of excellence, or how to execute them.
It is usual that there is an excess of work that prevents great professionals from doing quality work, since most of the time they require to dedicate it to the request for new proposals to attract more public funding, while being forced to neglect and, in extreme cases , to directly not do the tasks for which the funds have been received. This fact means that a company that boasts of transferring technology has a very poor ratio of results and capitalization of research, with a percentage of residual income from direct demand from the industry, which only comes to fruition (in counted occasions) thanks to the immense efforts of the great human capital that make up the researchers. Researchers who, by professional decency, end up giving away hours of their free time to research tasks "for the love of art", without any recognition or thanks from all the positions of responsibility and managers. Hence the very high annual turnover (over 10%) of staff.

The good part that scientific excellence does not matter to command posts is the total freedom to propose any idea that you can think of as a researcher. While you find public funds to finance it, there is an open bar. To this is added a very good working environment with colleagues (not with superiors in many cases) that is the best asset, along with an affordable menu. In addition, the fact that there is no defined strategy forces you to "search for life" and learn a little of everything, even if it is by demerit of the organization itself.

Leitat, although it boasts of having more than 400 workers, does not have an internal union, I have never understood why, and most personnel are hired on behalf of other companies. That implies that senior officials will make the desired decisions without any impediment. The management does not communicate with the workers in a convenient way and imposes its criteria, they do not accept constructive criticism, everything and that they sell for the bet of proactive people that help in the improvement of the center.

In short, an organization and management that are not up to a large part of the research staff that supports them and that sells a technology transfer that is actually anecdotal, and that is financed with huge income paid with funds from everyone's taxes the vast majority, generating a return that does not go beyond offering low-paid jobs.