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Josep Antoni Plana Castellví. Photo: Universitat de Barcelona
 22.07.2015

Dr. Josep Antoni Plana appointed general director of the Barcelona Science Park

The Board of Trustees of the Barcelona Science Park (PCB) Foundation at a meeting held on 21 July 2015– chaired by the rector of the University of Barcelona (UB), Dídac Ramírez–  appointedd Dr. Josep Antoni Plana Castellví as acting general director of the Barcelona Science Park.

Josep Antoni Plana (El Pont de Suert, 1948) holds a degree in Philosophy and a PhD in Geography from the University of Zaragoza. He is a professor of Regional Geographic Analysis and vice rector of the UB Group, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Common Services at the UB. Since 1982, Dr. Plana has been a member of the Royal Academy of Doctors, where he has held the position of  secretary general and vice president. Dr. Plana is also second vice president of the Board of Trustees of the PCB Foundation.

Josep Antoni Plana was director of the Studies Department of Banc Occidental  (1978-1980); director of the Ministry of Education and Science in Barcelona (1980-1984); founder of the Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes CSIC and its first director (1985); Special Advisor to the Director General of UNESCO (1986-1992); director of the Educational Foundation of the Caixa de Barcelona (1986-1989) and vice president of the Fundació Joan Oró (1987-1989). He was also the creator and first president of the Science Week in Catalonia.

As general director of the Catalan Foundation for Research (1989-1999), Dr. Plana oversaw the installation of the Scientific Ring at Catalan universities and headed the creation of the Catalonia Supercomputing Centre (CESCA). During his term as president of the Foundation Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (1996-1999), Dr. Plana established the Catalan Foundation Research Prize for Research (1992).

Dr. Plain takes over the management position from Dr. Montserrat Vendrell who has joined the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) as general director.