IFMIF-DONES has all the potential to ‘make Granada a capital of the Big Science industry’. This was stated yesterday by José Aguilar, PMO Leader of the project, during the conference ‘Big Science and its economic impact on the environment’, organised by the Chamber of Commerce of Granada, the Granada Global agency and CASER.
The Mayoress of Granada, Marifrán Carazo welcomed the event, after which CERN’s Director of Technologies, José Miguel Jiménez, gave the conference ‘IFMIF-DONES and CERN: Common Destinations?’.

‘Everyone puts CERN and its laboratories on the map, and it is clear that their presence reinforces Switzerland’s position as a reference in the field of major scientific research. CERN is a brand, and Granada must ensure that its tourist and cultural brand is complemented by its scientific and innovative character, for which IFMIF-DONES is a very valuable piece,’ said Jiménez.

This speech was followed by a round table moderated by the director of Ideal, Quico Chirino, in which, together with Carazo, Jiménez and Aguilar, participated Cristóbal Sánchez, general secretary of Industry and Mines of the Junta de Andalucía; and Salvador del Barrio, vice-rector of the University of Granada; and Marcelo Vázquez, president of the innovation commission of the Granada Chamber of Commerce.

The institutional representatives agreed that Granada will complete with science the world leadership it already has in the field of culture and tourism thanks to IFMIF-DONES.

Salvador del Barrio highlighted that the particle accelerator has already reached 2.18 million mentions in the media and social networks, reaching a potential audience of 1 billion people and achieving an advertising impact valued at 10 million euros.

To conclude the day, Chirino called for “maintaining institutional unity with IFMIF-DONES”, as has been done until now.