Scientific research in Spain is at a crossroads where academic excellence and research talent too often collide with the wall of underfunding. In this context, the I Science and Business Meeting: Together for the Cure, which we have organized from the DiabetesCERO Foundation, aimed to be a powerful manifesto on the urgency of redefining the role of the private sector in the medical progress of our country. A call to action. The solution is near: help us.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is not just a statistic affecting more than 190,000 people in Spain; it is a chronic autoimmune disease that demands an immediate and disruptive response. However, the reality is stubborn: while Europe advances with forty active clinical trials, Spain barely has four. This gap is not due to a lack of intellectual capacity, but to a lack of resources. As Isabel Mérida, president of the Foundation, rightly pointed out, "science is not slow; what is slow is getting a budget for research."
Business commitment: beyond philanthropy
DiabetesCERO's call for private collaboration marks a paradigm shift in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Traditionally, companies have focused their efforts on environmental impact or social inclusion. However, support for scientific sovereignty emerges today as a fundamental pillar for the sustainability of any advanced society.Companies that help us, and that were present at the meeting ---Mattel, Iris Venture Builder, and Viviendea--- have shown that corporate involvement can be as creative as it is effective. Mattel's case, through the launch of its first Barbie with type 1 diabetes to co-finance Young Talent scholarships, is a brilliant example of how visibility and funding can go hand in hand. It's not just about donating funds; it's about integrating a cause into the brand's DNA.
Social and corporate profitability
Investment in science offers a return that transcends the economic, although it also impacts it. In a global market where 71% of consumers value the reputation and consistency of brands, commitment to public health becomes a strategic asset. Responsible companies not only attract and retain talent in a highly competitive environment, but also generate an authentic and emotional connection with a society that demands real solutions to real problems.Public funds are insufficient. DiabetesCERO's reliance on private aid, which exceeds 98%, is a reminder of the vulnerability of Spanish science, but also of the enormous opportunity that companies have to become the true catalysts for change.
"The chronicity of the disease must end today"
This is the battle cry of a community that refuses to accept the "forever" of a pathology that today, thanks to research, is closer than ever to finding a cure. The mobilization of 300,000 euros in strategic aid through calls such as Frontiers in T1D Cure is a firm step, but it is only the beginning.From this space, the DiabetesCERO Foundation invites the Spanish business community to look towards researchers. Do not see science as a lost expense, but rather the most profitable investment an organization can make: an investment in the life and future of thousands of families in our country and around the planet. The cure for type 1 diabetes is in the microscopes of our researchers; let it not be stopped by a lack of will in offices.