Spain and State of Florida reach research agreement

Past October 14th, an agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the state of Florida was signed in Madrid, initiating the groundwork for a collaborative research in the fields of small satellite technology, agriculture biotechnology, and the science of aging.

Watch the video of the signing ceremony here:

The UF astronomy department had a key role on this agreement, initiating the arrangement that now materialises during the visit of the Spanish minister of science and innovation to UF on may 2011, on occasion of the last launch of NASA’s Endeavour shuttle.

Although astronomy department initially became interested in collaborating with Spain because of its small-satellite program, as the relationship grew it became clear that there were other possibilities for partnering.

“Spain and Florida have a great deal in common, both of their economies are based on tourism and agriculture, they have similar population demographics and they have a common interest in space exploration.”  said Rafael Guzman, astronomy department chairman on an interview for the UF news services.

Read more about the agreement following this link.