Investigation constitutes the nucleus of the activities of Institución Futuro, in accordance with its role as a think tank. In coherence with the foundational spirit, the research of the institution is orientated toward contributing to the development of a better future for Navarra, from both an economic and social perspective. This idea results in a series of lines of work in which the principles of sustainability and competitiveness are always present.

Regarding the dynamics of the research, the Institución Futuro is committed to long term projects, although it completes short term projects pertaining to current affairs.  These projects are often in collaboration with external investigators, but the direction and control always rests with Institución Futuro.

The areas of research that have been addressed in recent years are as follows:

• Observatory of the image of Navarra
• Competitiveness of the industry in Navarra
• Quality of the health system
• Strategic prospective
• Analysis of the public sector

 

Observatory of the image of Navarra

In our time, for one society to stand out, it is not simply having a high rate of economic, social, or cultural development, health or education, it is also necessary that these benefits are perceived as such by the rest of the world. In the business world, management of the corporate image is highly important. The directors are conscience that to gain maximum wealth and competitiveness in their companies, they have to ensure that their success is known and admired in the market. A good corporate image is an asset to a company which allows it to focus more on its own activity. In instances of competition, within which the products and services of the businesses are barely distinguishable, what gives one company a competitive edge over the others is the only competitive difference that places one company before the others is its brand or corporate image.

All of these ideas, originating in the business world, are applicable to other entities, like countries or in our case regions.  The countries or territories most admired are able to attract more investment, command more respect in international relations, constitute a social and cultural reference and thus have a better ability to retain talented citizens. As a result of their positive images, these places possess invaluable advantages in their politics, economic, social and cultural relations, therefore there are many countries or regions that have began to plan strategies to manage their corporate image. In Institución Futuro we believe these strategies should be applied to Navarra.  Therefore it is necessary to collaborate with the Administration, the business world, political institutions and social and cultural forces.  The projection of a positive public image does not depend solely on the government or businesses. It is a collective effort in which all of society should participate.  At present we have conducted three studies on the image of Navarra through the media in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

 

Competitiveness of Industry in Navarra

The concept of competitiveness has recently become fashionable, although its definition is not always clear. It may be understood on either a microeconomic (business) or macroeconomic (country or region) level.

On a microeconomic level the concept of competitiveness is more clear, but not at a regional level. There is no theory that covers or deals with all the issues related to regional competitiveness.

Schematically, regional competitiveness is driven by certain factors, among those the productive environment, human resources and levels of infrastructure and accessibility. These result in sector and regional outputs (regional productivity, unit labor costs, profitability and market share). These contribute to the regional final product: The level of GDP per capita regional.

Because of its importance for the future of Navarra, the Institución Futuro is developing a series of projects and studies with the objective of providing quality evidence and information about the competitive position of Navarra in the national and international market that allow decision makers to develop actions to strengthen Navarra’s position.  

 

Quality of the Health System

In Navarra, and in the nation as a whole, the universal right to public health is recognized with equal conditions for every citizen.  This type of system of universal access, in which public finance has an important role, is subject to the need to control its costs but also the quality and effectiveness of the care. The objective of this area of investigation is to analyze questions related to the health system in Navarra, both related to the quality and the cost.

 

Future

Finding the best future for Navarra is part of the mission of the Institution. Therefore one of our principal lines of research is linked to the design of development models and the analysis of grand socioeconomic tendencies that may affect the region.

Analysis of the Public Sector

Like liberal think tanks, Institución Futuro supports a greater role for civil society in public affairs. We consider the public sector must have the appropriate size to exercise its functions diligently and efficiently but we do not believe it should direct all aspects of life for its citizens. In this sense, we advocate the idea that Public Administration has a subsidiary role. We believe that is it important to examine the evolution of public management to ensure it is guided by the principles of efficiency, quality and service to individuals.