PONS IP, a global intellectual property consulting firm, has appointed José María del Valle Escalante as the Catalonia and Aragon Region Director of PONS IP with the aim of accelerating the growth strategy of the consulting firm in two key geographical areas for innovative activity in our country. With more than three decades of experience in the sector, the incorporation of José María del Valle will reinforce PONS IP’s proximity to the innovative ecosystem of both communities, enhancing strategic support for companies, universities and technology centres in all phases of protecting and valuation of their intangible assets.
With a degree in Law from the University of Barcelona, a postgraduate degree in Intellectual Property from the UPM, and more than 25 years’ experience as an Intellectual Property Agent (API), del Valle Escalante has spent most of his career in Barcelona leading teams and comprehensive intellectual property advisory projects from management positions such as head of the legal department at Duran Corretjer and, later as director of the Catalonia and Aragon area at Clarke Modet. In addition to his extensive professional career, the new director of the Catalonia and Aragon Region at PONS IP has also been actively involved in teaching at institutions such as the ICAB and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) in areas related to the protection, management and exploitation of intangible assets.
“Catalonia and Aragon have one of the most dynamic innovation ecosystems in the country, with cutting-edge industries, technology hubs and universities that compete on a global scale. With the addition of José María, we are strengthening our goal of being even closer to the region’s R&D&I projects, providing experience, strategy, protection and valuation throughout the entire innovation lifecycle”, says Rocío Peris, Commercial and Business Development Director at PONS IP.
Catalonia and Aragon, key poles of attraction for innovation in Spain
The industrial and innovative drive in Aragon, together with Catalan leadership, provides PONS IP with an optimal base to accelerate its growth strategy in both key territories of the Spanish market. In this sense, Catalonia now leads the Spanish innovation map according to the Regional Innovation Scoreboard 2025 of the European Commission, where it remains a Strong Innovator, being the first Spanish region in this indicator and above the EU average. In terms of intellectual property, Barcelona led the Spanish ranking in 2024 of cities with the highest rate of European patent applications, with 331 European patent applications, compared to 244 in Madrid. Moreover, R&D investment in the region reached 1.82% of GDP in 2024, compared to 1.50% on average in Spain.
In turn, Aragon shows very positive data in terms of investment in innovation. In 2024, R&D expenditure reached €569 million, with year-on-year growth of 4.7%, equivalent to 1.16% of its GDP. In terms of external competitiveness, the degree of openness measured by exports plus imports as a percentage of GDP stood at 77.6%, an indicator clearly above the national average of 54%. In terms of intellectual property activity, Zaragoza stands out as the fourth Spanish city with the most European patent applications in 2024.
