One of Spain's most important scientists was Santiago Ramon y Cajal who was awarded the Nobel Prize for the histological investigations he had conducted alone. Other prominent investigators such as Torres Quevedo Blas Cabrera and Eduardo Torroja, despite the economic difficulties of their country -which did not even appreciate their efforts- also stand out. Another Nobel Prize winner, Sevrero Ochoa, received this award for his scientific investigations carried out in another country.

Spanish industry, which began to develop significantly during the 1960s, depended on foreign technology; this involved paying technical aid, taxes and royalties, etc. -that is to say, spending sums of such a magnitude that in 1982 they exceeded the entire amount of money used for research in Spain. The persons responsible for policy realized this drain on the country untenable and as of 1983 with the enactment of University Reform Law and later, in 1986, with the Law to Generally Promote and Coordinate Scientific and Technical Research -the so called Science Lawand other procedures, such as the Patent Law, etc., they took the first steps to modernize Spain's scientific and technical system, and to define and organize directed research; from then on, great effort has been made to stimulate scientific and technological development.

The purpose of this new general framework which has established the Science Law, is to correct the traditional defects of the System and create the neccessary instruments to define the most important courses of action, programme resources, coordinate operations between the public and private sectors, and to meet the challenge that Spanish society faces on the international front. Internationally R+D activities are developed on the one hand, within the frame of reference of the European Community and, on the other, by means of a number of bilateral and multilateral programmes.