Santiago Donat
Principal Consultant
Les bureaux: Belgique - Politiques publiques
Courriel: santiago.donat@technopolis-group.com
Santiago Donat is an economist with 15 years of experience and holds a Master’s degree in International Business from the University of Valencia. Throughout his career, he has specialised in public affairs, focusing on cohesion and regional development policy, EU funding, and regional innovation strategies. His expertise spans collaborations with a wide range of ecosystem actors, including businesses, knowledge institutions, universities, public administrations, and civil society. This experience has provided him with a comprehensive understanding of territorial stakeholders and multi-level governance at local, regional, national, and European levels.
Santiago worked 4 years with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy. He has managed ERDF regional and national programs in Spain, with budgets for some initiatives reaching up to €4 billion. He has specialized in research and innovation investments, particularly in place-based innovation design, with a focus on Smart Specialization Strategies. His work included partnering with national and regional administrations to design and monitor investments in these fields. Santiago also brings experience in interregional cooperation, having served as a Finance and Communication Officer at the Managing Authority of Interreg IIIC South, Interreg IVC Point South, and Interreg Med Programme.
Before joining Technopolis Group, Santiago led the development of the Public Sector department at AYMING in Spain, positioning the company as a leading advisor in innovation policy. He focused on Smart Specialisation Strategies, regional science plans, and public innovation procurement. His projects frequently involved collaboration with universities, clusters, and research institutes, particularly in the health sector, where he contributed to capacity-building projects, advisory services, strategic planning, and operational consultancy.
Santiago is fluent in Spanish, English, and French, and has a basic understanding of German.
