PhD students who wish to be awarded the distinction of industrial doctorate in their degree must comply with the requirements of the Royal Decree and the regulations governing the doctoral programme on which they are registered.
They must state this wish when they apply to deposit their thesis and present the required documentation except if they have done it before or they are participating in the industrial doctorate programme of the Catalan government (Generalitat).
First transitory provision of Royal Decree 576/2023 (BOE number 170, July 18th). Doctoral students who are pursuing their doctoral studies.
Doctoral students who initiated their doctoral studies before July 19th, 2023 (the effective date of Royal Decree 576/2023) will be subject to the doctoral regulations in force at the time they began their studies. However, the regulations concerning the examining committee, defence and assessment of the doctoral thesis in Royal Decree 576/2023 will be applicable to these students from the 2024-2025 academic year onwards.
Industrial doctorate distinction
This distinction can be earned by those doctoral students who are registered on doctoral programmes regulated by Royal Decree 99/2011, modified by Royal Decree 576/2023.
Students who started a doctoral programme up to and including the academic year 2022-23
The title of Doctor may include the mention "Industrial doctorate" on its reverse provided the following circumstances are met:
a) The existence of a working contract with the doctoral student. The contract may be signed by a private or public sector company, as well as by a Public Administration.
b) The doctoral student must participate in an industrial research or experimental development project that is carried out in the company or public administration where the service is provided, which cannot be a university. The industrial research or experimental development project in which the PhD student participates must be directly related to the thesis he is completing. This direct relationship will be certified by means of a report that must be endorsed by the University (academic commision).
c) In the event that the industrial research or experimental development project is carried out in collaboration between the University and the company or Public Administration in which the doctoral student works, a framework collaboration agreement will be signed between the parts. This agreement must indicate the obligations of the University and the obligations of the company or the public administration, as well as the selection procedure for doctoral students.
d) The PhD student will have a thesis tutor appointed by the University and a person in charge appointed by the company or public administration, who may be, if applicable, director of the thesis in accordance with the own regulations of doctorate.
Students starting a doctoral programme as from the academic year 2023-2024 (inclusive)
The Doctorate title may include the mention "Industrial Doctorate" on its front provided the following circumstances are met:
a) That the thesis has developed a research project of industrial, commercial, social or cultural interest for an entity, public or private company or public administration. Universities, public research bodies (national or regional) and university hospitals are excluded. Exceptionally, this mention may be made at any of these institutions, except for universities, as long as the content of the thesis is eminently applied. The direct relationship between the doctoral thesis and the work carried out by the doctoral student at the institution or company must be formalized in a scientific and technical report that must be approved by the university (academic commision).
b) That an agreement has been signed between the entity, the company or the public administration and the university for the academic development of the doctoral thesis, which must establish, at a minimum, the obligations of the parties and the industrial property rights that may be generated.
c) That the doctoral candidate has been hired by the entity, company or public administration where the research project is developed for at least one year during the development of the thesis, and a substantial part of it must be developed in this entity, company or public administration.
d) The doctoral student will have a thesis supervisor designated by the university and a responsible person designated by the entity, company or public administration, who may be, if applicable, Director of the thesis in accordance with what is established in the Royal Decree 99/2011 and modified by Royal Decree 576/2023. Under no circumstances may the person in charge appointed by the company be part of the thesis evaluation panel.