Fewer bricks, more computers”. Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero chose the bullring of Vista Alegre to pronounce the motto of the new economic model he is championing. With the collapse of the real estate sector, the first part is a given; but the second is not sure to be achieved on political will alone. ‘Brick’ is an abbreviation for construction, and has negative connotations in abundance, for in common usage it is associated with uncontrolled building and speculative development; ‘computer’, in contrast, speaks of the fascinating world of the web, and serves as a sign of the new economy of knowledge. Censuring real estate abuses and preaching informational modernity ellicits facile applause, but will not necessarily materialize in a plausible model: to begin with, construction does not deserve the role of scapegoat of the crisis, having for many years been the engine of Spanish prosperity, and sure as it is to play a key role in the country’s economic future; on the other hand, development based on innovation and knowledge can hardly be expected to yield short-term results, given the current precariousness of universities and research, and the need for educational reform from the very foundations, which can only bear fruits after decades of effort...

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