| Carmen Vela | |
| Birth Name: | Carmen Vela Olmo |
| Birth Date: | 25 March 1955 |
| Birth Place: | Sigüenza (Guadalajara), Spain |
| Nationality: | Spanish |
| Alma Mater: | Complutense University of Madrid |
| Occupation: | Secretary of Ministry of Economy and Finance (Spain) |
Carmen Vela Olmo (born 25 March 1955) is a Spanish entrepreneur, researcher and former secretary of state of investigation, development and innovation.[1] [2]
Born on 25 March 1955 in Sigüenza, Spain, she graduated in Chemical Sciences from the Faculty of Chemical Sciences of the Universidad Complutense of Madrid and specialised in Biochemistry.[3] She stayed five years in the Department of Immunology of the, where she investigated allergy.[3]
In 1982 she started working for Ingenasa (Inmunología y Genética Aplicada), a company dedicated biotechnology, created by the National Institute of Industry[3] and moved to the Centre of Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa, in the Autonomous University of Madrid. She worked for the project CBM/Ingenasa, directed by, devoted to the development of vaccines and diagnostics for the virus of the African swine plague, grave problem in Spain in that time.[3] In 1988, Ingenasa is privatised and bought by Ercros. After the bankruptcy of Ercros, Vela and other two partners bought out Ingenasa.[2] From 1994, Vela is the general director of Ingenasa.[1] [3]
Vela is the author of numerous scientific publications and patents approved in United States and Europe.[3] She participates to evaluation committees of national and European programs and organisations, like the Advisory Board of the program PEOPLE of the VII Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development
In January 2012, she became Secretary of State of Investigation, Development and Innovation, with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Luis de Guindos as minister of Economy and Competitiveness.[4]
She is married and has two children.[1]