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Photo: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC).
 18.02.2022

IBEC leads the largest biotech consortium for healthcare in Spain

Yesterday, the strategic research programme in the area of biotechnology applied to healthcare was presented in Barcelona. The programme will be implemented through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism Complementary Plans and will run until the end of 2024. The event took place at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and was attended by the Minister for Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, Catalonia’s Minister for Research and Universities, Gemma Geis, IBEC director and scientific coordinator of the complementary healthcare plan, Josep Samitier, and representatives of the other autonomous regions.

The event was hosted by Nuria Montserrat, IBEC’s Deputy Director of Clinical Translation and national coordinator of the biobanks and biomodels platform. 

With a budget of 32 million euros, five of Spain’s autonomous regions will work together, under the plan co-governed and co-financed by the regions, to tackle some of the biggest challenges in healthcare, such as cancer, diseases associated with the ageing process, infectious diseases and rare diseases.

The representatives of the different administrations pointed out that the research programmes of the recovery plan are an essential tool for the future of the country. They also pointed out that, among these funds for recovery, those related to healthcare research will also be essential for the economy, as has been demonstrated by the current pandemic. To achieve results, the speakers explained, it is crucial that the autonomous regions work together, through expert coordinating agents.

Due to its track record and experience, the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has been chosen to coordinate this programme, in which participate institutions from the autonomous regions of the Basque Country, Catalonia, Galicia, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura. IBEC will thus spearhead the most extensive inter-regional collaboration in the field of personalised medicine. In addition, this biotechnology healthcare research consortium will be one of the largest in Spain’s history, and one of the best endowed financially.

According to the Ministry for Science and Innovation itself: The complementary plans are an innovative instrument within Spain’s science policy. This is the first time that joint programming actions co-financed by the state and the autonomous regions have been implemented, which will make it possible to work intensively on research programmes with the state in strategic areas. It will, therefore, also advance co-governance in the field of science, technology and innovation.

“Only by taking an integrated approach to tools for diagnosis, prognosis and advanced therapies will we be able to tackle the major challenges we face in healthcare, such as cancer, degenerative diseases and infectious diseases”, says Josep Samitier, IBEC director and Scientific Coordinator of the Complementary Plan for Biotechnology Applied to Healthcare.

» Link to the IBEC’s news [+]