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Results from six innovative research projects to be transferred to society via the “Proof of Concept” Programme

By 14 de February de 2008November 18th, 2020No Comments
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 14.02.2008

Results from six innovative research projects to be transferred to society via the “Proof of Concept” Programme

The University of Barcelona (UB) and the Banco Santander financial institution have agreed to jointly promote the transfer of results from six innovative research projects led by researchers from the UB and the associated institutions of the UB Group. The projects have been selected from among the 46 proposals submitted to the "Proof of Concept" Programme (PPV) which is organised by the UB through the Agency for Assessing and Marketing Research Results (AVCRI). The initial funding for the programme is 1.2 million euros.


The PPV aims to support the management and financing of research projects with a high degree of innovation and a clear application potential, with the aim of advancing possible new products up to the proof of concept (or prototype) stage. The call for Proof of Concept Projects by an academic institution, such as the UB, financed with the help of a financial entity, such as the Banco Santander, is a pioneering initiative in Spain. According to José María Palacios, the director of AVCRI: “This is the first time that an entity of this type has supported research projects aimed at knowledge transfer, and it will open up new ways forward on the long road from the initial conception of an idea to its conversion into a specific product or application that is of interest to society. This road can be defined as the “proof of concept process” and its aim is to progressively increase the value of an idea while at the same time decreasing the risk involved for the investment that is necessary to move the project forward.”

Three of the six projects chosen are primarily medical, while the others are based around physics and chemistry. One of the medical projects is led by Vanessa Almendro and Pere Gascón (from the Clínic Foundation for Biomedical Research and the UB) and will involve research into cancer therapies. Another, led by Ángel González-Sistal (Faculty of Medicine at Bellvitge) is aimed at developing a new method of detecting metastasis through image analysis. The third, directed by Francesc Lozano (Hospital Clínic, Faculty of Medicine) studies the development of therapeutic proteins for treating infections. Of the three remaining projects, one is led by Ferran Espiell (Faculty of Chemistry) and involves research into a new procedure for the elimination of contaminating waste; another is led by Ángel Dieguez (Faculty of Physics) and is aimed at developing new forms of memory for storing data; and the third, led by José María López Villegas (Faculty of Physics) is based on the design of wireless communication systems.

The financial support, which will initially last for two years, that the programme provides is aimed at covering the costs of human resources and of conducting the research. The amounts will be determined according to the characteristics of each project. “This is a subsidy, but the aim of the agreement is to generate a source of returns for the University that allows the Programme to be maintained and expanded in the future, with respect to both the number of projects subsidised and the areas in which those projects centre their activities,” says José María Palacios.