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 31.10.2018

The PCB participates in a new edition of iFest: the festival of technology, science and disruptive innovation

iFest, an event promoted by Catalunya Emprèn which brings young people closer to science, technology and disruptive innovation, is getting ready for a new edition, which will be preceded this year by a four-month learning and mentoring process, the iFest Countdown. During this programme, players will develop prototypes responding to real-life challenges proposed by various entities—including the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the Institute of Biomedical Research (IRB Barcelona). In 2019’s iFest Zero, each team will have to defend their project and compete with other participants.

 

The iFest Countdown—the new initiative launched by the iFest in this 3rd edition—proposes a learning and acceleration programme, based on the Lombard Method, to baccalaureate, vocational training, university degree, and Master’s and PhD students in their final years of the course, focusing on entrepreneurship and disruption in innovation.

Participants will work together in teams in teaching classrooms for about four months, making use of online material. They will also be mentored by professionals from various industries and sectors, who will add value to the projects with their knowledge and expertise.

During this period, participants will also be able to follow webinars on exponential technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology and blockchain. They will also hear, directly from the main players, about agents of the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Catalonia: incubators, accelerators, start-ups, makers, fab labs, universities, research centres, etc., which will accompany the participants during this process.

The programme will culminate with iFest Zero. In addition to inspiring talks and networking spaces for those who are passionate about innovation and technology, Demo Day will also be held during the event. As part said Day, each team will have to defend their project by presenting their prototypes and competing with the other participants. The winning team will travel to Silicon Valley for one month with the Imagine Creativity Center to work on their entrepreneurial project.

Rare neuromuscular diseases: the challenge faced by the PCB, IBEC and IRB Barcelona

As part of the iFest Countdown, the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), IBEC and IRB Barcelona have jointly launched the challenge entitled How would you improve the day-to-day of a patient suffering from muscular dystrophy or Kennedy’s disease?, in which participants are tasked with developing a tool/application that would improve the quality of life of people who suffer from these rare and hereditary neuromuscular diseases. 

The challenge seeks innovative and interdisciplinary initiatives, combining medical and biological knowledge with knowledge of current technologies, which may also help patients with other neuromuscular diseases that share similar features.

■ Registration is now open for both participants and professors who wish to collaborate. Sign up here ►iFest Countdown 2019 [+]