IRB Barcelona’s Innovation Department is ready for partnering at BIO-Europe Spring 2017

Today sees the start of the three-day international partnering conference BIO-Europe Spring 2017, with the participation of IRB Barcelona’s Innovation Department and 19 young researchers from the institute eager to have the chance to share experiences. The 11th annual partnering conference specialised in the pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology will provide IRB Barcelona with high-calibre partnering opportunities, through one-to-one meetings and informal gatherings. 

Following the success of the events in 2010 and 2013, the conference returns to Barcelona for the third time and is taking place at the CCIB Convention Centre. On this occasion, it is organised by the partnering firm for the global life science industry EBD Group, with the collaboration of Biocat, "Fundació BioRegió de Catalunya” (BioRegion of Catalonia Foundation), and ACCIÓ (Government of Catalonia). 

Innovation team strengthens ties with industry

The event will enable IRB Barcelona’s members to identify and meet companies across the life science value chain, from large biotech and pharma companies to financiers and innovative start-ups. “During the conference, we will lay the foundations of our future collaborations, both public and private. We will be looking for new contacts by presenting IRB Barcelona’s innovation portfolio,” highlights Tiago Botelho, Industrial Liaison Officer at IRB Barcelona responsible for strengthening ties with industry.

IRB Barcelona’s portfolio includes projects that form part of BioMedTec, a programme seeking to foster innovation at the institute and that is supported by the Fundació Obra Social “la Caixa”. “Thanks to the continuous support from this organisation and from and ACCIÓ, we are nurturing innovation and entrepreneurial culture at IRB Barcelona.  BIO-Europe Spring will be an excellent opportunity to engage the private sector with our projects and scientific talent,” explains Cristina Horcajada, head of the Innovation Department.

#IRBstartup: encouraging entrepreneurship among young people

Also, by inviting young scientists with an entrepreneurial spirit to attend the conference, IRB Barcelona fosters entrepreneurship among its members. The 19 young researchers, including the participants of the “#IRBstartup” programme in which entrepreneurial ideas can be discussed and implemented, have access to the three-day conference where they will have networking opportunities. In addition, they will support the management of the event by serving as volunteer staff members for one day.

The institute’s biotechnological companies Iproteos and Nostrum Biodiscovery are also participating in the conference, which will bring together a “whoʼs who” from biotech, pharma and finance in Europe's most innovative biopharma clusters.

BIO-Europe Spring 2017

Until today, 166 delegates from 98 Catalan companies and organisations, including IRB Barcelona, have confirmed their participation. Based on attendance at previous events, BIO-Europe Spring 2017 is expected to bring together about 2,400 executives from biotech, pharmaceutical and finance companies from around the world, who will engage in over 12,000 partnering meetings. According to these numbers, the conference had an estimated economic impact on the city of €2.2 million. 

“It is an excellent opportunity to further strengthen the strategic positioning of Catalonia and Barcelona as a leading centre of international business in the health and life sciences, to attract foreign investment, and to take advantage of the benefits afforded to the host city and local companies,” stress the organisers.

About IRB Barcelona

Created in 2005 by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia) and University of Barcelona, IRB Barcelona is a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence, a seal that was awarded in 2011. The institute is devoted to conducting research of excellence in biomedicine and to transferring results to clinical practice, thus improving people’s quality of life, while simultaneously promoting the training of outstanding researchers, technology transfer, and public communication of science. Its 23 laboratories and seven core facilities address basic questions in biology and are orientated to diseases such as cancer, metastasis, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and rare conditions. IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts more than 400 employees and 36 nationalities. It is located in the Barcelona Science Park. IRB Barcelona forms part of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) and the “Xarxa de Centres de Recerca de Catalunya” (CERCA).