Biocat joins two new European projects, BREATH and BRIDGE, to strengthen talent and biomanufacturing in Europe
BREATH and BRIDGE are launched to boost innovation in health and biotechnology from Catalonia, with the support of the European Commission.
Barcelona and Naples hosted this October the launch of BREATH and BRIDGE, two strategic European projects for the growth of innovation in health and biomanufacturing, with Biocat as an active participant. Funded by the European Commission, both projects position Catalonia as a European benchmark in creating strong, collaborative, and impact-oriented innovation ecosystems.
BREATH: Fostering more attractive and sustainable research careers
The BREATH project (Building R&I Talent Ecosystems to Advance Careers in Health Innovation) aims to improve talent management in health research in Catalonia, Flanders, and Lithuania. It addresses the need to make research careers in this field more competitive by improving working conditions, training, and professional opportunities for researchers at all career stages.
With a €1.99 million budget and a 36-month duration, BREATH will develop innovative governance models that enable research institutions to offer clearer career pathways, more efficient promotion structures, and tailored professional development services. It will also establish an interregional talent ecosystem connecting universities, hospitals, companies, and public entities to foster mobility and collaboration.
The kick-off meeting took place on October 16–17 at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), with the participation of consortium partners and representatives from the European Commission.
During the two-day meeting, the eight Work Packages (WPs) were presented, common work lines were discussed, and a workshop on communication and stakeholder engagement was held, focusing on how to turn project outcomes into real institutional changes.
Biocat leads WP1, Co-creating the Talent Ecosystem, which includes identifying key stakeholders, analyzing motivations and barriers, and designing a governance framework and operational model for the future talent ecosystem. Biocat’s work also involves regional workshops, a survey of over 200 professionals, and a co-creation meeting with 60 participants to jointly design project actions.
The project, coordinated by UAB, involves partners such as KU Leuven (Belgium), Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania), WeDo, AGAUR, and the Barcelona Medical Foundation (FBM), among others.
BRIDGE: biomanufacturing with an interregional and European cooperation vision
The BRIDGE project (Biomanufacturing Regions for Integrated Development and Growth in the Ecosystems) seeks to strengthen regional biomanufacturing ecosystems in Silesia (Poland) and Campania (Italy) through knowledge transfer and best practices from Catalonia. With a €1.39 million budget and a 24-month duration, BRIDGE aims to connect key players in the biomanufacturing value chain, foster joint R&I projects, and promote new training and investment opportunities.
The project will map and analyze the Campania and Silesia ecosystems, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and develop S3 roadmaps (Smart Specialisation Strategies) to guide regional investment and policy priorities. Among its activities are a pilot training program with 60 participants and regional roundtables bringing together companies, research centers, and public authorities.
The kick-off meeting of BRIDGE took place on October 20 in Naples, at the Università della Campania Vanvitelli, with all consortium members attending: CBIOS (coordinator), BioTekNet, Biocat, EIT Health Spain, Laboratorio Reig Jofre, Politechnika Śląska, GAPR, and EIT Health InnoStars.
Biocat leads WP2, Ecosystem Mapping and S3 Roadmaps Development, focusing on data collection and harmonization, ecosystem comparison, and co-creation of improvement actions with key public and private stakeholders. This work will culminate in drafting the three S3 roadmaps that will define biomanufacturing development priorities in Catalonia, Campania, and Silesia.
With BREATH and BRIDGE, Biocat strengthens its role as a strategic partner of the European Commission in projects that promote talent development and industrial competitiveness. Through these initiatives, Biocat will continue connecting research, business, and public administration, fostering a shared vision of a European innovation ecosystem geared toward sustainable growth and improved public health.
