Biocat coordinates Catalan participation in the European Transbio SUDOE project. This initiative, which is the continuation of the Interbio project (2009-2012), aims to unite research centers, technology platforms, universities and companies in eight regions in Spain, France and Portugal in a multidisciplinary network to more effectively transform the results of biotechnology research into economic results.
Transbio SUDOE began in April 2013 with 32 partners and collaborators from the eight regions that make up the Biocluster of the European South-West area.
The project is promoted by nine partners from eight regions in southern Europe: University Toulouse III Paul Sabatier (Midi-Pyrénées, France), Institute of Chemistry and Biology (Lisbon), University of Santiago de Compostela (Galicia), Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie (Aquitania, France), University of the Balearic Islands and BIOIB (Balearic Islands Biotechnological and Biomedical CLuster), Université Montpellier 2 Sciences et Techniques (Languedoc-Roussillon, France), InnDEA Foundation (Valencia) and Biocat.
It uses the experience acquired through Interbio to transform research into economic results and to structure a cooperation network of the benchmark transnational clusters in southern Europe. This fosters interaction between academia and the biotechnology industry, which are mainly grouped under the Biocluster of the European South-West area (BSE). Thus, Transbio SUDOE also aims to bring these two groups together: Interbio on the academic side and the BSE representing businesses, with the aim of obtaining innovative scientific results, optimizing the transfer of knowledge and results from public research to the private sector under the umbrella of transnational cooperation.
The main goals of the project are:
To achieve these goals, the project first promotes research and training through a European postgraduate degree in translational biology and the Summer School on Medicines. One of the priorities of these training sessions is to generate synergies between the industrial sector and academia.
Moreover, Transbio SUDOE holds a forum to support cooperation projects: from concept through execution. In April 2014, Barcelona hosted the second edition of the Transbio Emergence Forum, with more than 140 participants, driving scientific and business collaboration.
Under the framework of this project, Biocat also headed up Workgroup 3, which focused on analyzing the existing platforms in the eight member regions (Midi-Pyrénées, Aquitania, Languedoc, Catalonia, Valencia, Galicia, Balearic Islands and Lisbon). This work led to the creation of an online directory of technology platforms and technology transfer offices.
