Yesterday, the 5th edition of IDIBELL’s Accelerator Meeting Point was held, an event organized by the IDIBELL innovation and business development area and the competitive calls department. With the extraordinary attendance of over 130 people, the event consolidates itself as a bridge between science and industry. Among the audience were researchers from IDIBELL, ICO, HUB, and UB, as well as various profiles from the biomedical field, such as investors, pharmaceutical companies, technological development centers, CROs, health innovation consultancies, and also members from other public institutions.
Starting with a Pitch Deck session with the latest innovation projects presented by IDIBELL researchers, and moving on to talks with prestigious guests, attendees were able not only to discover the state of the art in biomedicine but also the tools to move forward with their projects.
First, Enric Claverol, coming directly from Brussels and representing the European Innovation Council, spoke about funding opportunities through Horizon Europe. Next, Christopher Mann, director of Development and Writing at Asphalion, one of the most prominent international consulting firms, presented strategies and advice for dealing with regulation in ATMPs. After a break, Luis Ruiz Ávila, founder of Catalonia Bio and a key figure in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in health, delivered the keynote session, discussing business in biomedicine. Finally, the L’Hospitalet city council and the consortium for the Granvia reform also joined the AMP to present the new Bellvitge campus remodeling project: the Health Biocluster. Among all the talks, there was also room for the IDIBELL innovation head, Laia Traveset, and competitive calls head, Paula García, to present their units and the services they offer. The event concluded with the participation of Miguel Souto, Innovation and Business Development director at IDIBELL, who launched the following reflection: “The success of this AMP edition reflects our commitment to excellence and innovation and underlines the importance of cross-sector collaboration. Together, we are not only anticipating the future of biomedicine but actively shaping it. This event is an evidence of our entrepreneurial spirit and a promise of our considerable potential.”.
After the great success of the event, the organizers are convinced that the AMP will grow year by year and will eventually establish itself as a key event within Catalonia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Isaac Larena, responsible for the organization, comments: “The AMP 2024 has absolutely exceeded all our expectations. It has been very well received by the audience. The goal is to surpass ourselves every year, and, with this mindset, we will plan the AMP2025”. And he adds, “The message is clear: we want to continue growing and turn the Bellvitge campus into a leader in healthcare innovation and biomedical business collaboration“.
The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) is a biomedical research center created in 2004. It is participated by the Bellvitge University Hospital and the Viladecans Hospital of the Catalan Institute of Health, the Catalan Institute of Oncology, the University of Barcelona and the City Council of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.
IDIBELL is a member of the Campus of International Excellence of the University of Barcelona HUBc and is part of the CERCA institution of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 2009 it became one of the first five Spanish research centers accredited as a health research institute by the Carlos III Health Institute. In addition, it is part of the “HR Excellence in Research” program of the European Union and is a member of EATRIS and REGIC. Since 2018, IDIBELL has been an Accredited Center of the AECC Scientific Foundation (FCAECC).