- More than 150 companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and researchers attended the Conference in person at the UCO Auditorium to showcase the potential of the bioeconomy in the province. Over 70 professionals followed it online worldwide.
- The event was inaugurated by the rector of UCO, Manuel Torralbo, accompanied by the president of IMDEEC, Blanca Torrent; the deputy director general of the INCYDE Foundation, José María Párraga; and the manager of FIBICO-IMIBIC, Álvaro Granados.
- The leaders of the entities and speakers agreed on Córdoba’s capability and attractiveness to attract talent in the field of biotechnology.
More than 150 companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and researchers gathered today at the Auditorium of the University of Córdoba for the Conference “Córdoba Biotech: Potential of the province for bioprojects” – over 70 followed it online – following the launch of the Córdoba Biotech Bioincubator, which in its first year already hosts 33 innovation projects with more than 60 researchers. The interest in the technical conference is reflected in the 230 bilateral networking meetings arranged among the attending professionals, reaffirming the goal of making “Córdoba a hub for attracting European talent in innovation and biotechnology,” as stated by Manuel Torralbo, rector of UCO at the inauguration of the event.
The Deputy General Director of the INCYDE Foundation, José María Párrega, who was also present at the inauguration, emphasized that the participation of the institutions that make up the project’s consortium (Imdeec, UCO, and FIBICO) ensures “the success of the Bioincubator of Córdoba, which has seen an investment of nearly 5 million euros and is part of a European project that has established 21 incubators throughout Spain, which will create high-quality jobs as a talent attraction hub not only for the province but for the entire country, and will enable the transfer of knowledge to small and medium-sized enterprises.”
For his part, Alvaro Granados, manager of FIBICO-IMIBIC, highlighted the importance of this initiative for the implementation of medical biotechnology projects where Córdoba is a reference. Meanwhile, Blanca Torrent, Deputy Mayor of the Córdoba City Council and President of the Municipal Institute of Economic Development and Employment of the Córdoba City Council (Imdeec), emphasized that the Bioincubator Córdoba Biotech, located in the Technological Park of the city, has led to the creation of 17 biotechnological-based companies.
In the opinion of the rector of UCO, “this is an initiative that was born in Córdoba with different leaders in the institutions that are part of the consortium and has continued with greater vigor, which demonstrates the importance of the project.”
More than 20 expert speakers
Throughout the day, different companies presented the latest advances in the field of biotechnology in medicine, the environment, and the agri-food sector, as well as various public and private funding sources for R&D projects in this field.
It is worth highlighting the participation of technology-based companies supported by UCO such as Pomologia SL, Innovacion Vegetal Mediterranea SL, Animal Breeding Consulting SL, and Cobiomic Bioscience SL, which presented their innovations at the forum for entrepreneurs, investors, and researchers. Also notable is Lourdes Arce, Vice-Rector for Innovation and Transfer at UCO, who showcased the university’s capacity as a knowledge driver and the Bioincubator to host biotechnology projects.
Investment in innovation in Spain has increased by up to 12% in recent years, representing 11.4% in Andalusia, making it the third region with the highest investment in Spain, according to data from the INCYDE Foundation.
The event is organized by the Municipal Institute for Economic Development and Employment of the City Council of Córdoba (Imdeec), the University of Córdoba (UCO), and the Foundation for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (Fibico), co-financed by 80 percent by the European Regional Development Fund under the Operational Program Pluriregional of Spain Feder 2014-2020 PO, as part of the ‘High Technology Incubators for Promoting Innovation and Technology Transfer to Micro Enterprises’ program of the Incyde Foundation.