Biocat receives support from HUBc for new training program on biodesign
The program will train leaders in innovation in the medical technology sector.
By Biocat
El Rector of the University of Barcelona (UB) Dídac Ramírez and Biocat CEO Montserrat Vendrell signed an agreement between HUBc (UB International Campus of Excellence in Health) and Biocat yesterday to start up a training program on innovation in biodesign in Catalonia.
This project, with €150,000 in funding, is part of the program to strengthen the HUBc granted through the 2011 Ministry of Education call for proposals.
The new program in biodesign, which will be offered as of 2013, is framed under the Moebio initiative, through which Biocat aims to respond to training needs for entrepreneurs at the interfaces of the biohealth, biotechnology and business arenas. Moebio is one of the structuring projects Biocat is working on under the framework of Catalonia’s bids for a European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC), with the support of Ciemat (MINECO).
Biocat contributes to the coordination of workgroups for the two Catalan KIC bids in innovation in healthy living and active ageing and food for the future (Food4future) with the HUBc and IRTA, respectively. These two workgroups bring together various bodies and, soon, other institutions from around the country will be asked to join in to help reinforce the potential of the bids.
Following Stanford University’s model for success
Biocat’s new program in biodesign, which will be made up of leaders in innovation from the medical technology sector, is inspired by a course offered by Stanford University for more than ten years with excellent results.
Biodesign is a program where multidisciplinary teams, mainly comprised of engineers, designers, doctors, scientists and MBAs, work together to identify real needs or problems and tackle feasible solutions from a technical and commercial point of view. Starting from this foundation of transversal teamwork, Biocat’s new training program in biodesign will be carried out with participation from HUBc hospitals and research centers, and hopes to obtain new proposals in the field of medical technology that can respond to the challenges of the 21st century and have real economic and social impact.