Noteworthy participation of Catalan delegation at BIO International Convention 2024 in San Diego
The most important partnering event in the international biotechnology sector was a success for the BioRegion of Catalonia. Let’s look at the main activities the Catalan delegation took part in.
BIO International Convention 2024, held June 3 to 6 at the San Diego Convention Center in California, was a success for the BioRegion of Catalonia. This convention, considered the most important partnering event in the international biotechnology sector, featured noteworthy participation from Biocat and nearly 50 Catalan companies and organizations, showing once again Catalonia’s innovative potential in this sector.
Catalan talent particularly stood out in the EIC Pavilion, where six companies from the BioRegion of Catalonia pitched their projects to representatives of the European Commission and other European companies. The participating companies included Pharmacelera, Ahead Therapeutics, BeCytes Biotechnologies, Ability Pharmaceuticals, Almirall and vitalera.
Plus, Oniria Therapeutics presented their new drug for solid and liquid tumors at the ‘Start-Up Stadium’ and ELEM Biotech explained their biomedical simulation technology for virtual assays in one of the auditoriums.
Biocat hosted a panel discussion on secondary use of health data, moderated by Biocat Director of Strategic Foresight and International Relations Montse Daban. During the session, experts like Aenor Sawyer, director of UC Space Health at the University of California, San Francisco; Jean-Marc Bourez, CEO of EIT Health; Elina Drakvik, senior lead of Health Data 2030 at Sitra; Bradford Ship, partner at Alira Health; and Christopher Morton, CEO of ELEM Biotech, debated the new European Health Data Space (EHDS) and its potential to have a positive social impact in Europe by integrating business, research and education.
The participants highlighted the need to collaborate and share data responsibly, as well as the importance of having the necessary resources and funding. The speakers also discussed the challenges and opportunities of compiling and using significant data in healthcare, and the potential of using data and AI to create virtual populations and simulate physiological systems. They highlighted the importance of considering undesired consequences and a balanced regulatory approach.
In a more casual setting, Biocat with collaboration from the Government of Catalonia and ACCIÓ -Catalonia Trade & Investment, also hosted a networking event with over 130 participants. This event was an excellent opportunity to explore biotechnology ecosystems in the United States and Catalonia, fostering new collaborations and business opportunities. Throughout the three day event, the organization also took advantage of BIO to have an intense schedule of partnering meetings with various organizations and international investors, promoting the BioRegion’s assets and strengthening collaborations for the organization’s programs and projects.
New collaboration agreements, strategic partnerships and funding
The Catalan companies took advantage of BIO to scout for new collaborations, strategic partnerships, funding, licensing deals and to strengthen existing development deals, fostering business that will help them access new markets faster.
To this end, Rafael Mañez Mendiluce (RemAb Therapeutics), Jose Terencio (Grifols), Carlos Buesa (Oryzon Genomics), Marta Herrero (Reig Jofre), Núria Pastor (vitalera), Cosme Aragonés (Kymos), Carles Domenech (Ability Pharmaceuticals), Assela Bosch (SpeciPig), Julien T. (Almirall), Pilar Gil (DeepLabs), Joan Bertran Llavina (CEBIOTEX) and Marina Pascual (BCN Peptides) shared their experiences and enthusiasm for the networking and investment opportunities at the BIO International Convention.
No question, the 2024 BIO International Convention was a very fruitful event for the BioRegion of Catalonia. Catalan companies took advantage of the opportunity to showcase their innovation, forge valuable connections and seek out new business opportunities.
Visit to Stanford and meetings with key organizations
After BIO, Biocat traveled to San Francisco to meet with representatives of the Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign and attend their graduation ceremony. During the visit, they exchanged ideas on new programs with Catalan fellows and professors. Plus, they took advantage of their stay to visit several key institutions like Catalonia Trade & Investment in San Francisco and the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network, where they met with COO Melinda Griffith and Aenor Sawyer of the University of California.
