The ecosystem of life and health sciences in Catalonia is rich and spread throughout the territory, whether from the point of view of industrial potential, the various public centres and hospitals that generate knowledge in the sector or the capacity for investment. The Girona region has a growing cluster in the health sector and CataloniaBio & HealthTech has organised a conference to highlight this reality.

The event took place on 10 November at the Espai Cràter Auditorium in Olot. The event, which was supported by Inteplast Medical Division, brought together experts and members of the entire value chain in Girona to reflect on the added value of alliances between public and private entities, especially in the field of innovation.

The opening speech was given by Joan Puig, President of CataloniaBio & HealthTech and CEO of Kymos, and Adriana Carré, member of the board of CataloniaBio & HealthTech and manager of the medical division of Inteplast, a company based in Olot. The event was attended by around twenty professionals from the sector.

Pere Condom, Director of the Office of Research and Technology Transfer at the University of Girona, shared in a talk some examples and success stories in innovation, some from the life sciences sector and other inspirational cases. He also reflected on the role of investors in injecting speed into start-ups and on some examples of cities as innovative ecosystems, focusing on the Girona area.

Successful cases with denomination of origin
Condom himself was the moderator of the round table that served to review experiences and examples of companies and organisations with operations in Girona and the surrounding area. Carles Fàbrega, Director of the Human Health Division at HIPRA, explained the development process of the COVID-19 vaccine and valued as a success the model of incorporation by HIPRA of startups such as GoodGut, which has allowed them to take advantage of and learn from synergies. Jaume Guàrdia shared the initiatives being promoted by the Girona Chamber of Commerce, of which he is Vice-President, to channel specific investment funds to the region and promote an ecosystem to add value and retain entrepreneurial capacity in Girona. Another example of success is the case of Sergi Valverde, CEO of Tensor Medical, who explained how they work with their solutions and how they position themselves in front of large companies in the sector. The public sector, in this case, was represented by Neus Domènech, Head of Innovation at the Fundació Hospital d'Olot, who presented the innovative model of her centre and some examples of patient-centred innovations and the alliances they have created to carry them out.

All these cases were the focus of the debate in the round table and with the attendees, who ended the day with a networking session. "This territorial focus by CataloniaBio & HealthTech will continue throughout 2023. For the time being, the next event will take place at the end of January in the city of Girona", explains Javier Selva, CEO of CataloniaBio & HealthTech.