The Innomed community visits the Immunoassay Technology Center, Werfen’s facilities in Lliçà d’Amunt
Yesterday’s event reaffirms the commitment of the Innomed program to promoting public-private collaborations
Innomed is an initiative led and coordinated by the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), with funding from ITEMAS, the platform for supporting and transferring high-impact projects of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. With the aim of fostering a culture of innovation and enhancing the transfer of projects with an impact on the healthcare system at the Can Ruti Campus and its surroundings, this network was created two years ago between IGTP and six other centres: Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Consorci Sanitari del Maresme (CSdM), Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital (HUGTiP), Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO), IrsiCaixa and Institut Guttmann.
Yesterday, around thirty people involved in the program, including researchers and members of the innovation units from several centres in the network, visited the Werfen facilities in Lliçà d'Amunt (the Immunoassay Technology Center). The meeting provided an opportunity to learn about the company's strategic areas and to establish contacts for exploring possible collaborations.
A space to connect and strengthen ties
Following an institutional welcome, Sandra Roselló, key account manager, and Marta Palicio, innovation R&D director, gave an overview of Werfen. Roselló outlined the company's history and scope, highlighting the business lines in which they offer their expertise and capacities in external collaborations. Palicio focused on the innovation strategy they are pursuing, with the goal of strengthening their expertise in immunoassays.
Next, it was the turn of the Can Ruti innovation professionals. Juan Carrillo, from IGTP, reviewed the key pillars of the Innomed program and explained his team's work to generate innovative solutions from the knowledge developed in the laboratory. He also presented two neurology projects with potential for market transfer: Lewy-Dx, the first in vitro diagnostic device for diagnosing dementia with Lewy bodies, and RUSH-PoC, a diagnostic test for ischaemic stroke. Alba Ginés (IJC), Daniel Moreno (HUGTiP) and Cristina Val (IrsiCaixa) also presented the innovation and collaboration strategies of their institutions, as well as the infrastructures and services they offer.
The day concluded with a guided tour of the manufacturing and R&D areas of the Immunoassay Technology Centre, where participants were able to see the facilities and the processes that make the development of new technologies possible.
The innovation team from IGTP highlights the value of the experience: "These meetings are essential to building real bridges between research and industry. They allow us to identify common interests, generate new ideas and move forward towards collaborations that may have a tangible impact on people's health".