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Biotechnology is boosted through the establishment of the Catalonia BioRegion Foundation

By 15 de February de 2006November 18th, 2020No Comments
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 15.02.2006

Biotechnology is boosted through the establishment of the Catalonia BioRegion Foundation

The Generalitat de Catalunya, together with the Barcelona City Council, has initiated one of the priority actions of the Catalan Government by establishing the Catalonia BioRegion Foundation, a project which, from its onset, has involved the Parc Científic de Barcelona. This foundation will serve enterprises, public R+D+I organisations and government agencies with the aim to strengthen the biotech sector in Catalonia, both in terms of research and innovation and the development of businesses and employment.


The Foundation was constituted in an act held in the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya on Tuesday 14 February. This act was chaired by the First Minister of the Generalitat de Catalunya and president of the Governing Board, Josep Bargalló; and the ex officio board members: minister for the Economy and Finances, Antoni Castells; minister for Universities, Research and the Information Society (DURSI), Carles Solà; minister for Employment and Industry, Josep Maria Rañé; minister for Health, Marina Geli; and in representation of the Barcelona City Council, the deputy mayor, Jordi Portabella.

The Catalonia BioRegion is a new model of regional development that aims to improve quality of life by co-ordinating activities in biotechnology performed in Catalonia, mainly in the field of life sciences and the agroalimentary sector. This initiative seeks to consolidate Catalonia as an international reference in research of excellence, a region with a competitive business foundation and a solid and dynamic system for transferring knowledge.

One of the objectives of the Foundation is to promote associations and co-operation between all parties involved in biotechnology. Consequently, the Foundation will further the development of the “Catalonia BioRegion Forum”, which acts as an assessor and a system that facilitates the participation of organisations that collaborate with the Foundation. This Forum will be responsible for assigning representatives from the business sector and from public R+D+I institutions.

The Forum will comprise members from universities, research centres, teaching hospitals, science and technology parks, enterprises and public and private organisations, among bodies related to the biomedical and biotechnology sectors. Developed following the associational models of other bioregions, such as Medicon Valley Academy (Denmark and Sweden), the Forum aims to boost the generation of knowledge, transfer and exploitation of results in this field, and to promote relations with organisations and the projection of the Catalonia BioRegion.

In the first meeting of Foundation’s Board of Governors, Joan Cornet was appointed president of the Executive Committee, and Gerard McGettigan director of the Bioregion of Catalonia.