The Biopolo Sionlla welcomed in Santiago the presentation of the project IberoBio, which is led by the Life Sciences Business Technological Cluster (Bioga) and will mobilize two million euros until the end of 2025 to create and promote the Iberian Cross-Border Biotechnology Pole. And the project, with European support through Interreg's Poctep, brings together thirteen entities on both sides of the border between Spain and Portugal, from Galicia to Andalusia.
The manager of Bioga, Change Pereiro, explained that IberoBio aims to promote «the collaboration between bioregions, to enhance the capacities of biotechnological companies», with initiatives and services to make them more competitive, facilitate the acquisition of investments and share infrastructures of the different communities. It will be a bet on consolidate an innovative ecosystem of support for competitive improvement and reinforcement of internationalization, which may benefit more than 60 biotech SMEs and strategic sectors with access to advanced services that will make it easier for you.
Julio Martínez, project director of Bioga, highlighted the focus towards internationalization of the sector, making the Iberian pole an international reference, "in which the different communities work collaboratively and a powerful biotechnological ecosystem can be developed." Martínez assures that within IberoBio, "the Sionlla Biopolo is going to be a key infrastructure", and trusts that through this project it can nurture more companies and offer advanced services to all those that settle in the community. «We hope that through this project the Sionlla Biopolo can become more dynamic, and generate and attract more companies.». He explained that SunRock Biopharma, Zenpro and the venture capital fund Unirisco are currently installed there.
The new project launched has a precedent that started in 2017, when the Cross-Border Biotechnology Cluster was launched in the Galicia-North Euroregion Portugal, also within Interreg-Poctep. The manager of Bioga alludes to the work of six of the 13 partners of the new initiative, which she has already mobilized another two million «and in which we gave results to more than 100 entities, not only SMEs but also bio-entrepreneurs». Although he could not attend the event in Santiago, the president of Bioga, Jose Manuel Lopez, highlighted IberoBio's "commitment to the consolidation, positioning and internationalization of the cross-border Iberian biotech sector."
Loli Pereiro participated in the institutional welcome to the day; Luis Otero, delegate of the rector for Knowledge Transfer of the USC; Norberto Penedo, director of the Competitiveness area of the Igape; Ana Mejias, member of the State delegation in the Vigo Free Zone Consortium; and the Councilor for Rights and Social Services, Economic Promotion and Youth of Santiago, Maria Rozas.
