Biomedical research development in the Canary Islands
There are many obstacles to overcome in the field of biomedical research in the Canary Islands. Namely, isolation from decision-making centres and resources and excessive cost and coordination efforts are required. Additionally, recruiting new researchers, staff and managers is a serious challenge. These are the impediments that were identified following a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis of the Centre for Biomedical Research of the Canary Islands, as conducted by the EU-funded project IMBRAIN (Improving biomedical research and innovation in the Canary Islands). In order to unlock the Centre's innovation potential, the project worked to increase the quality of research and build capacity. Some of the main objectives were improving human resources and scientific infrastructure as well as coordination and management. Necessary equipment was acquired and is in full operation. Dissemination took place through weekly meetings, seminars and publications in scientific journals. A particular emphasis was on knowledge and technology transfer in addition to fostering an innovation culture within our scientific ecosystem. IMBRAIN results helped spread knowledge into the outermost EU regions and nearby African countries. Most of all, an effort was made to unlock the highest regional potential for the benefit of patients.