Collaboration agreement between the CIDEM-PCB Bioincubator of the Parc Cientific de Barcelona and an incubator in Quebec
Held in the Sala Laval (Laval Room) of the PCB, the signing was attended by the mayor of the city of Laval, Gilles Vaillancourt; the director of the QBIC, Normand de Montigny; the President and CEO of the Biotech City, Pierre Bélanger; the second vice-president of the PCB and vice-rector of Research of the Universitat de Barcelona (UB)(University of Barcelona), Antoni Juárez; the general director for Industry of the Centre for Innovation and Business Development (CIDEM), Antoni Gurguí; the director of the PCB, Màrius Rubiralta, and the director of the Interdepartmental Committee for Technological Research and Innovation (CIRIT) and representative of the Department of Universities, Research and the Information Society (DURSI) of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia, Antoni Oliva. , ,Created in 1996 and located in the Biotech City, the QBIC was the first business incubator specialized in biotechnology in Quebec. Initiative of the Armand-Frappier Scientific Research Institute and the Laval Technopole project, the QBIC has developed a model programme for the incubation of biotechnology companies and offers entrepreneurial researchers an appropriate setting in which to carry out activities devoted to technological development and commercialisation. The CIDEM-PCB Bioincubator is an initiative promoted by the Autonomous Government of Catalonia, through the Technology Springboards of the CIDEM, and by the UB, through the PCB and the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation (FBG). Set up in June 2002 and located in the Parc Científic de Barcelona, the main aim of the CIDEM-PCB Bioincubator is to facilitate a quality setting to promote the creation of enterprises in the biotechnology sector, by providing scientific and technological support infrastructure and services for business management, and financial support. This agreement shows the interest of the two bioincubators in establishing international links related to innovation and technology transfer. The agreement arose as a result of the relationship established in the first meetings held between the Biotech City project and the PCB, which occurred during a programme of visits that the Park has made in Quebec over the last two years. This relationship was later strengthened with the opening in the PCB, last May, of the Sala Laval (Laval Room), named after the island in Quebec. The similarity between projects has facilitated this agreement, which aims to provide an international perspective to the creation of new biotechnological spin-offs from university research groups. The agreement ensures technology development and transfer, the hosting of public and private laboratories and large academic institutions, and thereby contributes to the socio-economic development of two countries. Laval Technopole and the Biotech City Located on the island of Laval, the Laval Technopole is an economic agency for the promotion and development of this region of Quebec. One of its fields of excellence is biomedicine, for which it has set up the so-called Biopole, which hosts research centres, laboratories and companies in this sector. The critical mass of the Laval Biopole led to the creation of the Biotech City, Canadas first business and science centre. Opened in 2001, the Biotech City is located in the Laval Science and High Technology Park, which includes the university campus of the Armand-Frappier Institute for Scientific Research (INRS), and science- and technology-based companies. In addition, this City also hosts research laboratories, specialized centres, a business incubator (QBIC), business development spaces, and some of the most important biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies in the world. The Biotech City has become a key site for knowledge, a centre for inter-university cooperation, a scientific business centre and focus of maximum research activity, training and commercial development.,
Countries
Canada, Spain