BioSpain 2021: an international benchmark in biotechnology

The meeting will bring together 1,500 professionals, including Erik Zabala, CEO of ZABALA Innovation, who will participate in the round table on Next Generation Funds to be held on 30 September

September 15, 2021
European project funding

BioSpain, a benchmark event in the international biotechnology sector, will hold its tenth edition between September 27 and October 1. The meeting will be attended by 1,500 professionals, 50 investment agents and more than 30 countries in a hybrid version brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some of the topics to be discussed at the conference will be the new healthcare challenges in the face of possible future pandemics, new genome editing techniques, how to find more funding for R&D, personalized medicine… Erik Zabala, CEO of ZABALA Innovation, will attend as a representative at the round table on Next Generation Funds on 30 September at the Palacio de Congresos de Navarra (Baluarte).

The conference is organised by the Spanish Association of Biocompanies (AseBio), in coordination with the Government of Navarra and the Society for the Development of Navarra (SODENA), in addition to the collaboration of Merck, ICEX Spain Export and Investment and the Galician Innovation Agency, GAIN.

Thanks to this meeting, Navarre will be a showcase for the talent and quality of Spanish biotech companies, where more than 3,000 ‘one-to-one’ meetings will be held to identify opportunities for collaboration and investment.

Why BioSpain

Spain is the tenth scientific power in the world and the fifth in scientific production in the European Union. It also has an extensive network of 800 hospitals, both public and private, which are supported by cutting-edge research centers. This makes the system ideal for translational medicine and the discovery of new drugs and advanced therapies.

It is a country with a consolidated biotechnology sector and an established pharmaceutical industry, which allows biotech companies to grow faster than in other countries and the pharmaceutical industry to be the leader in R&D spending in Spain.

It also has government support through loans, grants and a competitive tax incentive scheme. It also has an excellent infrastructure for innovation, with the exponential growth of science and technology parks; and a highly skilled workforce, as the percentage of workers with postgraduate studies is higher than the European average.

The cost-benefit ratio of human capital is favorable, because the cost per hour is lower than the EU average, and although the salary is lower, the attractiveness of working on scientific or biotechnology projects in Spain is high.

BioSpain Programme

Monday, September 27

9.00-18.00h. Virtual exhibition
11.30-12-30h. Cell Therapy Manufacturing Trends and Drivers for Success
16.00-17.00h. Genome Project-write: An international collaboration project

Tuesday, September 28

10.00-11.00h. Talent attraction
11.30-12.30h. How gender diversity can improve biomedicine
13.00-13.30h. Patient centricity in clinical trials: challenges and lessons learned

Wednesday, September 29

9.00-9.45h. Welcome remarks
9.45-11.00h. Are we ready for the next pandemic? | Getting involved in the European Climate Change Pact
11.00-12.00h. Vaccines: Covid-19 & beyond | Bio-products: paving the way for a sustainable planet
12.30-13.15h. Challenges in the development and production of monoclonal antibodies | Farm to fork: challenges & opportunities
13.15-14.30h. Challenges of Preclinical Research in Spain | Where do we stand on new genomic editing techniques?
16.00-17.00h. Innovations in Bioassays for drug discovery & development | The future of food: what will we eat in 2030 thanks to biotechnology
17.00-18-00h. Big Data and AI: The reshaping of the life sciences sector | Microbiome

Thursday, September 30

9.00-9.45h. Paving the road from bech to bedside in ATMPs| Transforming knowledge into innovative solutions: the key role of VC
10.00-10.45h. TBA (Cell Therapy Manufacturing Trends and Success Factors) | Venture Capital
10.45-11.15h. Hong Kong Biomedical Cluster & Leading IPO center in Asia
11.00-11.45h. Main aspects to be considered for gene therapies development
11.15-12.00h. An alternative to a traditional OPV: SPACs explained
12.15-13.00h. Time for hope? Precision medicine in modern psychiatry and neurodevelopmental disorders
12.30-13.45h. Boosting R&D&I through new innovative funding models
13.15-14.00h. Challenges and opportunities in the access and approach to cancer | Gipuzkoa, growth path to become a world reference in advanced therapies
15.30-16.15h. Developing the next wave of diagnostic innovations: Gearing toward personalized medicine| Next Generation
16.15-17.00h. Harnessing the opportunities of a new era in medicine: Personalized Medicine Strategies
16.45-18.00h. Partnership as a competitive force: Immunotherapy & Oncology
17.00-18.00h. CRISPR: the next frontier in biotechnology