Science-based innovation (Health Cities Days)

As part of the Health Cities Days, the first study visit of the Health Cities project within the Interreg Europe programme, on 27 October the European partners visited the ALBA Synchrotron, where experts from different institutions shared how scientific research and technology transfer are driving competitiveness in the biomedical field.

The session featured contributions from Alejandro Sanchez(ALBA Synchrotron), Lucas Martín Pinardi (PRUAB), Felip Miralles, Director of Health Technologies at Eurecat – Centro Tecnológico, and Jordi Escribà (B.Link). All of them are members of Sant Cugat is Sant Cugat is BIVA*.

The session, “Science-Based Innovation: From Research Infrastructures to Market-Oriented Solutions” highlighted Catalonia’s strong potential to transform research into market-driven innovation, thanks to universities, hospitals, technology centres, and major infrastructures such as the ALBA Synchrotron.

Speakers agreed that challenges remain in public-private collaboration, particularly in aligning the interests of researchers with the needs of industry. They emphasised the importance of companies clearly identifying the challenges to be addressed, and of researchers having a better understanding of market demands to ensure the viability and continuity of projects.

The need to strengthen ALBA Synchrotron’s communication efforts was also underlined, in order to showcase its industrial value and attract more companies, with initiatives such as hackathons that connect research with real business needs.

An inspiring session that shows how scientific infrastructure can become a driver of innovation and urban health, turning research into market-oriented solutions.