Report of steering committee n. 03/2015 – Study visit of the delegation of Basilicata: Exchange of Best Practices with BIOIB (18th / 19th November 2015)

The delegation of Basilicata, involving representatives of ‟ALSIA–Centro Ricerche Metapontum Agrobios”, ENEA and Ce.R.T.A., visited the Balearic Islands Biotechnological and Biomedical Cluster (BIOIB) in order to gain knowledge and skills making effective the first construction phase of a biotech cluster in Basilicata.

First day – 18^th November 2015

Research and knowledge in the Balearic Islands and the intervention of the public administration

The delegation of Basilicata was welcomed by Pep Lluis Pons general director of innovation and research at the Balearic Island’s Government), then Joan Perelló (president of the cluster) and Mariela Adrover (cluster manager) introduced the cluster and the innovation ecosystem.

After a coffee break, the delegation visited the Scientific Centre of the Balearic Islands (ParcBit) and walked around two new buildings under construction. ParcBit was built by the idea to create an environment where technology, services, production and information awareness meet up.
In the afternoon, the delegation went to the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), where Dr. Jordi Llabrés innovation vice-director [Research Institute of Health Sciences (IUNICS)] welcomed the group, and then representatives of some departments and research groups presented their projects. Dr. Fèlix Grasses (IUNICS) spoke about new results of urinary pH regulation to avoid the development of uric acid crystals as well as about some cardiology studies. Dr. Hipólito Medrano [Institute Investigations of Ambient and Water Economics (INAGEA)] described some grape and tomato varieties which request less water: ‟More production with less water” and he talked about new molecular researches of transforming crops with RuBisCO gene from Limonium gibertii, in order to decrease the irrigation of these plants. Dr. Susana Simal (Agro-food engineering Group) spoke about mass transfer processes assisted by power ultrasound during extraction of phenolic compounds. At the end of the day, the delegation got an overview of the scientific and technical services and facilities of the UIB by the guidance of Dr. Sebastiàn Albertí.

Second day – 19^th November 2015

The biotechnology business sector in the Balearic Islands

On the second day of the study visit, the delegation of Basilicata visited two companies related to pharmaceutical industry in Consell. At the first company, Bionorica Extracts S.L., the workflow of herb extraction was introduced representing the technical facilities. The goal and standard of this company is to produce plant extracts of a consistently high quality, which is guaranteed by a comprehensive process starting with the selection of the seed material and extending to the finished extract and by the workers’ special expertise in plants and extracts.

At the second company, Labo’Life España S.A., the properties of microimmunology and the process of medicine production were presented, visiting the laboratories of quality controls. The Labo’Life laboratories are entirely dedicated to Micro-Immunotherapy. The group is the first industrial pharmaceutical group to systematically address immunology through homeopathic complexes and is the leader in the field.

In the afternoon, the delegation followed some presentations of the Bioincubation program. At first, #EMPRENBIT, Incubator of Enterprises of ParcBit was presented; this association was created in order to boost the competitiveness of the Balearic Islands’ businesses through helping the enterprises to implement new ideas, supporting them during the launch of new business models based on new technologies and innovation.

Thereafter, CIRCLE (Center for Intelligent Research in Crystal Engineering), an incubated company was introduced by Fernando Barrera (CEO). This enterprise is specialized in polymorphism and pharmaceutical cocrystals; they design and perform experimental screenings in order to find new polymorphs, salts and cocrystals of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) by combining the newest technologies and facilities in the field together with an innovative virtual prediction methodology.

Lipopharma biopharmaceutical company was described by Vicenç Tur (CEO); this pioneering enterprise focuses its activities on the discovery, design and clinical development of a new generation of medicines that act through the selective regulation of membrane lipids, a novel therapeutic strategy known as ‟Membrane-Lipid Therapy” (MLT).

In the end, Mercedes Martínez (CEO) presented the BIPSIN (BioPhisiologial Instruments & Services) association, in particular the MentalCheck platform, which was performed to design and conduct Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) and Intervention (EMI) through mobile devices for mental health and human behaviour checks.

To close the study visit at the BIOIB in Palma de Mallorca, conclusions and valorisations of the workshops were taken by the steering committee and the delegation of Basilicata.