2023/02/24

CIC bioGUNE celebrates its eighteenth anniversary with more than 1,700 articles published in international scientific journals

More than 500 researchers from over 30 countries have worked at CIC bioGUNE over the last eighteen years, making the centre an international benchmark in cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, molecular and cellular biology.

The bioGUNE Research Centre (CIC bioGUNE), a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), has today officially celebrated its eighteenth anniversary with an event in recognition of its position as an international benchmark in cutting-edge research at the interface between chemistry and structural, molecular and cellular biology.

The event, held at the organisation’s headquarters in the Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, was attended by representatives from various institutions and people from the academic, scientific and technological world. Speakers included Jesús Jiménez Barbero, Scientific Director of CIC bioGUNE, and José María Mato, General Director of CIC bioGUNE, and the event closed with a science lecture given by Mabel Loza, professor of pharmacology and leader of the BioFarma pharmacological research group at CIMUS, University of Santiago de Compostela.

Coinciding with this eighteenth birthday coming of age, CIC bioGUNE also celebrated the fact that it has once again been accredited as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence, the highest level of recognition for research centres in Spain. The aim of this distinction is to finance and accredit research centres that provide and demonstrate impact and scientific leadership at an international level, and that take active part in their social and business environment. The research centre, originally awarded this 4-year renewable accreditation from 2017 to 2021, has now been accredited for a further four years from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2026, and will be awarded a grant of one million euros per year during this period, which will be used to further its applied research and to generate both fundamental and oriented knowledge in life sciences, to train talent, to raise public awareness of the centre and to improve its public and social profile. Furthermore, accreditation comes with 10 new four-year pre-doctoral contracts. CIC bioGUNE employs over 230 people in 19 research groups and 6 technology platforms, as well as in administration and services.

In the course of these eighteen years, CIC bioGUNE has established itself as a leading scientific research centre, both nationally and internationally, generating knowledge in the biomedical field, with a particular focus on the study of the molecular bases of disease, for use in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies. This has been manifest through publications in scientific journals, patents, collaboration with international organisations and institutions, the generation of competitive resources and the availability of its technological equipment and scientific staff at the service of the scientific and business community.

José María Mato, General Director of CIC bioGUNE, pointed out in his speech that, “just as in the last two decades we have been able to occupy a prominent position in the Spanish and international science and technology system in the area of biomedical research, we now need to focus our efforts on defining what we are going to do to maintain and improve this position in the next decade, to imagine the research centre we want to be and what steps we need to take to get there”.

Since its inauguration in January 2005, more than 500 researchers from over 30 countries have worked at CIC bioGUNE. The centre, headed by José María Mato since it was first opened and with the participation of Jesús Jiménez Barbero since 2014, has, over the course of these eighteen years, secured more than 248 million euros of funding, of which 130 million have come from different programmes of the Basque Government, mostly from the Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment but also from the Departments of Education and Health, and 14 million from the Provincial Council of Bizkaia. More than 43 million euros have come from calls for competitive projects launched by the Spanish Public Administration, whilst a little over 14 million euros have been obtained from international projects, including 6 projects of the European Research Council (ERC). Finally, some 46 million euros or more have come from turnover, contributions from partners and private entities. At the same time, the centre has contributed to creating wealth locally, subcontracting with Basque companies to the value of more than 6 million euros and, in turn, with a turnover via service provision contracts of more than 29 million euros. It has also participated in the creation of 3 companies, which are still active.

On the purely scientific side, over 1,700 articles have been published in international scientific journals, which have already received more than 49,000 citations. More than 2,000 scientific institutions have collaborated on these articles, involving 8,000+ researchers from all over the world. In total, more than 30 patents have been awarded.

In terms of training, 138 doctoral theses have been completed to date, with over 80 currently in progress. More than 100 young people have completed master's degrees at the centre, where more than 100 vocational training students have also done their internships. The centre has also hosted dozens of students from the Erasmus and Da Vinci exchange programmes.

About CIC bioGUNE

The Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) and located in the Bizkaia Technology Park, is a biomedical research organization conducting cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, molecular and cell biology, with a particular focus on the study of the molecular bases of disease, for use in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.

About the BRTA

The BRTA is an alliance made up of 4 collaborative research centers (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE and CIC energiGUNE) and 12 technology centers (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker and Vicometch), with the aim of developing advanced technological solutions for Basque companies.
With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group and the Provincial Councils of the three regional provinces, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration among its centers, to strengthen the conditions to generate and transfer knowledge to companies, contributing to their competitiveness, and to spread Basque scientific and technological capacity outside of the Basque Country.
BRTA has a staff of 3,500 professionals, accounts for 22% of the Basque Country’s R&D investment, generates an annual turnover of over EUR 300 million and files 100 European and international patents per year.

CIC bioGUNE, member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance, BRTA

Spanish version