2025/06/12

Innovation day in health between CIC bioGUNE and FAES Farma to foster scientific-industrial collaboration

Fostering collaboration to tackle the challenges of biomedicine was the focus of the event held in Derio, bringing together CIC bioGUNE, member of BRTA, and the R&D department of FAES Farma. The aim was to share knowledge, identify synergies, and strengthen new pathways for cooperation in response to the current challenges of biomedical research.

The event, held at the Bizkaia Technology Park, brought together researchers from both institutions to discuss scientific strategies in early drug discovery, inflammation, fibrosis, and gene regulation, among other topics.

Following a brief institutional introduction, the CIC bioGUNE scientific team, led by its Scientific Director, Jesús Jiménez-Barbero, presented some of the centre’s most innovative research lines, with contributions from Juan Anguita, June Ereño-Orbea, Alberto Fernández-Tejada, Gonzalo Jiménez-Osés, Urko M. Marigorta, and Luca Unione.

Several R&D projects currently underway at the company were presented, in collaboration with the departments of biology and medicinal chemistry. Daniel Zabala, representing FAES Farma, provided an overview of the company's approach to drug discovery. This was followed by contributions from Mario Antonazzo, Barbara Noverges, Roberto Olivera, Olatz Pampliega, Ana Moreno, and Oihane Martínez, who shared recent progress across various research areas, demonstrating the company’s strong commitment to scientific innovation.

After a session of discussion and conclusions, attendees toured the FAES Farma production facility in Derio, gaining firsthand insight into the company’s industrial processes and technological capabilities. The day concluded with an informal lunch, facilitating further exchange of ideas in a relaxed setting.

Such events reinforce CIC bioGUNE’s commitment to knowledge transfer, collaborative science, and public-private cooperation as key drivers of development and innovation in health.

About CIC bioGUNE

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

About BRTA

BRTA is an alliance of 4 collaborative research centres (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE y CIC energiGUNE) and 13 technology centres (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Leartiker, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker y Vicomtech) with the main objective of developing advanced technological solutions for the Basque corporate fabric.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group and the Provincial Councils of the three territories, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration between the research centres, strengthen the conditions to generate and transfer knowledge to companies, contributing to their competitiveness and outspreading the Basque scientific-technological capacity abroad.

BRTA has a workforce of over 4,000 professionals, executes 22% of the Basque Country's R&D investment, registers an annual turnover of more than 300 million euros and generates 100 European and international patents per year.

Spanish version