This week, the Sant Pau Research Institute celebrated the Innovation Day, an event that marked the successful closure of the INNOPAU program. This program, designed to drive innovation at the Sant Pau Campus, has provided support and guidance to professionals in transforming innovative ideas into tangible projects with potential impact on society.
INNOPAU is an intensive six-month program that covers four fundamental modules. In the first module, the definition of the clinical need takes place, with the validation of key opinions from professionals (KOL) and the analysis of epidemiological data. Additionally, user profiling and the associated value proposition are developed. In the second module, resource identification is carried out through a planned route to scientifically validate the proposal, aligned with regulatory and budgetary requirements, as well as the identification of relevant stakeholders.
In the third module, the definition of intellectual property rights (IPR) and the development of a market strategy are carried out, updating the roadmap with strategies to secure IPR and business models. Finally, in the fourth module, the focus is on obtaining competitive funding, with the presentation of scientific results through Pitch Presentations and the use of grant application forms specific to INNOPAU.
This comprehensive program offers a unique opportunity for professionals at the Sant Pau Campus to transform their innovative ideas into projects with significant impact. Each module includes initial sessions, individual tutoring, training, and seminars with experts, culminating in deliverables. All participants had the opportunity to apply for the INNOPAU scholarship, awarded upon completion of the program, thanks to a €50,000 grant from the Private Foundation of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.
The Innovation Day brought together more than 130 people, with equal participation from private sector companies and professionals from the Sant Pau Campus. Prominent companies in the R&D&I ecosystem, such as CINFA and AMBIT-BST, sponsored the event.
The day’s program included presentations on the INNOPAU program, a roundtable on translational research and entering the healthcare system, as well as presentations and the awarding of grants to incubated projects.
In the roundtable, participants shared meaningful reflections on the importance of innovation in the health field. Gemma Vilahur, researcher in the Molecular Pathology and Therapeutics Research Group of Atherothrombotic and Ischemic Diseases at the Sant Pau Research Institute, emphasized the moral responsibility of creating a spin-off to improve human health and highlighted the benefits of establishing patents, emphasizing the creation of a multidisciplinary environment that provides support in areas such as marketing, legal advice, and business. She expressed gratitude for the support from the hospital’s Technology Transfer department to ensure that innovations reach patients.
Patricia Pesudo, Director of the Strategy and Transformation Area at Sant Pau, underscored the importance of sharing challenges and solutions, encouraging public-private collaboration and alliance to co-create positive solutions.
Antonio Herce, associated with Inveready, highlighted the need for calls that drive innovation, advocating for increased public funding for concept tests that help researchers advance to the next level.
During her intervention, Claudia Ben Dov, Head of Business Strategy for Medical Devices at AMBIT-BST, emphasized that it is not only necessary to generate funds but also crucial to streamline bureaucratic processes from the administration to accelerate the arrival of innovation to patients. Her statements highlight the importance of removing obstacles to facilitate the path of innovation for the benefit of the patient.
The event concluded with the intervention of Laia Arnal, General Director of Transfer and Knowledge Society of the Government of Catalonia, who presented the INNOPAU grant to the winning project team. Arnal highlighted the need for programs like INNOPAU to foster an innovative culture and generate competitive projects that address unmet medical needs. She emphasized the importance of working with a research center and a tertiary hospital like the Sant Pau Campus, ensuring robust clinical validation and scientific excellence.
With the success of the Innovation Day, the Sant Pau Research Institute continues to establish itself as a benchmark in promoting innovation in the field of health.
