Signing is the first step to transfer great part of biomedical research from CSIC to Biopol’H area

The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Consortium Biopol in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat have signed a framework agreement for collaboration. This agreement will facilitate the integration of CSIC research groups into Biopol’H and will help with the construction of a new building where the Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona (IIBB) will be located.

José Montilla, president of the Generalitat, has chaired the agreement signing ceremony, which has been signed, on the one hand, by the President of Governing Council of Biopol’H and Minister of Health, Marina Geli, and, on the other hand, by the head of the national agency CSIC, Rafael Rodrigo Montero. The mayoress of L’Hospitalet, Núria Marín, has also attended the ceremony and they all have concurred in highlighting the importance of joining forces to carry out a project like Biopol’H, stating that the collaboration with CSIC is a fundamental boost to turn it into a reference for Catalonia, Spain, the Mediterranean area and the world. As Marina Geli said, “I have a dream: to turn Baix Llobregat into Massachusetts.”

By signing this agreement, the parties have voiced their desire to integrate CSIC into Biopol'H in order to strengthen coordination and collaboration. Furthermore, the intention of performing studies and implementing projects and programmes of research and development in the scientific areas of common interest is among the clauses of the agreement and so is the possibility of enabling mutual advice, mutual support and the exchange of information. It also establishes the general guidelines for cooperation in the training programmes for both research and technical personnel as well as for its exchange and collaboration and the creation of mixed units of research and development.

CSIC

The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) aims to promote coordination, development and diffusion of the multidisciplinary research on science and technology in order to help with the advance of knowledge and the economic, social and cultural development. Likewise, it is to help train personnel and advise the public and private entities in these areas. 2200 people are currently working in the 123 Catalan centres of CSIC, a quarter of them in the biomedical sector.