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IGTP receives seven grants from the Knowledge Industry program for innovative projects

- Campus Can Ruti, Innovation, Projects, Success Stories

The 2024 call for Knowledge Industry (Indústria del Coneixement, IdC) grants by the Catalan Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) has awarded €528,000 to seven projects from the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP). The grants will enhance the valorisation and transfer of these innovative projects.

The Knowledge Industry program, promoted by the Department of Research and Universities of the Catalan Government, aims to foster a knowledge-based economic model. To achieve this, it encourages the transfer of research results from various knowledge-generating centres within the Catalan science and innovation system, with the goal of creating high-skilled jobs and significantly enhancing innovative activities.

The grants provide support at various stages of the valorisation and transfer process, facilitating the development of products and services that improve people's lives, as well as the recruitment of specialised talent for research groups within Catalonia's R&D&I system. Additionally, the program promotes an international perspective on innovation and knowledge transfer, recognising the need for collaboration and securing funding on a global scale for a more connected, diversified and resource-rich economy.

Llavor modality

For innovative projects with the potential for incorporation into the productive sector. The following projects promoted from Can Ruti have been awarded €60,000:

  • Blebmaker: Advancing Glaucoma Surgical Outcomes, led by Jorge Loscos, in collaboration with Institut de Recerca Sant Pau.
  • SNIPer - Combining the Power of Surgery and Light in the Treatment of Cancer, led by Joan Francesc Julián, in collaboration with Institut Químic de Sarrià (IQS) and Universitat Ramon Llull.
  • Targeting Choline Metabolism in High-Risk Hepatoblastoma with a Novel Release-Controlled Drug, led by Carolina Armengol, in collaboration with Universitat Rovira i Virgili.

Producte modality

Aimed at projects intended for the development of prototypes and the valorisation and transfer of research results generated by Catalan research teams. The following projects initiated by IGTP have been selected, receiving a total of €300,000:

  • Ultrabright Fluorescent Agent for Image-Guided Surgery in Cancer (BRIGHT-GUIDE), led by Adrià Bernat Peguera, in collaboration with ICMAB-CSIC.
  • CD5L-Driven Macrophage Polarization: Shaping the Future of Solid Tumour Immunotherapy, led by Maria Rosa Sarrias.

Innovadors modality

Aimed at projects for the valorisation and transfer of knowledge developed by innovators during their residencies at entities within Catalonia's research and innovation system. Grants totalling €168,000 have been awarded to two IGTP projects:

  • TB-OMICS: Innovative Tuberculosis Diagnostic Method Based on Artificial Intelligence, led by Jose Antonio Domínguez.
  • Lewy-Dx: The First Blood Test to Diagnose Dementia with Lewy Bodies, led by Katrin Beyer.

"The grants from the Knowledge Industry program are essential for transforming research results into real-world applications that can improve people's quality of life. This funding reinforces our commitment to the valorisation and transfer of knowledge, contributing to the development of innovative projects in the service of health", emphasises Raül Zurita, head of Innovation and Transfer at IGTP.

These projects are an example of the excellence in translational research that characterises IGTP and the Can Ruti Campus. As an Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) recognised by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, IGTP currently manages over 300 active projects, both nationally and internationally, with the ultimate aim of addressing health challenges and improving people's quality of life.