Spain launches biotech platform

An initiative that aims to improve communications between stakeholders in order to hasten the uptake of advances in biotechnology has been launched in Spain.

Known as the Spanish Biotech Platform, it has been established by the Spanish Bioindustry Association (ASEBIO) in partnership with the Spanish Society of Biotechnology (SEBIOT) and the Fundacion Genoma Espana (Spanish Genome Foundation), with funding from the Ministry of Science and Innovation's National R+D+I Plan 2008-2011.

The objective is to develop stable, efficient and multilateral communication channels between the various players in science, technology and enterprise, in order to encourage biotechnology innovation and technology transfer and speed their translation into society.

Jose Maria Fernandez Sousa-Faro, chairman of ASEBIO and a member of the Spanish Biotech Platform's management team, said that he hoped "that this initiative will help the sector to grow in our country and that the technology will be implemented in many more companies than those that currently use it."

The aims are to provide a formal structure with a representative management board, to provide it with appropriate technology infrastructure and human resources, to publicise and support it and to promote collaborative projects. Involvement is free and open to all.

Key priorities are the development and implementation of a strategic agenda, the establishment of three biotechnology working groups in the fields of health, industrial and agri-food, the creation of an internet TV service, the establishment of public-private partnership projects, as well as to establish blogs and forums and a daily newsletter on the new website (page in Spanish).