OSASUNBERRI, a project to strengthen the health industry sector in the Basque Country
The OSASUNBERRI project has the outstanding support of the Basque Government’s Department of Economic Development
The aim of the project is to build a close, efficient and integral health sector in the Basque Country, based on the Km 0 philosophy
The official signing of the Basque Government’s support for the OSASUNBERRI project took place today, Wednesday, at the Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, with the participation of Estibaliz Hernáez Laviña, Deputy Minister of Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation of the Basque Government and President of the Basque Technology Park Network, Asier Albizu, Managing Director of BIOLAN Microbiosensores S.L and coordinator of the OSASUNBERRI project, and representatives of all the entities participating in the project. The aim of the OSASUNBERRI project is to strengthen the health sector in the Basque Country and to build a close, efficient and comprehensive sector based on the Km 0 philosophy, capable of dealing with situations such as the pandemic that is still with us today and others in the future.
This project arises from the need to work in collaboration to overcome the limitations of tackling the challenges faced by the health sector individually. Working in cooperation will enable leading Basque entities in the sector to achieve a common goal: to develop an R&D strategy that will enable them to advance in the state of the art and equip themselves with the necessary capacities to overcome current barriers and challenges and thus strengthen the Km 0 health value chain in the Basque Country.
With this common objective, OSASUNBERRI acts in four areas of action: tests, therapy, assistance and digital connection. OSASUNTEST aims to obtain different tests. To this end, it has R&D platforms for the development of technological solutions and manufacturing capacities for new diagnostic tests. The second area OSASUNTHERAPY addresses the application of different therapies and focuses on the implementation of the R&D capabilities necessary for the development of pharmaceutical and microbiological drugs, as well as the development of cellular or rehabilitative therapies. OSASUNASSISTANCE develops post-COVID pilot spaces and increases the level of digitalisation of healthcare and promotes innovation platforms. Finally, the OSASUNCONNECT area monitors competitive trends, the protection of intellectual property, eco-design and the integration of digitalised systems.
The OSASUNBERRI collaborative initiative brings together 17 companies, of which 15 are SMEs and 2 are large pharmaceutical corporations, 5 healthcare institutions, 3 scientific-technological bodies and 2 sectoral associations: BIOLAN Microbiosensores S.L. (leader), Asebio, Clínica Asunción, Basque Health Cluster, Biolan Health, C4E Consulting Services, CIC bioGUNE, Cinfa, Dhemen, Faes Farma, Galbaian, Gogoa, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Aita Menni, Histocell, Ikerlat, Clínica IMQ Zorrotzaurre, Innoprot, Larrañaga Plásticos, Lazpiur, Mikrobiomik, Mizar, Naru, P4Q, Quiron Salud, Tecnalia, Tekniker and Vithas. The 27 participating entities contribute their capabilities both in research and technological development, industrial design, manufacturing, certification, intellectual protection, technological surveillance, promotion and dissemination to achieve a viable and efficient solution for situations of maximum social interest such as the current one.
The Basque Government’s support, signed today, focuses on the first phase of the project that has been carried out since March 2022 by the Basque actors of the OSASUNBERRI initiative, and which will end in December of this year. 23 entities will benefit from this aid, which will collaborate by adding their experience in order to achieve a close, efficient, comprehensive and sustainable management of current needs in the field of health.
The project is one of the priority projects of the Basque Country Strategic Investment Plan 2022-2024, with which the Basque Government aims to boost the Euskadi Next Programme with its own resources, without waiting to receive the Next Generation Funds, in component 1 dedicated to Health and Personal Care.
