The 3D bioprinter from TECNALIA and the University of the Basque Country, awarded by Diario Médico and Correo Farmacéutico

Diario Médico and Correo Farmacéutico have held the third edition of the Ennova Health 2023 awards, which recognise the work of professionals, institutions and companies whose digital initiatives have added value, contributed to the sustainability of the system and improved patients’ lives throughout 2022/23.
The 3D Bioprinters initiative of Tecnalia and the University of the Basque Country, which has already created its first medicines and biological prototypes, has won the award in the category of Digital Patient Empowerment.

The 3D Biomprinting initiative developed by the TECNALIA research and technological development centre and the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU has been recognised by Diario Médico and Correo Farmacéutico and the innovation and health awards they present annually, in the category of Digital Patient Empowerment. The award ceremony took place last night, when they held the third edition of the Ennova Health 2023 awards, which recognise the work of professionals, institutions and companies whose digital initiatives have provided value, contributed to the sustainability of the system and improved patients’ lives throughout 2022/23.

The bioprinting centre, which has already created its first drugs and biological prototypes, will enable the development of personalised therapies, especially in the paediatric field, in healthy ageing and in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, in order to provide a service to the pharmaceutical industry and the healthcare sector.

Eider Larrarte, Director of TECNALIA’s pharmaceutical laboratories, thanked the organisation for the award and explained that “3D printing opens a way to personalised medicine for special situations and small groups of patients who cannot be treated with classic, commercialised pharmaceutical forms. This bioprinter puts the patient’s needs at the centre and will help to improve the quality of all these people. He also stressed the “magnificent work carried out jointly by the researchers, because thanks to your effort and creativity, we are helping to create a better world with innovation and technology as allies”.

This project is supported by the Provincial Council of Alava, and during this year and 2024, the researchers are focusing on the experimental phase and the evolution of the software and machine intelligence, with the aim of providing hospitals and pharmacy units with bioprinters for the manufacture of printed materials and biostructures.