“The increase in international competitiveness and digitalisation will require more investment to ensure that Spain remains at the forefront of biomedical R&D”
The Deputy Director General of Farmaindustria, Javier Urzay, recalls that this is a key moment to define the country’s strategy in research to face the new challenges of the NHS
The registration period for the 16th Annual Conference of Biomedical Research Technology Platforms, to be held in Madrid on 23 May, is now open
Source: farmaindustria.es
On 23 May, Madrid will host the 16th Annual Conference of Biomedical Research Technology Platforms, promoted by Farmaindustria’s Spanish Technology Platform for Innovative Medicines in collaboration with Fenin, Asebio, Veterindustria and Nanomed.
The meeting, which resumes its face-to-face format, will be held under the title Strategic priorities in biomedical research and will present regional, national, European and international initiatives that are being implemented in order to prepare our system for possible new pandemics, promote the transformation of the National Health System (NHS), innovation as the backbone of the production system and enhance the participation of patients throughout the process. And all on the basis of a greater boost to public-private collaboration and digitisation.
“Globally, the pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a major transformation thanks to scientific advances and technological developments that will allow it to continue developing effective medicines to prevent and treat both prevalent and rare diseases, improving health outcomes, social welfare and the economy. However, at the same time, the sector faces a series of challenges that require joint action, through public-private collaboration, to address the growing global competition with a clear shift of investment in R&D and production towards Asian countries, the need to combat antimicrobial resistance, as well as the urgency of incorporating the lessons learned from the Covid-19 crisis in the face of potential new pandemics,” explains Javier Urzay, Deputy Director General of Farmaindustria and co-chair of the Spanish Innovative Medicines Technology Platform (Plataforma Tecnológica Española Medicamentos Innovadores).
Spain has a top-level pharmaceutical industry based on solid foundations which, in collaboration with the other agents involved – authorities and regulators, healthcare professionals, research centres, hospitals and patients – has made it one of the world’s leading countries in clinical research. The keys to maintaining Spain’s leading role will be discussed at the May meeting in Madrid thanks to the participation of forty renowned experts in the field, such as the director of the Carlos III Health Institute, Cristóbal Belda, and the vice-rector of Science Policy at the Carlos III University (Madrid), Juan José Vaquero, among others.
“This is a key moment to establish the country’s strategy in biomedical research to face the new challenges aimed at developing advanced therapies, more precise medicines based on the use of data and new technologies, as well as a model of decentralisation and networked research,” says Urzay, who will moderate the symposium Strategy to maintain leadership in clinical research. “To do this, we must focus on providing the centres with infrastructures, technical and human resources to adapt to the new scientific and regulatory requirements and greater international competition. This increased competitiveness and digitisation will require more investment in infrastructure and resources to ensure that our country remains at the forefront of biomedical R&D,” he adds.
At the same time, another of the country’s challenges must be addressed: the promotion of preclinical and translational research with a focus on public-private collaboration for a better transfer between hospitals, public research centres and emerging companies towards the industrial sector, as will be analysed in another of the Conference’s colloquiums entitled Strategy for the promotion of collaboration in preclinical research.
Registration and all the information on the 16th Annual Conference of Biomedical Research Technology Platforms is available at this link, as well as the full programme. The meeting is exclusively face-to-face and will take place in the Rafael del Pino Auditorium in Madrid.
