IDia +
Investigació
Desenvolupament
Innovació
THE SCIENCE PARK OF UNIVERSITAT, THE SITE OF INNOVATION At the Burjassot-Paterna campus, next to
levels.
the research institutes, a new complex is
Over the past decade, the PCUV has
under construction. It includes de premises
catered for university research institutes
that, together with the existing centres,
and groups in its Paterna premises; this is
will finally make up the Science Park of
the most ‘academic’ side. It is now the turn
Universitat de València (PCUV, Parc
of companies with R&D departments and
Científic de la Universitat de València). This
with already consolidated links with
new area will be focused on research,
university research; it is also the turn of
knowledge transfer and innovation and will
the spin-offs of research initiatives run by
help the institution fulfil a remarkable task,
lecturers and researchers, supported by
namely contributing to the socioeconomic
university so that knowledge yields real
development of Valencia.
economic fruit.
The Science Park has developed over the
As from the next academic year, university
years thanks to cooperation between
and enterprise will work together at the
institutes and R&D company departments.
PCUV complex. Their collaboration will
As the latter make new demands for
favour work between researchers and allow
university research, the most innovative
all the parties involved to make the most of
companies participate in academic
the high value added services offered by
+
+
Aplicació
Spin-off at work. Valentia Biopharma: biotechnology applied to rare diseases
2
Research at the Family Business Professorship
3
Proton therapy. Accelerators against cancer
4
ICMol: breakthroughs in molecular electronics
5
Universitat and disabilities: bridging the digital gap
6
19th European Union Contest for Young Scientists
knowledge in order to become more
the Science Park, making UV’s contribution
Research in figures
competitive. Obviously, this leads to
to the development and progress of
increased wealth and higher employment
Valencian society more effective.
Ana Cortés, OTRI director
IDia. Year I Issue n. 1
1
7 8
SPIN-OFF AT WORK The first spin-offs of Universitat de València are in operation. Shortly, they will be moved to Business incubator under construction at the Science Park. Born within the campus and supported by the academic institutions, spin-offs are newly created companies usually linked to university patents. They work on the transformation of scientific discoveries and research results into innovative and profitable products in the market. UV has five technological spin-offs and a social one, the Childhood and Family Psychological Institute (IPINFA, Instituto Psicológico de la Infancia y la Familia). All six are the result of university research and the help of the OTRI, the Office for the Transfer of Research Results (Oficina de Transferencia de Resultados) and they all stand out in their fields. Two of them, Chylas and Valentia Biopharma, were awarded the last Bancaja Prize for Young Entrepreneurs. On the avant-garde of technological development, the first one is the only fibre optics laser manufacturer in Spain; the second one is a member of a research partnership of an outstanding project in the area of new therapies for myotonic dystrophy, an incurable genetic muscular disease. TS European System Solutions works with systems based on hyperspectral image technology; Aurora Software and Testing develop computer programmes for electromagnetic applications, and Eolab offers remote sensing services related with the environment, sustainable development, and global change. Finally IPINFA, has just exported to Ireland its Mother and Child Psychological Programme, a project against child abuse successfully applied in many families with children under 2 years. For UV, the recent constitution of the spin-offs come to strengthen the interaction between the productive and academic spheres and reflect its commitment with Valencian society and economy.
2
VALENTIA BIOPHARMA SEEKS SOLUTIONS TO MYOTONIC DYSTROPHY
Carmen Álvarez and Rebeca Lucas, the researcher and the manager of the spin-off
Fundación
Genoma
España
has
Could myotonic dystrophy be cured
commissioned Valentia Biopharma S.L.
then?
(VB)
de
That's what we aim for, but a lot more
València- to look for solutions to Myotonic
research is needed. We try to find a
Dystrophy, a hereditary muscular disease
chronic
that today remains incurable. The project
degenerative process and to help patients
is part of a multilateral agreement
lead a normal life.
–a
spin-off
between
different
of
Universitat
institutions
“WE
Carmen Álvarez and Rebeca Lucas are managers
of
this
to
stop
the
and
research centres. the
treatment
LOOK TO FIND A TREATMENT TO STOP THE DISEASE’S
young
DEGENERATIVE PROCESS”
biotechnology company that originated from Rubén Artero’s research group (Genetics Department of UV), associated
How did such a young company get
with a patent of Drosophila melanogaster
to work for Genoma España?
and focused on genomic research in rare
As a company, we look for active
diseases.
principles with therapeutic potential, to be able to treat human genetic diseases, a
“UNIVERSITAT IS AN ESSENTIAL SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE. FOR A BIOTECHNOLOGY, STARTING UP IN A SCIENCE PARK IS VITAL”
basic element in this project. But it was vital for us to 'be born' within PCUV. Is it a matter of infrastructure or equipment? The
starting
investment
of
a
biotechnological company is huge while What’s VB’s role in the project?
results are hardly ever seen in the short run. In research, you never know when
We try to develop new therapies by
you will get results. Apart from that, the
means
Drosophila
university does not only provide you
melanogaster. The fly is to reproduce
with equipment; it is also an essential
aspects of the disease and finally display
source of information and knowledge.
the same symptoms as humans, so that
And those are the raw materials of an
we can experiment with it.
R&D company.
IDia. Year I Issue n. 1
of
trackings
in
NEWS IN BRIEF
THE FAMILY BUSINESS PROFESSORSHIP LAUNCHES AN INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROGRAMME
On May, the Rector Francisco Tomás, presided the last meeting of the Executive Committee of the R&D Sector Commission of the European Union Rectors’ Conferences, which brought together top R&D
The Family Business Professorship of
panies and their problems and pros-
representatives from the Spanish
Universitat de València has launched
pects. Its goal is to help maintain a
universities. The meeting was held
an interdisciplinary research pro-
fabric that approximately accounts
gramme focused on the analysis of the reality of family businesses and
for 7% of the wealth in Spain; the proportion for the Valencian Com-
the situation and features of family
munity is even higher; it employs
companies in the Valencia Region.
three salaried workers out of every
Law, economics, psychology, peda-
four and produces about 60% of all
gogy and psychiatry are initially given priority as disciplines needed for the development of research projects from different viewpoints. But the Professorship is open to proposals by the university community from any area of knowledge. The Professorship was created last year thanks to a cooperation agreement between Universitat de València, the Valencian Association of Entrepreneurs (Asociación Valenciana de Empresarios AVE), Fundación EDEM (Entrepreneurs School) and the Family Business Institute. It is the first professorship in Valencia with a focus on the analysis and education in the field of family com-
exportable goods. Located at Tarongers Campus and run by Prof. Tomás González, from the Business Administration Department Juan José Renau Piqueras, the Professorship started operating in 2006, with a project on human resource strategies in Spanish family businesses. “During academic year 2007-2008 we want to complete a descriptive analysis of family businesses in the Valencia Community”, says González. “To that end –he insists- we expect to receive participation proposals from any researcher with an interest in this type of study”.
at the university's head office and addressed the position of Spanish universities with regard to the new R&D National Plan.
Manuela Merchán Bonete, Professor in Physical Chemistry of UV and a researcher at ICMol, was awarded the Research Prize in Physical Chemistry of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry. Merchán mainly works on Spectroscopy and Photochemistry Theory. She received the award for “the quality, originality and repercussion of her contributions to theoretical chemistry”.
Josep Manel Medrano, a PhD student at the Department of Administrative and Procedural Law of UV, was awarded the scientific communication prize «Joan Lluís Vives» 2006, in the modality of social sciences and education and humanities, for his article “Justice in the 21st century”. The goal of the award is to foster communication skills in PhD students from the Vives university network.
Daniel J. H. Errandonea (Materials Science Institute ICMUV) and Ramón Galán (Molecular Science Institute ICMOL), both from Universitat de València, were awarded the Idea Prize (Fundación Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias) in the Basic Sciences and Technologies categories, respectively. The objective of the Idea Awards is to support universities from the Valencian Region in the promotion
Tarongers Campus, where the Family Business Professorship is located.
of young outstanding researchers.
IDia. Year I Issue n. 1
3
UNIVERSITAT PROMOTES A PROTON THERAPY SERVICE FOR CANCER TREATMENT at the Science Park of Universitat, and
managed
by
Professor
in
Physics Josep Bernabeu, the centre will be at the service of research and hospital medical teams of the Spanish health system, in their care of cancer patients from all over Spain. The discovery of radiations and particles in Physics opened up new application
avenues
diagnosis
in
and
Medical
therapeutic
treatment. From X ray technology to modern devices such as PET (Positron Emission Tomography), the 20th
century saw outstanding
breakthroughs in Medical Imaging techniques. This progress is now unstoppable
thanks
to
research
results in the field of radiation Orientable array room and patient positioning system (courtesy of IBA). Under these lines, Josep Bernabeu, project manager, talks to the professor J.M. García Verdugo just after IFIMED presentation
propagation and particles attained by fundamental Physics. On
the
other
accelerators
hand,
are
particle
being
most
effective in the treatment of many cancer-related diseases. That
is
why,
IFIMED’s
project,
mainly focused on the study and development Medicine,
of
was
accelerators selected
by
for the
Ministry of Education and Science and
by
Generalitat
Valenciana
(regional government) to become a member on the Spanish Network of Large Singular Research Facilities. In addition to carrying out R&D activities
in
equipment,
detectors, medical
accelerators,
with
diagnosis
imaging the
and
proton
therapy service, the Medical Physics Institute will take on training tasks in hospitals and staff development Universitat de València is promoting
thanks to the accuracy of proton
ones in IFIMED itself.
the first proton therapy centre in
arrays and the reduction of side
The promoter of the Project, the
Spain, for the treatment of cancer
effects.
Institute
Similarly,
its
diagnosis
of
Corpuscular
diseases.
techniques are more effective and
This new way of intervention –
less invasive.
IFIC), jointly answerable to CSIC
applied to some malignant tumours-
With headquarters in the future
and
has proved effective in comparison
Institute
Physics
personally
with radiotherapy and chemotherapy
(Instituto de Física Médica, IFIMED),
operation.
4
IDia. Year I Issue n. 1
of
Medical
UV,
de will
Física
Physics
(Instituto
Corpuscular,
scientifically
support
the
and
centre’s
THE INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR SCIENCE, A NANOTECHNOLOGY LEADER The Institute of Molecular Science (Instituto ICMol)
de
Ciencia
recently
experiment
to
Molecular,
proposed
the
a
international
scientific community on quantum computing,
a
huge
molecular
nanoelectronics challenge indeed (cover of Nature Nanotechnology) and one that may well be a step towards
the
next
computer
revolution.
“IN CHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITAT DE
VALÈNCIA
IS THE SECOND
MOST CITED SPANISH UNIVERSITY BY INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS”
difficult
The results of this research come from work on nanometric systems in the storage and processing of information, this being one of the research Coronado’s main
lines
of
research
character
yet
Eugenio team,
the
again
on
another international cover, that of Advanced Materials. In the former case, in cooperation with CSIC, an alternative was presented for the
AFTER
computation
MAKING PROGRESS IN
leading
THE CONSTRUCTION OF TOP
conventional
turn more
trivial, speed
quantum
this
in
the
computer
and to the possibility of resolving
CORONADO’S
currently insurmountable problems. This research was jointly conducted
TEAM SUGGEST AN
with Daniel Loss’ research group
EXPERIMENT ON MOLECULAR QUANTUM COMPUTER.
to
hypothetical
DENSITY MAGNETIC MEMORIES
by
from the Swiss ETH.
THE
In
PROJECT APPEARED ON THE
Chemistry,
València
ranks
Universitat second
de
among
manufacturing of functional devices
COVER OF
NATURE
Spanish universities as being most
at a nanometric level, opening new
NANOTECHNOLOGY
cited by international journals, in
manufacturing
avenues
the
for
82th
position
of
the
world
ranking of the ISI (Institute of
magnetic memories far better than current ones. Now, the proposal
quantum computing- contains much
Scientific Information) on the Web
consists
magnetic
more information than the bit and
of Science. More than 90% of the
molecules for the study of the
allows to carry out operations that
highly influential publications that
coupling between two q-bits.
would not be possible in classical
place UV in that position come from
The q-bit –an information unit in
physics. Thus, problems considered
ICMol research groups.
in
using
IDia. Investigació + Desenvolupament + Innovació + Aplicació Vicerectorat de Comunicació i Assumptes Econòmics
More information: bidia@uv.es www.uv.es/bidia
IDia. Year I Issue n. 1
5
“ ACCESO RE S E A RCH UNI T”: D IS ABL ED PEO PL E B RI DG E THE DI G I TA L G A P partnership
of
centres
from
Sweden, Italy, Greece, and Spain. Most of the technological work is undertaken
by
foundation
the
Italian
Accenture,
which
coordinates the project with the support
of
(Microsoft,
the
Hewlett
sponsors Packard
y
Scansoft). The accessibility policy of this web space is based on World Wide Web accessibility
recommendations,
defined within the framework of the WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative). Set
up
in
1994,
run
by
Prof.
Francisco Alcantud and associated to the Department of Evolutionary and
Education
Psychology
of
Universitat de València, ACCESO works on different research lines with a common factor: the study of the psycho-educational application NavigAbile users involved in the project met at Universitat last April. Two disabled youths using alternative communication systems.
of information and communication technology and its use by people with
The
ACCESO
Research
Unit
of
towards
cognitive
and
Universitat de València coordinates
communicative
the Spanish participation in the
European cross-national nature of
European
the project is due to the number of
project
programme
for
NavigAbile, the
design
a of
potential
disabilities.
users
of
The
NavigAbile
learning
services across Europe and the
environments. Focused on children
possibility of building a common
and youths with motor, cognitive
communication space by means of
and communicative disabilities, the
international symbolic languages.
system offers a package of services
The ultimate goal is to spread the
that augments the web interface
product in the whole of Europe.
and provides users with relational
Universitat
de
and
works
the
accessibility-based
multimodal
communication
tools, that is, tools based on the use
the
provides
also
contents
on
the
access
Internet.
to This
València
mainly
evaluation
and
adaptation of the websites within
of symbols, images and sounds. It innovative
on
NavigAbile environment, but collaborates
partners
in
with
other
different
work
formula will be adopted in the future
packages.
by
The programme started in January
all
European
portals
and
websites. The
and will be implemented over a
project’s
main
goal
is
to
15-month
validate potential markets for a new
involvement
generation
of
individuals,
evaluation
tools,
computer-aided
of website
with
the
disabled specialists
territories
and professionals with different
characterised by a different attitude
backgrounds from a transnational
6
in
period,
IDia. Year I Issue n. 1
physical
disabilities.
and/or
sensorial
UN IV E RSI TAT OR GA N I S E S THE 1 9 TH E URO P E A N U N IO N CON T E S T F O R Y O UNG S C I E NTI S TS working on the preparations for the event, which will bring together the finalists
from
more
than
35
countries and will count on the cooperation
of
the
Council
of
Valencia, the Regional Government and the Ministry of Education and Science. The competition will be held from 14th to 19th September at
Príncipe
the
Felipe
Science
Museum.
Science
students
will
have an opportunity to compete at a European level with the winners of the national contests. Only the winners of the national competitions can participate in this European event. Their projects will be exhibited for three days and will be assessed by a jury consisting of 14 international scientists. The first European Union Contest The event will take place at the Príncipe Felipe Museum, from 14th to 19th September.
for Young Scientists was held in Brussels
Raising the interest of the young in
an
science,
initiative
of
the
European
in
1989
and
the
last
edition took place in Stockholm
of
Commission aimed at rewarding
(Sweden).
cooperation and the exchange of
the best scientific projects carried
This edition is particularly relevant
ideas, and promoting science and
out
because
technology higher education are
students.
fostering
ideals
by
secondary
education
it
takes
place
on
the
occasion of the anniversary of the
the goals of the 19th European
Universitat
Union Contest for Young Scientists,
organiser of the 19th edition- is
de
València
–the
Treaty of Rome, which set up the European Communities.
QUALITY AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER IN THE SPOTLIGHT OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN After the ‘go ahead’ to the drawing
research policy and management
considers the Science Park to be a
up of the 2008-2011 Strategic Plan
of the coming years.
reference
of Universitat de València (PEUV),
In
the
planned
rector,
Francisco
Tomás,
this
respect, around
presented the draft to the senate.
strategies,
The document aims to become a
research
tool for the future management
improving
and projection of the academic
management
institution.
extending
The
text
puts
forward
eight
such
as
support
of
the
institution’s
are
transferable research activity, and
different
proposes to increase and improve
actions
reinforcing
science
structures,
enhance its social repercussions.
resources
and
mechanisms, knowledge
or
transfer
productiveness
and
Raising quality in research and stimulating
science,
thus
contributing to the development and welfare of society, are key
actions.
strategies axes that unfold into a
The project proposes to boost the
words
total of 159 lines, 22 of them
“research
section
being focused on improving the
organisational
group”
as
a
stable
structure;
it
in
the
devoted
Strategic to
research.
IDia. Year I Issue n. 1
Plan
university
7
UNIVERSITAT IN FIGURES
UNIVERSITAT DE VALÈNCIA DOUBLES THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF ITS RESEARCH ACTIONS OVER FIVE YEARS Over five years, Universitat de
165% increase in capital.
València has doubled the value of
UV’s
its research projects, contract,
National R&D&I Plan is also
and agreements, as stated in the
remarkable.
last Statistics Report published
projects in this case come to
by
participation The
in
number
the of
i
136, with more than 11 million
Planificació (SAP, Analysis and
euros (2005), which means a
Planning Service) of UV.
40% increase in their number
Only
the
Servei
in
implemented
2005
d’Anàlisi
and 72% more budget than in
Universitat
1,144
2001.
R&D
measures (23% more than in
As for the agreements, UV signed
2001) amounting to almost 56
451 in 2001 and 705 in 2005,
million euros (more than 60% of
with an income increase of 67%. The number of registered patents
the 2001 budget). Apart from gradually increasing the number of agreements, projects and contracts, the mesaures' allocation is nearly double if compared to the budget five
“UNIVERSITAT VALÈNCIA
also doubled in the period 2000-
DE
IS AMONG THE
FIRST FOUR STATE
SPAIN
years ago. This evolution in the total research
THE BUDGET/RESEARCHER
of EU funded projects, with an 80% rise in the number of them and a
RATIO, AS THE
REPORT”
C YD
For a few years now, Universitat de València has been one of the first four
IN
UNIVERSITIES IN
budget can be clearly seen in the item
2005, shifting from 46 to 95.
state universities in Spain in the budgetary
allocation
/
researcher
ratio, according to the CyD Report of the
Fundación
Conocimiento
y
Desarrollo.
WHO IS WHO
ANA CORTÉS, DIRECTOR OF THE OTRI The Oficina de Transferencia de Resultados de Investigación (OTRI, Office for the Transfer of Research Results) of Universitat de València has been in operation for the past 18 years, led by Ana Cortés. With a background in pedagogy, she chose university administration as a career. She heads a 12 member professional team that seeks to improve relations between university research and corporations within the socioeconomic environment of Universitat de València. Just in 2006, the R&D activity volume in collaboration with companies, associations, foundations, and public administrations -supervised by the OTRI- came to more than 850 agreements and projects, with an estimated budget of 17 million euros. “Our most immediate goal is to improve knowledge management processes via valorisation. “The idea is to identify research results, assess their potential, increase their protection by means of quality patents and other ownership methods, promote them, and transfer them on to the market” says Cortés. This action is aimed at making public resources more profitable for the benefit of people’s quality of life.
IDia. Year I Issue n. 1
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