New Parc Taulí Institute of Health Research and Innovation (I3PT) created

The new institute will put into practice research tasks benefiting patients, with the aim of becoming one of the many health research institutes with a seal of quality from the Institute of Health Carlos III and from the Research Centres of Catalonia (CERCA).

23/03/2015

The Parc Taulí Health Corporation, Sabadell Service Centre for the Elderly, UDIAT Diagnostics Centre, the Parc Taulí Foundation and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona recently signed an agreement for the creation of the Parc Taulí Institute of Health Research and Innovation (I3PT) which, under this format, aims to become one of the many health research institutes with a seal of quality from the prestigious Institute for Health Carlos III and from the Research Centres of Catalonia (CERCA).

The entities which signed the agreement have worked closely together for years in both research and innovation matters (collaborations between research groups and several joint ideas and projects) as well as in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The Parc Taulí Foundation is a UAB University Institute since 1998 and Parc Taulí is a Teaching Unit of the UAB's Faculty of Medicine since the 2009/19 academic year.

At this moment, all parts coincide in the need for adding value to their knowledge and give a new impulse to common projects, especially when it comes to translational research, whose aim is to make research and innovation discoveries benefit patients.

Receiving recognition from the Institute of Health Carlos III and becoming a CERCA research centre, two of the main public research organisms which finance, manage and carry out research and innovation at Catalan and Spanish level, would open the door to new options in funding and, therefore, new opportunities to project and develop the research and innovation tasks conducted at Parc Taulí and the UAB.

The I3PT is very well positioned to receive both recognitions due to its solid healthcare services and the fact that it meets all the required standards. The institute even exceeds in some of the requirements, such as a 30% in researchers who are also healthcare professionals, a figure which reaches 85% at Parc Taulí.

Parc Taulí currently consists of six areas of research (Cancer; Infectious Diseases, such as AIDS and sepsis; Epidemiology, improvement in health care and treatment of chronicity; Medical devices, ICT and image; Neurosciences and mental health and inflammation, immunology and metabolism) and a seventh of minority diseases, presently in the process of being founded with 35 active research groups. The different members of the institute maintain collaborations with 93 national and 50 international entities, and the institute participates in the countries main R&D&I networks and groups.

In the field of innovation, 10 patents were registered, nationally and internationally, while another 22 are currently being processed. Among the patents registered are a digital system for stereotactic biopsy, a pectus excavatum correction plate and an intelligent lighting system for surgery theatres. It also owns the intellectual property of several registered brands and products, such as the prestigious RAIM products for the storing, management and visualisation of digital medical image. All of this points to high expectations in generating profit with the products in benefit of Parc Taulí.

The Parc Taulí foundation will be in charge of the management of research and innovation projects conducted by I3PT through its technical office and research and innovation management structure. The foundation will also serve as a transfer office of the results obtained through the research and innovation tasks. The I3PT will dedicate over 2,000 square metres in different areas of Parc Taulí to carry out these tasks.