What is an Innovation Agent?

The Valencian Innovation Agency launched a network of innovation agents in universities, research centers, business associations and other innovation support entities to promote the exploitation of knowledge and its transfer to companies. These agents are called Innovation Agents or Innoagents AVI.

The Innoagents are agents whose function is to promote applied and results-oriented research, the transfer of knowledge to companies, as well as to promote stable and long-term collaboration between the industrial/business and scientific/university universes.

What is the objective of the project?

The main objective of the project is to strengthen the contribution of UPV R&D groups to Valencian business innovation in the health sector, through the innovation agent that promotes new opportunities for collaboration in R&D&I between the UPV, hospitals and companies, by carrying out preparatory activities, which may lead to future joint projects, or the generation and / or attraction of spin-offs or start-ups.

Main actions

The Health Innovation Agent incorporated to the team of the Research, Innovation and Transfer Promotion and Support Service (i2T) is Laia Bielsa Ferrando( labiefer@upv.es). This will be in charge of carrying out different actions to promote the relationship between UPV Health researchers and the Valencian business sector, through the participation in the following actions UPV Match will be in charge of bringing the technologies developed by the researchers closer to the companies through commercialization actions (elaboration of technological offers and market studies), detection of protectable results after analysis of the executed projects and support to the researchers in the communication of the results, as well as the realization of dissemination actions of calls for proposals, events and singular conferences for the health sector.

AVI Project: INNTA1/2023/31

The IMPULSSA UPV project (INNTA1/2023/31), executed during the years 2023 and 2024, is the continuity of the efforts initiated in previous years and of the previous project (INNTA1/2021/12) in which the innovation agent was incorporated to the Service for the promotion and support of research, innovation and transfer (hereinafter i2T) of the Universitat Politècnica de València (hereinafter UPV). This project follows the guidelines of promoting the transfer of R&D results to the Valencian health sector. In collaboration with hospitals, companies and other health entities, innovative initiatives have been implemented to strengthen the connection between university research and clinical practice.

Key activities have included the promotion of collaborations through the programs INBIO y UniSalut generating synergies between UPV researchers and health research institutes and foundations. This has facilitated the development of advanced technologies, their transfer to companies in the health sector and the creation of university spin-offs. Among the achievements, it is worth highlighting the launch of the new program UPV-CLINIC a collaboration program between the UPV and INCLIVA, which has promoted the joint development of 23 innovative proposals, of which 8 have been funded. Thematic co-creation workshops have been carried out with the participation of researchers from the UPV and other health institutions and universities, addressing areas such as artificial intelligence, agri-food and health, women’s health, etc. These meetings have generated more than 15 potential collaboration proposals.

Likewise, “Match UPV-company” conferences have been held, such as those organized with CINFA, IVO and Health in Code, which have promoted strategic alliances to solve challenges in oncology, molecular diagnostics, and biomedical technologies, among others.

The innovation agent has promoted the participation of researchers and technologies in key events such as BIOSPAIN and the VDS, establishing contact with national and international companies. It has also accompanied researchers in processes such as the application for authorizations to the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) and the use of platforms such as ClinicalTrials.gov. It has also promoted good practices in the development of medical software and CE marking, thanks to the collaboration between the different experiences of the research groups involved in these regulatory stages.

The results obtained include a high degree of compliance with the project’s objectives, with the generation of new collaborations, the promotion of emerging technologies and the promotion of innovative solutions aimed at improving healthcare. In addition, relationships with key institutions such as Fisabio, INCLIVA and IIS La Fe have been consolidated, laying the foundations for future collaborative innovation projects, which has prompted the start of new collaborations such as with the Fundación de Investigación del Hospital General Universitario Valencia (FIHGUV), with which it is intended to launch a collaboration program for the year 2025.

In summary, the IMPULSSA UPV project has been a catalyst for innovation and technology transfer in the field of health, contributing to the advancement of applied research and strengthening the role of the UPV as a key player in the ecosystem of health innovation in the Valencian Community.