The Converge hub is born to connect researchers with companies and boost open innovation

This CSIC initiative is a space for scientists, companies and social agents to innovate and  co-create. It has four programmes: an open innovation programme that fosters collaboration between companies and research centres; a programme to identify and accelerate projects for the creation of new companies; a space for sharing R&D&I needs and challenges in the field of public services and public procurement of innovation; and a programme for the creation of chairs as a way for companies to sponsor CSIC research lines.

This virtual space is promoted by the CSIC's Vice-Presidency for Innovation and Transfer (VIT) and has been conceived to boost the CSIC's collaboration with the innovation ecosystem and thereby generate solutions to global challenges in biotechnology, new materials, food science and plant varieties, among others. The programmes that initially feed this new innovation hub are focused on the development of public-private collaboration projects, fostering entrepreneurship and innovative public procurement.

Converge was presented las February. The event was attended by Diana Morant, Minister of Science and Innovation; Eloísa del Pino, President of CSIC; Ana Castro, Vice-President for Innovation and Transfer of CSIC; Judith Saladrigas, partner of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Area of DWF-RCD; Carmen Vela, Director of Collaborative Projects of Gold Standard Diagnostics; Carlos Dorronsoro, Executive Director of 2EyesVision, a CSIC spin-off; Pablo Cironi, Director of Life Sciences Investment Funds at Caixa Capital Risc, and Sandra Blázquez, Head of Open Innovation at Repsol.

"To make the most of the CSIC's innovative potential, we need to promote formulas that foster internal and external collaboration, improve transversal research, enable the development of disruptive projects and encourage entrepreneurship. Also, an even greater effort is needed between companies and research centres to listen and understand better the needs and challenges, as well as to work together to find solutions," says Ana Castro, whose department, the CSIC's Vice-Presidency for Innovation and Transfer, is responsible for transferring the knowledge generated to society in the form of products and services for improving social welfare and economic growth.

Converge has four main programmes: an open innovation and co-creation programme that aims to foster collaboration between companies and research centres (CSIC Open Lab); a programme to identify and accelerate the creation of new companies based on the technologies or knowledge developed (CSIC Emprende); a space for public administrations, companies and CSIC to share R&D&I needs and challenges in the field of public services and public procurement of innovation (CSIC Living Lab); and a programme that will allow the creation of company sponsorship chairs for CSIC research lines to promote the development of scientific-technological and social knowledge (CSIC Cátedras empresa).

Converge is aimed to be a space to promote the valorisation of excellent knowledge and its introduction into the market as a new products, services and processes. The ultimate goal is to contribute to gain a stronger innovation ecosystem in society.

 

 

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