Malaga thus became one of the European focal points for research in Biomedicine and Nanomedicine thanks to the union of Ibima and Bionand.
The new research institute is located in the Bionand building, equipped to be a benchmark in its field, with its Nanoimaging Unit holding the distinction of “Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructure (ICTS)” awarded by the former Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
Following the recent meeting of the Governing Council which ratified the confluence of Ibima and Bionand, a few days ago Malaga became one of the European focal points for research in Nanomedicine and Biomedicine thanks to the integration of the Andalusian Centre for Nanomedicine and Biotechnology (Bionand) into the structure of the Institute of Biomedicine of Malaga. The new institute, called Ibima-Plataforma Bionand, will have its headquarters in the Bionand facilities, located in Malaga TechPark, one of the great spaces for entrepreneurship and innovation throughout the country, in a commitment to interaction and networking, key to the future of the new entity. Ibima will also continue to have its headquarters located in the city’s public hospitals and at the University of Malaga.
The Bionand centre, which celebrates its eleventh anniversary this year, is prepared and equipped to meet the needs demanded by both the industrial sector and public research initiatives for the development of new medicines and nanostructured diagnostic elements, making it an ideal space for collaboration in pre-clinical research of excellence. Thus, Bionand brings together chemistry, biology, physics, materials science and engineering to study new scientific approaches at the service of health. This multidisciplinary approach makes this research centre a benchmark for the study of nanomedicine and is an attractive option for private initiative, which sees great possibilities for the generation of knowledge in the field of R&D&I.
Likewise, the relationship with the Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga means that several research groups at Bionand are also part of Ibima, such as Cardiovascular Development and Angiogenesis; Nanobioengineering of Therapeutic Systems and Intelligent Diagnostics; Allergic Diseases to Drugs and Allergens; Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration Laboratory; Communications Engineering; and the Laboratory of Biomimetic Dendrimers and Photonics, which has an impact on the necessary relationship between pre-clinical research and clinical research, promoting biomedical research and innovation in Malaga and taking advantage of synergies, in line with European, national and regional strategies.
Position of reference
Another of the advantages of the location of the new entity in Bionand’s premises is the value of the centre’s state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. In this regard, it is worth highlighting the Nanoimaging Unit, unique in Spain and one of the most complete in Europe, which is a powerful state-of-the-art preclinical imaging facility that offers the possibility of acquiring images at micro and nanometric scale using a wide variety of techniques, and which has obtained national accreditation as a ‘Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructure’ (ICTS) granted by the former Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities at the end of 2018. The qualification as ICTS allows the infrastructures that achieve it to obtain recognition as unique research centres, becoming centres of reference for the scientific community, which also enables them to develop relevant collaborations in the field in which they carry out their activity.
This integration of structures, which were ratified unanimously by the institutions that make up both Ibima and Bionand (Regional Ministry of Health and Families; Regional Ministry of Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge and Universities; University of Malaga; and the Andalusian Health Service) is a pioneering process that will turn the city of Malaga into an important international benchmark in R&D&I in Health, focused on Biomedicine and Nanomedicine, and will combine research synergies in favour of improving the health of citizens.
This new scientific infrastructure will be joined by the future Malaga Oncology Research Centre.
Oncology Research Centre of Malaga, which will generate synergies in favour of progress in the diagnosis and treatment of oncological pathologies.