The Universitat de València Science Park Foundation (FPCUV, for its Spanish acronym) awarded last night the ‘X Anniversary’ Prize to 10 companies that are innovative in their business environment. The focus on R&D, the collaboration with the academic institution or the internationalization level, among others, have been key points for the decision of the awards given during the celebration of the X anniversary of the FPCUV and supported by Banco Santander.
The chemical multinational UBE Corporation Europe was the first to win a prize, the “Trajectory of Collaboration with the Universitat de València”. During this last decade, 9 R&D contracts have been signed with the institution, mainly for polyurethane and polycarbonate research. Their knowledge is applied in the production of food packages, monofilaments, automotive components, habitat materials and engineering products for consumption.
The prize “Company example of transfer of intellectual and industrial property rights” was given to Laser Food company, the technology of which allows the indelible marking directly on fresh agrofood products, so replacing traditional labelling methods, increasing the efficiency of energy consumption. The company has co-ownership, together with the Universitat, of a patent, as well as of a license to use and exploit this patent and another one.
The specialized in biomedical informatics company Kanteron Systems won the “Internationalization” prize. The company has offices in UK and USA, and its solutions have been applied in 15 countries.
The evolution of its operational benefits, invoicing volume and the value of the shares during these 10 years explains that IMEGEN is the winner of the “Growth and Consolidation” prize. Also for the conspicuous increase of staff, changing from 2 to 74 professionals in 10 years, 25% of who are graduates from the Universitat de València. IMEGEN is currently part of the leading Spanish group in genetic diagnosis, a market with a key role in the development of preventive, personalizes and precision medicine.
In the category 'Ex Expansion', for companies with up to five years of activity, awards were given to Doitplenoptic, promoted by members of the Department of Optics of the Universitat de València, which won the prize for 'Emerging Spin-off'; and Smart Induction Converter Technologies, founded by professors from the School of Engineering, which was recognized as 'Emerging Start-up'.
The 'Consolidated Startup' prize was given to the team of Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence, formed by researchers linked to the Universitat who collaborate on various R&D projects with the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (UV-CSIC) and the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (CSIC). And Eolab Spain, the first spin-off from the Universitat de València, born within the Department of Earth Physics, was recognised as a ‘Consolidated Spin-off'. In particular, its services derive from data extracted from the Sentinels satellites from Copernicus of the European Union and the European Space Agency, and are key to decision-making concerning the sustainable development and climate change.
María Albiach and José Luis García, entrepreneurial and managerial careers
Two awards to highlight entrepreneurial and managerial careers were given to María Albiach, CEO of ValGenetics, and José Luis García, Executive Director of Epidiase. Albiach, Doctor in Chemical Science, has more than 28 years of experience in the fields of Bacteriology and Molecular virology. Her wide training as a plant pathologist was developed at the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA) and the Citrus Research and Education Center of the University of Florida, in the United States. In 2013 she promoted a plant sanitation company and today, in the same field, she leads the company ValGenetics, which employs ten highly qualified professionals.
José Luis García won in 2014 the National Competition for Young Entrepreneurs of the National Youth Institute. The award, valued at 25,000 euros, was used to the establishment of EpiDisease, an R&D company that develops products for the diagnosis of human diseases using epigenetic biomarkers. This is the case of idiopathic scoliosis, for the diagnosis of which the company markets a method based on a patent developed by José Luis García himself and which has the financial support of Botín Foundation. In parallel to his research experience, he has received business training from entities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the CDTI to accelerate the market launch of this medical technology company. He also is entitled to another patent on the diagnosis of sepsis, which is currently in the process of being marketed.
In addition to the awards, the evaluation committee, made up of representatives from the Universitat de València, the Universitat de València Science Park Foundation and Banco Santander, decided to award secondary prizes to seven companies whose careers are also an example of a clear commitment to research and development. These companies are Brainsight. AI, Culturalink, Content Programari, Dawako Medtech, Drawfolio, Qomer i Wurth Electronik.