Funded by EU

HybridNeuro Hub Day in Barcelona

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During the first week of February 2024, the UPC team held in Barcelona (Spain) the Workshop BCN24, “A journey into Brain Activity- from EEG and related potentials to connectivity and source modelling”. The last day of the Workshop BCN24 was dedicated to companies and clinicians working in the space of motor and neural rehabilitation.

9th February – Networking with hospitals, companies and research centers

Different companies and clinical groups had the opportunity to share their research and findings with the audience. The idea of bringing clinicians and companies aimed to promote networking and collaboration between companies, research centers, and clinics. On this day, the HybridNeuro Hub (HNH) initiative was announced as an activity to promote the association between universities, companies, clinics, and public institutions to enhance technological transfer focused on the area of neural and motor rehabilitation.

Previously, the HybridNeuro consortium sent to the speakers the flyer on the mission, vision, and values of what, in our opinion, will be the HNH. Then we asked them what they expected HNH to be from their point of view, and we put it together for a round table discussion.

  • Keynote 1: Hybrid neuroscience based on cerebral and muscular information for motor rehabilitation and neuromuscular disorders. Ales Holobar (UM, PhD, QS) announced the launch of the HNH initiative. Miguel Àngel Mañanas (UPC, PhD, QS) described the goals and general benefits of being part of the HybridNeuro Hub. This HNH initiative will be a space for co-developing technologies by working with clinicians, university groups, companies, and customer decision-makers. The HybridNeuro Hub should find a solution to put together these teams at the national and international levels.
  • Keynote 2: Future Health Tech requires Integration of Disciplines and Stakeholders. Lluís Blanc Torra (i3PT Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Spain, MD, PhD). Dr. Blanch described the mutual benefits of the interaction between Industry, clinicians, and Researchers for advancing science and medicine. He emphasizes what we learned from the past Polio and COVID pandemics and how the industry plays a significant role in catalyzing the rapid adoption of technologies to help lives and to improve patient critical management.
  • Keynote 3: Mastering EU-funded collaborations between academia and industry. Juan Pérez (CIT-UPC). Mr. Pérez, director of the European Projects at CIT-UPC described the minimum requirements and offered some tips to obtain an industry-academia European grant. Obtaining nondilutive public funding is of interest for early-stage companies and spin-offs to develop their own R&D technology.
  • Industry and Clinicians Brief Presentations. We offered to speakers 10 minutes to present to the audience the main aim and results of their projects. Seven companies were represented in the event through the following speakers:
  • Eloy Opisso, Innovation Director at Guttmann Institute (Badalona, Spain)
  • Alfons Carnicero, CEO at Able (Barcelona, Spain)
  • Alfonso Oyarzabal, CEO at Neuroprotect
  • Mariona Ruiz, Project Manager at NE Neuroelectrics (Barcelona, Spain)
  • Núria Martí, Director of Innovation at Biocat (Barcelona, Spain)
  • Marc Sebastià, Research & Development at G.tec (Barcelona, Spain)
  • Erik Weber, CEO of Coresys Health (Mataró, Spain)

After and during the clinician and industry presentations, we had a networking breakfast event followed by a round table where we discussed the creation of the HybridNeuro Hub, a groundbreaking European initiative that pursues the partnership between clinicians, industry, and research centers in muscular and neuroscience rehabilitation. The speakers in the following list gave openly discussed in the round table event what should and should not be included in the HybridNeuro Hub (HNH):

  • Sofia Ferreira, Innovation Manager at SJD and Heecap co-founder (Barcelona, Spain)
  • Juan Pérez, European Projects Manager at UPC-CIT (Barcelona, Spain)
  • Lluís Blanch, Director of I3PT (Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Spain)
  • Núria Martí, Director of Innovation at Biocat (Barcelona, Spain)
  • Hatice Kumru, Neurologist at Guttmann Institute (Badalona, Spain)
  • Anna Nicolau, Chief Product Officer (CPO) at NE Neuroelectrics (Barcelona, Spain)
  • Erik Weber, CEO of Coresys Health (Mataró, Spain)
  • Alfons Carnicero, CEO at Able (Barcelona, Spain)
  • Marc Sebastià, Research & Development at G.tec (Barcelona, Spain)
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