The time of the innovation, a communication and debate forum between the innovation and business worlds, has been organized by the Research and Innovation Foundation of Catalonia (FCRI, Fundació Catalana per a la Recerca i la Innovació) and the Innovation and Development Business Centre (CIDEM, Centre d’Innovació i Desenvolupament Empresarial). The second session of the forum took place in the Tarragona Chamber of Commerce. The seminar was focused on a real research case on the Chemistry-Pharmaceutical field applied in the industry. This case is the result of collaboration between ICIQ and Dr. Esteve Laboratories, company recently incorporated to the ICIQ Board of Trustees.

Prof. Miquel A. Pericàs Brondo, ICIQ’s Director from its creation, made a brief presentation of the institute, a research centre of excellence in the field of chemistry, with similar characteristics and a clear industrial vocation. The ICIQ’s Director explained two cases of success in the collaboration between ICIQ and Dr. Esteve Laboratories, the first in the polymorphism area and the second in the research of new drugs area. In relation to the polymorphism area, ICIQ has started up a unique service in Spain, exclusively conceived to cover the requirements of the private sector.

On the other hand, Dr. Eduard Valentí, Managing Director of Dr. Esteve Laboratories, spoke about the R&D process in the pharmaceutical industry, and how the collaborations between public and private entities and the promotion of strategic consortiums can help in developing new technologies, as well as strengthening the competitive advantages of our companies.