Bio-Tech-UPM Project: Engineering to improve health
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid starts-up Biotech, a scientific-technological initiative that boosts the use of technology in the field of life sciences, particularly health.
Over the last years, an approach between engineering and life sciences has taken place, mainly, in those areas related to health. This advance affects principally to biomedical sciences, which have undergone an accelerated technological development for the sake of prevention, diagnosis, therapy and follow-up of multiple diseases. This approach makes this field an extraordinary fertile area for the technological development and the innovation in several disciplines related to engineering.
At present, Biomedical R+D is already part of the activity of several R+D+i centres and research institutes in the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. UPM currently has several research groups internationally recognized for their research in areas such as telemedicine (e-health), biomaterials, medical image processing, magnetic nanoparticles, medical computing, hospital robotics and assistance to disabled people. UPM also takes into account other potentially interesting research topics, such as neurotechnology, bioinformatics or robotic surgery. In this context, it is worth pointing out that UPM has recently created the R+D+i Centre for Biomedical Technology.
The scientific-technological initiative BioTech-UPM has been created to unify synergies between these research groups, and from a multidisciplinary point of view, and open in terms of time and actions, aims to strengthen the international position of this University in the biomedical sector from the perspective of the development and the use of technology.
R+D+i and training on Biomedical Engineering
The Initiative envisages the creation of new research centres and will allow the establishment of strategic alliances with public and private entities, in addition to the strengthening of the equipment and human resources in a multidisciplinary way.
Among the projects to be developed from BioTech, stands out the consolidation of a post-graduate programme on Biomedical Engineering, focused exclusively on research and the analysis of the future graduate training programmes. This project also envisages the construction and implementation of the Biomedical Technology Centre, which will be located at UPM Park in Montegancedo and whose construction will begin this year, the acquisition of virtual reality equipment and an environment intelligence demonstration centre, funded in part by the Ministry of Industry and Energy.
In addition, all work and research carried out by UPM under the framework of the Blue Brain international project (project funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation) are registered in BioTech. Spanish participation in this project is coordinated by this University through the Centro de Supercomputación y Visualización de Madrid (CESVIMA). On the other hand, UPM has agreed with BBVA the creation of 2 Chairs UPM-BBVA connected to BioTech together with a programme for the recruitment of doctors.
The development of BioTech Initiative will also promote the participation of other external entities, from both the entrepreneurial world and the medical and academic sectors. With this participation UPM intends to incorporate researchers from other institutions with the aim of complementing its current abilities. Agreement signing, over the next months, with public and private hospitals in Madrid will be specially relevant, and will allow UPM to reinforce the approach of its research and training work to th