In 2020, the ICMAB has applied for 2 patents:

• A synthetic hydrogel and its use for immune-therapy and 3D-printing

Inventors: Imma Ratera, Judith Guasch, Eduardo Pérez, Jaume Veciana, Marc Martínez, Xavier Rodríguez, Roberto Fabiao Santos, Miguel Ángel Mateos, Elisabeth Engel,

IPR holders: CSIC, UPC, IBEC, CIBER-BBN

Immunotherapy offers a different approach than standaritulld surgery, radiation and chemotherapy procedures against cancer. It is based on employing and reinforcing the immune system of patients, surpassing cancer immunosuppression methods, detecting and eliminating malignant cells without damaging healthy tissues.

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT), a type of personalized immunotherapy that has achieved complete remissions of advanced cancer patients, requires large expansions of immune cells, in order to have relevant quantities of therapeutic cells to be used as “alive drugs”. The implementation of these therapies to the clinics is limited by the current cell expansion methods.

The mimetic lymph nodes, which are based on a 3D scaffold made of a loadable PEG heparin Hydrogel with immune-relevant molecules, provide higher cell proliferation rates and capacity to tune the obtained phenotypes than the gold standard

• Method for providing a structural and/or a compositional modification in a molecular semiconductor target film

Inventors: Mariano Campoy, Aleksandr Perevedentsev

IPR holder: CSIC

A new method for high resolution structural and/or compositional modification in a molecular organic semiconductor film. This method has applications in the production of electronic, optoelectronic and photonic devices.

A key part of fabrication of organic semiconductor active layers involve spatial patterning of material characteristics to enable device-specific functionalities.

The method consists on the solution deposition of a molecular gate interlayer onto the target semiconductor layer, followed by a donor layer comprising functional small molecules. Application of a stimulus such as laser light, activates diffusion of the functional molecules into the semiconductor layer through the molecular gate.

• Eurecat: Technology Cener of Catalonia, working in more than 160 projects of applied R&D in the sectors of food, health, energy and resources, industrial systems, sustainable mobility, and cultural issues. 

• Leitat: founded in 1906, Technology Center collaborating with more than 30 countries and developing more than 215 projects in biotechnology, health, advanced materials, industrial chemistry, renewable energies and new production processes.

• LABEIN Tecnalia: created in 1955, one of the major private technology center in Spain, specialized in construction, energy, environment, steel industry, innovation systems and motor industry.

Technology Platforms

MATERPLAT (Plataforma Temática de Materiales)
MATERPLAT promotes Industrial Challenges and involvement through Calls and Tenders and EU levels acting as a R&D/Techno Spanish lobby on particular in Materials for Energy and Smart Cities ICMAB is not itself MATERPLAT Associate and involves in MATERPLAT through general CSIC Membershipping and LS relationships.  KTT (LS) attends regularly to MATERPLAT “Asamblea” and Regular Meetings (3 events in 2020).

MATERPLAT show a clearly developed strategic capability to project Industrially Oriented Material Research and lobby on the Administration key Bodies (Ministry, CDTI). As relevant MATERPLAT (Energy Group) published the “Actualización de la Estrategia Tecnológica de Materiales Avanzados y Nanomateriales “. KTT (LS) has performed an analysis on this Strategy. 

INDUCIENCIA
The Science Industry sector is made up of the organizations dedicated to the conception, design, construction, operation and maintenance of scientific facilities and instruments in any field. INDUCIENCIA is a structured forum, led by the industry, in which all interested agents: companies, universities, scientific centers and technological centers participate and collaborate, to jointly define the objectives of research and technological development in the medium and long term, with a clear market orientation. It contributes to the advancement of science and technology and the strengthening of technological innovation and constitutes a growing market, generator and user of new technologies, intensive in R&D and in which the transfer of knowledge and experiences is bidirectional and constant among the innovative agents.

Luis Sedano has been involved all along 2020 in INDUCIENCIA Platform (Plataforma Española de Industria de la Ciencia, managed by INEUSTAR). INDUCIENCIA involvement appears of major interest for ICMAB according to size and scope of its activities (Big Science Projects). ICMAB participation in INDUCIENCIA meetings was reported in detail to ICMAB Direction.  

Clusters 

CMAV (ADVANCED MATERIALS CLUSTER)
CLUSTER MAV is a public-private technological regional platform with industrial oriented approach in where it results commonly challenging how to project low TRL/BRL activities.

ICMAB is an active member in the Cluster MAV. ICMAB/KTT, Luis Sedano (LS), attends regularly to FORUMs and involves in the Assembly, receives and comments the Edition of CLUSTERMAV monthly Bulletin (Butlletí d Activitats). Attendance to 5 Meetings along 2020.

Active participation in the Nanomaterials Work Group l, and specifically in the Nanohub Platform Project (Alfonso del Rey, AdR). The Nanohub platform will be the place to find equipment and services related with nanotechnology that members of the CMAV can offer. Presentation in the “TechMat breakfast: nanotechnology and potential application sectors” on March 11th.

SECPHO
ICMAB is an active member of SECPHO. During the last years, SECPHO has become a leading stakeholder in Technology Transfer within the so called DeepTech TT sector.   SECPHO manages an interesting PHOTONICS Career Hub. During 2020, KTT offered a presentation in the Who is Who Session on 3/4/2020 (AdR), and (LS) attended to 6 meetings on diverse subjects under the ICMAB´s scoping interest. 

Other Technology Platforms

Some of our researchers also participate in the following Technolgy Platforms:

• PTE: Plataforma Tecnologica de la Energía
• Futured: Plataforma Española de Redes Eléctricas
• GIA: Grupo Interplataformas de Almacenamiento
• EERA: European Energy Research Alliance / Joint Program on Energy Storage / Subprogram SP5: Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (Materials, Technology, Applications) Coordinator: X. Granados (CSIC, Spain)
• Plataforma SUSPLAST (CSIC): Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy. SusPlast aims to develop research and innovation activities, including socio-educational strategies, aimed at plastic production processes and their recycling, through mechanical, chemical and biotechnological strategies to meet the necessary requirements to implement plastics management based on a circular economy.

Open Innovation Forum
ICMAB participated in the industrial challenges committee in the 2020 edition. ICMAB researchers had several meetings with companies to discuss their challenges and possible solutions. OIF has the interest of local proximity and is reorganizing and setting-up a new communication platform in the form of others existing (SECPHO, MAV, MATERPLAT).

Technology Transfer interviews
The KTT interviewed some researchers about their research related with technology transfer. The interviews (text and/or video) are found on the Industry website:

• Xaver Granados 
• Judit Morlà 
• Irene Anton 
• Elies Molins 
• Rosa Palacin 

Brokerage events attendance: 

• Care & Industry together against Covid 
• Tech Spirit  
• Photonics days 
• Smart city 
• KIM/ClusterMAV on Hydrogen Challenges
• Cafè amb la Recerca: Nano in Food (with Mariano Campoy-Quiles). Organized by FCRi. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many events were cancelled during 2020, although many of them were virtual.