The Secretary General for Science, Technology and Innovation, Jesús Alonso, has announced that the Regional Government of Extremadura will propose that during this term of office “at least” five technological incubators in the areas of Biotechnology and Circular Economy, Biohealth, Renewable Energies, Agroindustry 4.0 and Climate Change and Sustainable Development be built and put into operation.
Jesús Alonso made this announcement today, Monday, during his appearance, at his own request, at the Commission of Economy, Science and Digital Agenda of the Assembly of Extremadura.
These incubators will provide technology-based companies with technological and logistical infrastructure for the development, acceleration and maturation of technological projects and access to the market and internationalization, promoting the process of launching products to the markets of incubated companies.
Likewise, communication, dissemination, promotion and publicity resources, access to public and/or private financial support resources so that the project can carry out its business model at the regional, national and international levels, and a Technology Transfer Office.
CITY OF HEALTH, IN CÁCERES
The first incubator to start operating, said Alonso, will be Ciudad de la Salud, in Cáceres, whose project will promote the modernization of the productive fabric through the promotion of innovative projects and the consolidation of technology-based companies in the region in the field of life sciences and health.
The objective of this project, promoted by Sociedad Gestora de la Ciudad de la Salud SAU, executed by Extremadura Avante and financed with its own funds, is to create, attract and incubate technology-based companies in the fields of biotechnology, biochemistry, molecular biology and/or bioengineering related to the technological domains contemplated in Extremadura’s specialization strategy (RIS3).
As of today, the construction project of the building is completely finished and is expected to be completed in the next few months”, specified Alonso.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY INCUBATOR IN MERIDA
The second incubator under construction will be the Bioeconomy and Circular Economy Technology Incubator and its project derives from the call for the granting of aid on a competitive basis by the INCYDE Foundation in the framework of the project “High Technology Incubators for the promotion of innovation and technology transfer to micro-SMEs” included within the Pluriregional Operational Program of Spain ERDF 2014-2020.
The incubator will be located in Mérida and will be focused on Bioeconomy and Circular Economy projects and its objective will be oriented towards the incubation of business projects oriented to the biotechnological use of biomass from agricultural and forestry products and agri-food by-products from bioprocesses for the generation of products of high economic interest, not energy.
The general secretary has estimated that the contracting dossier will be ready by the end of December 2019 or the beginning of 2020 and its awarding and formalization of the contract by the end of February or the beginning of March 2020.
Jesús Alonso informed that the other three incubators are still being planned and will be located in Vegas Altas del Guadiana, dedicated to Agroindustry 4.0; Parque Científico Tecnológico de Extremadura in Badajoz, dedicated to Clean Energy, and in the north of Cáceres, dedicated to Climate Change and Sustainable Development.