The Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) has welcomed a delegation of research organisations, universities and innovation stakeholders from Türkiye for a day aimed at fostering connections between institutions and exploring new opportunities for collaboration.

The visit was part of a health-focused technical mission to Spain within the framework of the "Technical Assistance for Türkiye in Horizon Europe project". Co-funded by the European Union and the Republic of Türkiye, the project supports TÜBİTAK, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye, in strengthening the participation of Turkish research and innovation organisations in Horizon Europe and facilitating connections with potential European partners.

IGTP's participation in the mission was facilitated by Leitat, a member of the consortium implementing the project, and forms part of the Institute's internationalisation strategy. The aim is to connect research and innovation teams with shared interests, identify potential synergies and explore new avenues for international collaboration, particularly with a view to jointly participating in future European projects and consortia.

Opening up new avenues for international collaboration

The event was designed to bring the delegation together with IGTP researchers and professionals based on shared areas of interest and expertise. The program combined a presentation of the Institute's capabilities with meetings between participants and a visit to the CMCiB facilities.

The event began with an introduction to IGTP, its main research areas and capabilities, and its participation in Horizon Europe. Researchers and professionals from the Institute then took part in several networking sessions with the delegation, featuring brief presentations of their research activities and opportunities to exchange ideas and explore shared interests.

These meetings provided an opportunity to share expertise and capabilities, identify complementary areas and assess potential opportunities for joint work, with a particular focus on future European funding calls and the possibility of establishing new international consortia.

Alongside the networking sessions, members of the delegation took part in guided tours of the Comparative Medicine and Bioimage Centre of Catalonia (CMCiB), a strategic project from IGTP specialising in interdisciplinary research in comparative medicine, bioimaging and preclinical models. The visit gave participants first-hand insight into the facilities and some of the scientific and technological capabilities that the centre makes available to the research community.

Mireia Giménez Barcons, head of International Projects at IGTP, gave a very positive assessment of the event: "these initiatives allow us to expand our international network of collaborators and showcase IGTP's capabilities to new strategic partners". She also emphasised that "direct exchanges between researchers and institutions are essential for identifying opportunities for joint work and strengthening participation in future European projects".

For its part, the Josep Maria Torras, project manager from IGTP’s Innovation Unit, highlighted that "the event provided an opportunity to showcase Can Ruti's research and innovation capabilities to potential international partners, build new connections between teams with shared interests and help pave the way for future joint initiatives".