Health and Food

We develop high nutritional value foods and new health claim portfolios and food supplements for our clients, while increasing their productivity under the 4.0 paradigm, guaranteeing food quality control in complex processes, we also detect food fraud and we recover by-products as new sources of income. We work on:

• Development of functional foods (with sterols, probiotics, symbiotics, prebiotics, vitamins, …) and food supplements especially oriented to the prevention of high-incidence chronic illnesses.
• Increase of the nutritional value of food and development of healthier foods:  improvement of the bioavailability of nutrients, reformulation of foods to increase their nutritional value (fibre-rich, protein supplemented foods, …) or the reduction of unwanted compounds (saturated fats, salt, sugar).
• Improvement of food properties and quality: preservation and improvement of organoleptic properties, increase of shelf life, new textures and formats adapted to different population groups.

We simplify the management of pharmaceutical projects, manufacturing lots of medicines tailored to our clients’ needs at each stage, automating their manufacturing processes, guaranteeing traceability of the medicine and fighting their counterfeiting or alteration, while supporting the development of complementary businesses based on nutraceuticals. We also innovate in drug delivery by moving toward personalised medicine that is more effective and has fewer adverse effects. We work on:

• Comprehensive management of pharmaceutical development projects for innovative, generic and OTC medicines for human use, food supplements, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, biocides, and personal hygiene products.
• Galenic formulation, fine-tuning and validation of analytical techniques, stability studies, in-vitro dissolution profiles, industrial scaling, quality control and manufacturing of pilot lots, bio-batches and registration lots, third-party manufacturing of industrial batches, clinical trials: bioequivalence, pharmacokinetic studies, nutritional trials, clinical validation. Assessment of the effectiveness of personal protection products against haematophagous arthropods.

We undertake functionalisation, characterisation and sensorisation of biomedical products minimising potential risks in patients. We also undertake the necessary tests to evaluate its safety and functionality, assessments needed to obtain the CE Marking.  We work on:

• Synthesis (decellularisation of native tissues and modification of synthetic polymers), processing (electrospinning, lyophilisation, bio-printing, additive manufacturing), (bio)surface modification providing sensory or integrative or antithrombotic or antimicrobial properties, biological and physico-chemical characterisation and sensorisation for biomarker monitoring.
• Development of hybrid systems: biomaterials and electronic devices.
• Biological evaluation of in-vitro and in-vivo materials (ISO 10993 safety and functionality).

We increase the effectiveness of regeneration and tissue reconstruction therapies through innovative support systems. We develop functional bio-inks and bio-adhesives to adapt to 3D printing and bio-printing techniques that reduce manufacturing costs. We work on:

• Materials for tissue regeneration and reconstruction.
• Innovative systems for the support and transmission of biomaterial-based therapy (natural through decellularisation of native and synthetic tissues) and functional smart dressings.

We improve in-vitro detection and diagnostic platforms to provide products with greater accuracy and reliability and facilitate industrial scaling. We are concerned about extending the diagnosis to the point-of-care and its consequent portability and minimal cost. In addition, we provide genetic analysis and diagnosis services supporting population screening and reproductive genetics programs. We work on:

• Optical and electrochemical immunoassay, enzymatic assays, and targeted surface immobilisation of biomolecules.
• Cell culture electrostimulation, surface electrode integration, printed bio-inks and microfluidics, and biomaterials for diagnostic consumables (multiwell plates, Lab On a Chip).
• Genetic analysis and diagnosis: Design and development of genetic tests in hereditary syndromes (oncological and non-oncological), non-hereditary oncological disease, and reproductive genetics.
• Human identification and forensic genetics. Screening of biomarkers associated with the prognosis and prediction of treatment response.
• Development of systems for the analysis and identification of microbiota present in different biological and non-biological matrices.

We incorporate analytical intelligence into medical instrumentation equipment, making the clinician’s decision easier, improving the accuracy of their diagnosis, and saving time and costs from testing to complete the imaging tests. We also develop technology for laboratory automation of processing techniques and their relevant increase in productive capacity.

We work on: Imaging diagnostic support systems (histopathology, oncology, dermatology, neuroimaging) based on visual similarity search techniques and introduction of analytical intelligence for medical instrument manufacturers, medical image processing, laboratory processing automation, optical biopsy, photonic technology data processing, and visual biomarker generation.

We develop solutions that modernise public-private health services, that allow access and sharing of knowledge, guaranteeing the reliability and inviolability of health records, that support and facilitate clinical decision-making, and promote the patients adherence to their treatments and enable training of healthcare professionals under real conditions.

We work on: Digital transformation of clinician, patient and healthcare processes, advanced clinical metadata analysis, cross-country medical data interoperability, customised health devices and applications, gamification, virtual professional training, virtual medicine, virtual assistants (PLN-Speech), artificial intelligence, and clinical decision support systems.

We address the development of new medical devices capable of offering state-of-the-art, personalised and cost-effective rehabilitative therapies linked to the nervous, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, facilitating the capacity to care for a greater number of patients and generating a qualitative leap in their rehabilitation results. Additionally, we actively collaborate with clinical professionals and companies to accelerate the market arrival of new and disruptive neuro-modulation devices. We work on:

• Non-invasive and wearable medical devices (robots, exoskeletons, electrostimulation, magnetic stimulation, bio-electromagnetic modelling, neuro-modulation, neuro-prostheses, brain-machine and neuronal interfaces, bioelectronic medicine, electrosurgery) to diagnose, predict, restore, rehabilitate or increase sensory, motor and cognitive functions and improve the cost-effectiveness of rehabilitative neurological damage therapies. At central and peripheral levels they could address: stroke, ALS, MS, migraine, chronic pain, constipation, sleep hygiene and dementia, respiratory and heart disease.
• Transfer of medical device prototypes into clinical practice, safe devices (hardware and software) designed for certification, design and coordination of Phase I, II and III clinical trials for Class II and III devices, clinical decision support systems, device self-calibration and therapy customisation, serious immersive gamification and games, distance rehabilitation and connection with other hospital products and systems, neurophysiology of patient behaviour in the face of therapies and products.

We develop robotic platforms and devices that maximise their usability and acceptance by clinical professionals, which are versatile over different surgical operations, and offer greater accuracy and reduction in surgical time and possible tissue and organ damage, allowing for faster postoperative recoveries. We also address solutions for training under real conditions, prior to operations by health professionals. We work on:

• Robotic devices to assist clinical professionals in surgical processes.
• Development of robotic platforms and control software, advanced interfaces, person-robot interaction, remote operation systems, and sensory-perceptual feedback.
• Surgical assistance and training with virtual, augmented and mixed reality, virtual assistants (PLN-Speech) and and the incorporation artificial intelligence.
• Secure and interoperable devices designed for certification (hardware and software).

We innovate in wearable devices and immersive training systems that help ensure safety at work, reduce injuries and job losses, while increasing productivity. We work on:

• Introduction of new wearable devices, equipment and systems for the prevention of musculoskeletal trauma and other occupational risks for workers, and for the prediction of potential risks and improvements in the workplace.
• Training in simulated immersive environments, early warning systems, motion capture systems, digital ergonomics HF & UX (Human Factors & User Experience), data analytics, exoskeleton usability, smart exoskeletons tailored to each person and each application, assessment and improvement of repelling plastic materials and fabrics for personal protection.

We help ensure safe and healthy environments by comprehensively addressing healthcare and comfort in urban environments: from the management of environmental quality, climate change and health alerts, to the design of elements and spaces that improve comfort in buildings and cities and are adapted to the needs of an increasingly older population. We work on:

• Development of a healthy urban ecosystem, building and guaranteeing physical environments (housing, hospital, city, transport) safe, comfortable, accessible, resilient, and not harmful to human health.
• Tools for the management of health alerts, noise pollution, air quality and greenhouse gases, assessment and improvement of biocidal efficiency, control of new urban pests produced by climate change, algorithms and models for the reduction of emissions in production processes, healthy and sustainable building materials and systems, making smart furniture, tele-care and healthcare models, etc. that facilitate and improve people’s lives.