On Monday, April 3rd, the NHC, the new Navarra Health Cluster, was presented at the CEIN. The event was attended by members of the board and associates, companies in the sector, the media and a large institutional representation.
NHC is a sectorial cluster, a pioneering initiative in the region, whose main objective is to improve the competitiveness and innovation of companies in the health sector, promoting diversification and collaboration between partners, institutions and agents in the sector, facilitating internationalization and enhancing the attraction and retention of specialized talent.
It is also intended to generate collaboration channels with the Public Administration of Navarra to improve the competitive environment and position the region as a reference in the biosanitary field. In addition, there is a strong commitment to improve the scientific-technological culture in Navarre’s society and the cohesion of the business and institutional fabric in the field of healthcare.
During the presentation, Mikel Irujo, Minister of Economic and Business Development of the Government of Navarra, thanked all the companies that have taken this step, creating a great team of innovation and work:
“We know the time involved in the creation of a cluster, it is very important the role that you are going to perform at the level of accompaniment and advice as a single voice”.
The Minister highlighted that Navarra has one of the most dynamic biomedical ecosystems in Spain, with excellent investment and partnership opportunities in this sector. The region’s innovation infrastructure is among the best in Spain and makes it possible to develop a biomedical product locally through all the necessary stages, from discovery to commercialization. Fueled by the high level of the health sector and future trends, the health sector has a great scientific and technological relevance in Navarra, with a high specialization in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. The pharmaceutical sector alone accounts for 17.1% of patents in Navarra, compared to 13.1% in Spain and 7.5% in the European Union. Navarra has great strengths in the entire value chain, from scientific production, product development and quality clinical services, a value chain that employs 31,508 people, most of them in healthcare services (27,981), but with 2,465 people working in the healthcare industry and 1,065 in research.
in her speech, licia López de Ocáriz – President of NHC explained what NHC is and its 5-year strategic plan.
Today, NHC is made up of 38 entities that cover the entire value chain of the healthcare sector in Navarra, from universities and biomedical research centers to healthcare centers with hospitalization, including the different business segments (biopharmaceutical industry, healthcare technology industry, service companies and distribution). The strategic plan is based on 5 main axes:
- To strength internal and external communication.
- To consolidate and promote the growth of the cluster.
- To Improve the regional context / participating in the business development ecosystem of Navarra.
- To generate and retain biosanitary talent.
- To `promote innovation and diversification (sustainable economy and digital transition).
The round table discussion Round Table: “The value of clusters in the health sector” – was moderated by Laura Corcuera -Manager of NHC and highlighted the importance that the cluster can bring at all levels: accompaniment, advice, support in internationalization, organization, communication and marketing, without forgetting aspects such as human resources, aid management, but above all, cooperation and generation of a single amplified voice.
The participants in the round table were:
- Elena Aramburu – QA/RA Manager and PRRC – Medical Devices – Nexkin medica
- Eduardo Zubizarreta Lorente – Health Sector Director – Inycom
- Jorge López Ramón y Cajal – New bussines and projects manager – Ibernex
- Silvia Zabala – Functional Printing Area Manager – Centro Starling
- Natalia Elizalde – Bussines Development Director – Vive Biotech
In her intervention Santos Induráin – Minister of Health of the Government of Navarra focused on one idea:
“The necessary leadership of the public sector in Health have to be compatible with our collaborative and coordination capacity both internally and externally: that is, with other departments, entities, universities and the foral socioeconomic fabric within the framework of this strategy. The aim is to consolidate Navarra in its rightful place on the national and international healthcare map and thus be attractive to people, companies and professionals from other autonomous regions and countries”.
She also stressed the importance of health and the economy, since the economic and labor development of a community translates into an improvement in the quality of life and a healthier life, the objective being to become an attractive community to live and work in. The cornerstone of the Strategy is Personalized Medicine, which represents an evolution in the way of approaching medical practice through genome sequencing. Navarra has the opportunity to position itself as a reference in Personalized Medicine at national and international level, improving its healthcare and developing other socioeconomic benefits.
Finally, Juan Cruz Cigudosa, Minister for University, Innovation and Digital Transformation, was very enthusiastic about the cluster initiative. He believes that this is an excellent time to invest in innovation in the healthcare sector.
In this sense, Cigudosa explained that Personalized Medicine is a priority for this Government because“it not only improves patient care, but also boosts scientific and technological research, and favors economic development thanks to the creation of new industries related to this sector”.
In this way, the Minister highlighted the importance of public-private collaboration as a “fundamental tool for improving healthcare in the Autonomous Community” He also valued the participation of Navarre in the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) for Vanguard Healthcare, which foresees a national investment of 1,469 million euros and the creation of more than 12,600 jobs.
In conclusion, Cigudosa thanked the participating companies for their collaboration in this sector, which he considered to be fundamental for the economic and social growth of Navarra due to their provision of talent and knowledge”.
