The Parc Científic of the Universitat de València (UV) has seen two of its institutes, the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC) and the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC), secure funding to enhance their Scientific Units for Business Innovation (UCIE). These structures aim to transform research outcomes into solutions applicable to the productive sector.
Each institute has been awarded a grant of 359,493.12 euros, totaling 718,986.24 euros. This funding comes from IVACE+i's program “Valorization and transfer of research results to companies,” specifically its Line 2, focused on strengthening units for technological development and knowledge dissemination towards businesses.
UCIEs act as a bridge between researchers and companies. Their work involves identifying scientific results with application potential, promoting their protection and valorization, fostering joint R&D&i projects, and facilitating the transition of knowledge generated in laboratories to the market.
For the IATA-CSIC, the grant will enable the consolidation of its UCIE, established to improve knowledge transfer and bring the institute's scientific capabilities closer to the Valencian business community. The project will focus on accelerating the market entry of technologies emerging in fields such as food, biotechnology, advanced materials, sustainability, and health. The initiative will be carried out by Paula Subirats, Laura Planes, Arantxa López, and Marc Escamilla, with the collaboration of Éric Úbeda and Irene Medina.
The IFIC, meanwhile, has renewed its funding for the 2026-2028 period with the project “Potenciación de la UCIE del IFIC,” which was the highest-rated in the call, achieving 90 out of 100 points. Over the next three years, a transfer strategy aligned with the productive sector's needs will be developed. IFIC's capabilities span medical physics, advanced scientific instrumentation, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, microelectronics, smart sensing, and technologies for the space and energy sectors.
Ana Delgado and César Senra, heads of transfer and innovation at IFIC's UCIE, expressed their gratitude for the support received, highlighting that the top rating recognizes the defined strategy and reinforces the commitment to innovation in the Valencian Community. IFIC's new project will evolve from a model primarily based on technological supply towards a market-demand-oriented approach, identifying specific business challenges to guide the development of new technological solutions.
The funding from IVACE+i solidifies the role of UCIEs as strategic structures for increasing the economic and social impact of public research, promoting the translation of scientific knowledge into useful innovation for companies, and enhancing the competitiveness of the Valencian productive sector.
