Abstract
The project aims to strengthen regional capacity in biomanufacturing and biotechnology by fostering knowledge transfer, skills development, and interregional collaboration. Its core objective is to equip ecosystems in Campania (Italy) and Silesia (Poland) with the competences and connections needed to scale innovation, leveraging the advanced experience of Catalonia (Spain). Key activities include an ecosystem mapping benchmarked with Catalonia, the creation of Interregional Interest Groups, five regional roundtables and stakeholder interviews, an online training programme for 60 students, researchers and professionals, matchmaking initiatives (“Academia meets Biotech”, “InnoStars Connect”), and the selection of three investment projects for submission to EU calls.
The project is highly relevant to EU cohesion policy, as it directly supports knowledge transfer from a more developed to less developed and transition regions, thereby reducing regional disparities. It also aligns with the Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) of the participating regions, focused on Life Sciences, Biotechnology, and Advanced Manufacturing, and contributes to Europe’s green and digital transitions.
Finally, the project strengthens the capacity of clusters and public authorities by providing solid data for decision-making, creating structured cross-regional platforms, extending EIT Health programmes to local SMEs, and developing a Campania S3 roadmap, ultimately enabling sustainable pipelines of interregional investment opportunities.
The partnership brings together four European regions: Campania (Italy, Less Developed Region), Silesia (Poland, Transition Region), and Catalonia (Spain, More Developed Region), with additional involvement from EIT Health InnoStars (Oberbayern, Germany, pan-European scope).
Each region is represented by a diverse mix of actors: in Campania by the Cluster Campania Bioscience (coordinator) and the Regional Network on Industrial Biotechnologies; in Silesia by Politechnika Śląska (university) and GAPR (business accelerator); in Catalonia by BIOCAT (cluster), Fundación EIT Health Spain, and Reig Jofre (industry); and at European level by EIT Health InnoStars e.V.. This ensures a balance of clusters, universities, research centres, companies, and innovation intermediaries.
Cooperation is based on complementary Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3): Campania focuses on Life Sciences, Biotechnology, and Advanced Manufacturing; Silesia prioritises Advanced Manufacturing, Health Technologies, and Industry 4.0; Catalonia provides advanced expertise in Biotechnology, Digital Health, and Biomanufacturing.
The project offers concrete benefits to LDR and TR regions by transferring best practices, building skills through training for 60 professionals, supporting startups via EIT programmes, and developing regional S3 roadmaps for investment.
Several partners, particularly through EIT Health and cluster collaborations, have cooperated before, ensuring a solid foundation. Relevant experiences include EIT Jumpstarter and InnoStars Connect, which serve as proven models now being extended to Campania and Silesia.
The BRIDGE project will generate technological, process, and organisational innovations in medical biomanufacturing and biotechnology. It focuses on solutions with a maturity level of TRL 5–7, enabling validation, demonstration, and pre-commercial scale-up. Innovations include biologics, cell-based therapies, and sustainable bioprocesses, as well as ecosystem management approaches adapted from EIT Health programmes (Jumpstarter, InnoStars Connect). Knowledge production will result from ecosystem mapping, academia–industry collaboration, training, and technology transfer, leading to patents, prototypes, and enhanced curricula.
The project targets medical biomanufacturing and related biotech sectors, with spillovers to pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and agri-biotech. It strengthens value chains from applied research to pilot production and demonstration, bridging gaps between SMEs, corporates, research institutes, and investors.
BRIDGE supports interregional investment projects through structured actions: value chain analysis and gap identification, feasibility assessments, capacity building for 60 professionals, access to EIT Health funding, and legal/technical support for three selected investment cases. Detailed project concepts will be prepared for submission to EU calls (I3, Horizon, or post-2027 programmes).
These activities will create sustainable interregional value chains, advance TRL 5–7 solutions, enhance collaboration across ecosystems, and strengthen the competitiveness of less developed regions, accelerating the market uptake of medical biotech innovations.
The BRIDGE project strengthens the capacity of multiple stakeholder groups across less developed regions (Campania, IT and Silesia, PL) by leveraging knowledge transfer from the more developed Catalonia ecosystem (ES) and fostering interregional cooperation in biomanufacturing.
Public authorities and policy-makers: BRIDGE supports them in designing targeted innovation support programmes, aligning regional Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) with EU priorities, and facilitating access to funding (e.g., ERDF, EIT Health) for interregional initiatives. Authorities gain a better evidence base, insights from interregional matchmaking, and improved skills to implement innovation policies tailored to the biotech/biomanufacturing sector.
Regional innovation hubs and clusters: The project builds their capacity to coordinate ecosystems, manage interregional networks, and connect academia, industry, and investors. Tools include roundtables, Interregional Interest Groups, and structured networking platforms, enabling the identification of gaps and investment opportunities along biomanufacturing value chains.
Industry and research organisations (SMEs, RTOs, universities): Capacity is enhanced through training, coaching, and collaborative programmes such as T3.3 “Academia meet Biotech” (scientists and researchers), T4.3 “Medical Biomanufacturing in EIT Jumpstarter Health” (start-up generation), and T4.4 “Biomanufacturing Challenge-based Connect” (matching industrial challenges with solution providers). Participants gain skills in innovation, business planning, and market validation, and are integrated into interregional value chains.
Collectively, these activities create a more skilled, connected, and investment-ready ecosystem, enabling LDRs to participate fully in EU-level biomanufacturing innovation.
BRIDGE strengthens biomanufacturing ecosystems in Catalonia, Campania, and Silesia by enhancing skills, capacities, and interregional cooperation. Public authorities gain evidence-based insights and guidance for policy and funding alignment. Innovation intermediaries and clusters improve ecosystem management, interregional networking, and investment identification. Academia, SMEs, and start-ups benefit from training, challenge-based matchmaking, and EIT Health programmes, enabling business idea development, project generation, and access to EU funding. Ecosystem mapping, S3-based roadmaps, and interregional value chain initiatives reinforce collaboration, unlock investment opportunities, and integrate less developed regions into EU value chains, fostering resilient, competitive, and innovation-driven biomanufacturing ecosystems.
BRIDGE’s capacity-building milestones include the comprehensive mapping of biomanufacturing ecosystems in Catalonia, Campania, and Silesia, with results disseminated via visualizations, infographics, and partner websites. Online training addressing skills gaps in biotechnology and biomanufacturing is provided through INN platforms. Regional dissemination events engage public authorities and innovation intermediaries to implement collaboration and support actions. Academia meet Biotech, EIT Jumpstarter Health, and Innostars Connect programs foster interregional project generation, SME-startup engagement, and knowledge transfer. Finalist teams pitch innovations at the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Finale and Innostars Connect program, connecting with investors and stakeholders. The project concludes with a hybrid final event, complemented by a comprehensive marketing package including printed materials, videos, and testimonials, raising awareness of the ecosystems’ assets and promoting interregional investment opportunities.