Fundación TECNALIA Research & Innovation (TEC, http://www.tecnalia.com) is a private, independent, nonprofit applied research centre of international excellence. Legally a Foundation, Tecnalia is the leading private and independent research and technology organisation in Spain and one of the largest in Europe, employing around 1,445 people (225 PhDs) and with income of 108 Million € in 2018.
The TECNALIA FOUNDATION as a whole has one GOAL: to transform technology into GDP, meaning wealth to improve people’s quality of life through generation of business opportunities for industry. TECNALIA is committed to generate major impacts in economic terms, by means of innovation and technological development, addressed by 7 business divisions covering the economic sectors of Energy, Environment, Industry, Transport, Construction, Health and ICT. TECNALIA has been granted over 396 patents and promoted more than 30 spinoff companies.
TECNALIA is a key agent in the ERA – European Research Area. TECNALIA actively participates in the governing bodies of several European Technology Platforms, PPPs and JTIs (EEB, FOF, SPIRE, ARTEMIS…). In FP7 activity TECNALIA had position 11th among RTOs and 23rd in absolute, according to the EC’s 7th FP7 Monitoring Report (Final), since we partnered in 377 projects, coordinating 81 of them; in H2020 TECNALIA is similarly active and participates in 228 projects, coordinating 47 of them, up to December 2018. TECNALIA is a member of EARTO and of EUROTECH, linking together the most important research organisations in Europe.
Health Division of Tecnalia co-leads the Spanish working group in Regenerative Medicine, core member of EIT Health and is part of the excellence group of the Health Ministry, called CIBER-BBN (Centros de Investigación Biomédica en Red – Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina).
TECNALIA is an equal opportunity employer. Current ratio of female/male employees is 43/57.
The Health Division of Tecnalia, which will be involved in SIXTHSENSE, is experienced in project execution, management and coordination. Besides the research contracts obtained from private entities, Tecnalia is participating in several related publicly-funded Spanish projects (Consolider funding scheme, Plan Nacional funding scheme) and European projects from the FP7 (NEPHH from NMP, Value Aging from IAPP) and H2020 (R2R Biofluidics, TACTILITY, WEARPLEX). The Division currently coordinates H2020 TACTILITY project and coordinated numerous projects from the Spanish Consorciados funding scheme. These activities have generated high level of excellence in wearable biomedical electrodes, wearable neuromuscular stimulators and amplifiers, LOC and POC devices, bioinks and methods of bioprinting, reflected in extensive publication and patent portfolio, number of clinically tested prototypes and spinoff companies Fesia® and Textia®. These intrinsic competences, associated to the fact that Tecnalia has previously successfully collaborated with most of the consortium members and thus already communicates efficiently with them, ensures that execution of the project will meet the stringent standards expected by the European commission. From a technical point of view, the Health division of Tecnalia has extensive experience in designing, testing and validating biomaterials, biosensors and devices for iontophoresis, electrical stimulation and recording of electrophysiological signals.
Role of TEC in the project: Coordinator and leader of WP3. TECNALIA Health division is for years on the forefront of research and development efforts in surface functionalisation, iontophoresis and electrical stimulation, which are amongst the key technologies in the innovative biofeedback solution that will be developed in SIXTHSENSE project. As such, TEC will be responsible for development of non-invasive biosensors and biocompatability validation of the SIXTHSENSE prototypes. Furthermore, it has a long and successful collaboration with several first responder organisations in the region, one of which is in this consortium. Therefore, it will have an important role in the codevelopment process and coordination of the prototype field testing in Spain, within the WP2. As the coordinator TEC will ensure smooth collaboration and project progress, as well as contribute to several tasks in other WPs.
