iBETXplore Innovation Program

Seeding iBET’s future by fostering disruptive ideas and promoting internal collaborations.

About iBETXplore

iBETXplore, iBET’s internal innovation program, was created in 2017 with the goal of stimulating iBET’s competitiveness around four pillars:

 

Scientific Excellence

Strengthening iBET’s core R&D areas and promoting internal collaborations.

Innovation

Supporting innovative ideas leading to new research lines, technologies and methodologies.

Nurturing Talent

Training young scientists in scientific and project management skills.

Funding

Maturing ideas to attract external (public and private) funding.

How does it work?

iBETXplore program sponsors an annual funding call for submission of original research proposals.

All proposals are reviewed by an international evaluation panel composed by experts from academia and industry, who advises iBETXplore Committee on the priority and maturity of the proposals to be funded.

Selection criteria include the proposals’ innovative potential, interdisciplinarity, impact, alignment with iBET’s strategic areas, and potential to generate new technologies and methodologies.

KPIs

€3M

Invested to fund projects

42

Projects approved

46

New technologies and methodologies implemented

36

Publications

46

Young researchers and students trained

iBETXplore Day

iBET hosts annually the iBETXplore Day conference where the research projects funded by iBETXplore and the future of the initiative are discussed by our scientists, guests, and partners.

iBETXplore day is an iBET-wide event which importantly strengthens connections within our research community and with external stakeholders.

 

iBETXplore has contributed with additional funding to expand the scope of our approved FCT Exploratory project. We are exploring new ideas to fine tune a controlled manufacturing workflow to sustain CAR-T cell activation and expansion steps towards enhanced cell potency in the context of solid tumors.

Marta Costa

Marta Costa

Senior Scientist, Stem Cell Bioengineering Lab

The iBETXplore funding program significantly boosted my research by enabling the training of a master student, providing additional resources to explore disruptive ideas, and contributing to a noteworthy increase in investment by Merck.

Pedro Sousa

Pedro Sousa

Senior Scientist, Merck Satellite Lab

Thanks to this funding,(…) we have had privately funded research collaborations with the cannabis industries and we have prepared joint proposals for public funding.

Naiara Fernández

Naiara Hernández

Senior Scientist, Technological Platform

iBETXplore- funded BRAVO Project is strengthening the collaboration with one of iBET’s shareholders (Sumol+Compal) and contributed to establish more contacts with other partners of the food industry (Delta Cafés, Frueat).

Teresa Serra

Lab Head, Natural Bioactives and Nutraceuticals

iBETXplore reinforces valuable internal and external collaborations. Moreover, this is the first project in which we are acting as PIs, allowing us to strengthen our leadership and management capabilities.

Sofia Carvalho

Sofia Carvalho

Senior Scientist, Sanofi Satellite Lab