Held as an official side event of the SHIFT Business Festival, the meeting focused on the role of immunology bioclusters in accelerating the translation of scientific discoveries into new diagnostics, therapies and health technologies, while strengthening collaboration between academia, healthcare organisations, companies and public institutions. The event also provided an opportunity to exchange experiences and perspectives from emerging immunology ecosystems across Europe. 

Representing the CaixaResearch Institute, Lídia Aguilera, Director of Innovation, attended the meeting and shared our vision for fostering innovation in immunology through collaboration, knowledge transfer and interdisciplinary research. 

Building innovation ecosystems around immunology 

The event was hosted by InFLAMES, Finland’s flagship immunology initiative and one of the country’s leading life science ecosystems. Through collaboration between universities, healthcare organisations, companies and public institutions, InFLAMES aims to accelerate the translation of immunology research into new solutions for patients and society while fostering entrepreneurship, talent attraction and industry partnerships. 

This approach reflects a growing trend across Europe: the development of specialised innovation ecosystems that bring together research, clinical expertise, infrastructure and industry around strategic scientific fields such as immunology. These ecosystems are increasingly recognised as key drivers of competitiveness, economic growth and health innovation. 

For us, participating in international initiatives such as this is an opportunity to learn from established models, exchange experiences with peers across Europe and strengthen connections within the international research and innovation landscape. 

As Spain and Portugal’s first research centre specialised in immunology, we were created with the ambition of combining excellent science with mechanisms that help translate discoveries into tangible benefits for society. Innovation is embedded throughout our research model, supporting researchers from the earliest stages of their work through to the transfer of results and the development of new applications. 

By engaging with leading international initiatives and collaborating with other emerging immunology hubs, we continue to contribute to a broader European effort to transform scientific knowledge into tangible benefits for health and society.