description
- On the way to a more knowledge based economy and in accordance with scientific and technological agreements with the European Union, Tunisia launched necessary policies and measures to set up and improve the efficiency of research centres such as the Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax (CBS). As a key element of the Tunisian Biotechnology Plan the CBS focuses on applied research particularly in terms of use, development, transfer and application of bioprocesses. BioProtech aims to support the CBS in the improvement of its capacities in bioprocesses development such as fermentation and microarrays technologies as well as all related fields such as technology transfer mechanisms, know-how about the EU research framework program and biosafety competencies to be better integrated in the European Research Area. This support will be organized in 6 work packages covering the technological aspect of bioprocesses (fermentation, microarray and biosafety), the incubation and transfer of bioprocesses especially to the local industry, training and coaching in EU-FP7, dissimination of scientific results, strategy and evaluation regarding the focus of CBS and the further integration in the ERA, and the project management. To achieve the objectives 5 European partners have been selected who are highly qualified and specialized in each of the topics. The results will support local economic development through the creation of new or support of existing high-tech companies and more scientific collaborations with the EU. In the field of bioprocesses this means identifying promising results and supporting their path through cooperation, licensing or start-up creation. Comparison and matching between what exist in Tunisia and in the EU will help updating and adjusting the local competencies and shaping the research agenda and priorities for the following years. This will also benefit the European actors as know –how and capacities will be better integrated and available in the ERA.