The first business has been created as a result of the project Emprendimiento Universidad de Navarra. Innoprick is a device for diagnosing allergies by incorporating technology into the usual process. The idea came from Dr. Gabriel Gastaminza, an allergist at the University of Navarra. Clínica Universidad de NavarraThe idea came from Dr. Gabriel Gastaminza, an allergist at the University of Navarra, and was supported by the partnership of campus tecnológico de San Sebastián.

Entrepreneurship at the University of Navarra is one of the ten objectives of 'Horizon 2020' at the University of Navarra. The President, Alfonso Sánchez-Tabernero, pointed out that the aim is to "support the projects of students, professors and researchers and orient them towards the market in order to create innovative companies around the University, as well as quality employment ".

Since its launch last year, Emprendimiento Universidad de Navarra, together with the promotion of a 9 million euro venture capital fund, has just borne its first entrepreneurial fruit. One of its leaders, Gustavo Pego, said: "Innoprick is possible because we are a research university, with high-level teams and support services, aligned by a common goal ". The initiative is now led by Óscar Matellanes, an entrepreneur with extensive experience who has developed the business plan.

For his part, Dr. Gastaminza explained that the project came to his mind when he realized how much time is spent collecting the data allergic tests. "I have always thought that we were not taking full advantage of their diagnostic potential, in contrast to the technological sophistication in many fields of medicine," he said.

A global commitment of the University

During 2015, for example, 18,000 allergology skin tests were performed manually in Navarra. This consists of applying different allergens to the skin and, one by one, the size of the rash they cause in the patient is recorded on graph paper. Innoprick automates the most important part of the test and accurately measures the test results. It also collects all the information at once and stores it in digital format, facilitating the statistical study that until now could not be carried out.

The device, which is in the optimization phase, is being clinically tested and some allergists outside Clínica Universidad de Navarra are already interested in its commercial launch, expected in two years' time. In this regard, Matellanes said that "Innoprick has great professionals, a growing sector and a technology developed from market demand".

The University of Navarra thus inaugurates one of its global commitments and gives an entrepreneurial character to the work of its staff researcher . "It is important that we feel proud not only of our work, but also of the fact that there are people at campus with good ideas for improvement and that the University promotes them," said David Luquin, from Entrepreneurship.

Pego and Luquin highlighted the research as a factor core topic to develop new projects, which must have innovation as a fundamental characteristic, whether in processes, in the business model , in the application of knowledge or in any other aspect. They encouraged professionals with ideas to contact them, to work together and try to turn them into a reality.

Finally, those responsible for Entrepreneurship University of Navarra said that there are currently more projects underway, with different Degrees of development, and that at least one will see the light in 2017.