The group Viscofan and the University of Navarra have signed a agreement to collaborate in the research in nutrition. It is a contract-program to co-finance the research of research center in Nutrition (CIN) through which the Navarre-based multinational will contribute a total of 1.5 million euros over five years.

The agreement was signed by Alfonso Sánchez-Tabernero, President of the University of Navarra, and José Antonio Canales, director general of Viscofan. The event was attended by Enrique Ordieres and Alicia López de Ocáriz, president and director of research and development of Cinfa respectively, who have already been collaborating with the financing of the center since 2013.

Through this contractual modality , Viscofan, as well as Cinfa, will participate in the monitoring of the activities of research and services carried out by the CIN and will acquire preferential rights to exploit the results.

For Iñaki Recalde, director corporate research and development and quality of group Viscofan, "with this agreement the group Viscofan is committed to research in cutting-edge fields within the field of nutrition, especially those related to nutritional applications of biopolymers such as collagen, among others".

According to Fernando de la Puente, director of research and development of the University, "this alliance incorporates into the CIN another of the large companies in Navarra that is committed to research. This will provide the center with greater potential for the development of its Scientific Plan and more critical mass to obtain results and transfer them to society". "This is a step forward in the strengthening of the CIN by boosting the training of competitive groups in the area of nutrition, one of the main projects within the project Horizon 2020 of the University of Navarra", he added. Currently, the budget of the center is 1,820,100 euros and 58 people make up its staff. 

Innovate in the research in nutrition

The research center in Nutrition, attached to the School of Pharmacy, has as goal to develop a quality research on nutritional issues and their impact on metabolic pathologies. According to its scientific director , the Full Professor Alfredo Martínez, "the center is very focused on the research in humans with the goal to transfer to society in an effective way the results of research that offer innovative solutions in nutritional health issues". For this, the center is structured in four lines of research: Nutridynamics, Biomarkers, Bioactive Compounds and Personalized Nutrition.

The researcher team has a recognized international track record with more than 250 articles, many published in scientific journals with the highest impact in their field. It also has extensive experience of partnership with other entities of research and with industry. They have participated in the main public-private cooperation projects in research related to healthy eating (PRONAOS, HIGEA, SENIFOOD, INCOMES), as well as in European projects (SEAFOODPLUS, DIOGENES, FOOD4ME or PREVIEW) and others with companies.