Europe’s future in medical biomanufacturing depends not only on breakthrough ideas, but also on the strength of the ecosystems that enable them to grow. This is the ambition behind the BRIDGE (Biomanufacturing Regions for Integrated Development and Growth in the Ecosystems) project, a two-year initiative funded by the European Union under the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument.
Bringing together Catalonia, Campania and Silesia, BRIDGE is building stronger interregional collaboration to accelerate innovation across the medical biomanufacturing value chain, spanning pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical technologies. By connecting one more developed innovation ecosystem with two emerging regions, the project facilitates knowledge exchange, strengthens regional capabilities and creates new opportunities for innovators to access expertise, networks and investment.
As part of this ambition, the BRIDGE Open Call has selected 10 promising early-stage teams that will receive tailored support to transform innovative concepts into structured proof-of-concept projects, strengthen their investment readiness and prepare for future market entry.
“The ten teams selected through the BRIDGE Open Call represent the creativity, scientific excellence and entrepreneurial spirit emerging across our partner regions. By combining targeted business support with access to an international innovation network, we are helping these ventures build stronger foundations for future investment, growth and ultimately for delivering solutions that can benefit patients and healthcare systems across Europe.” – underlines Roberta Lauro, BRIDGE Project Leader, Campania Bioscience.
The selected cohort brings together 10 early-stage ventures developing innovative solutions across the medical biomanufacturing landscape, demonstrating both the scientific excellence and entrepreneurial potential emerging across BRIDGE’s partner regions. The programme includes 4 teams from Campania, 5 teams from Catalonia and one team from Silesia, reflecting the project’s commitment to fostering balanced regional development while encouraging cross-border collaboration. Together, these ventures represent a diverse portfolio of technologies addressing important healthcare and biomanufacturing challenges.
Campania:
- Organoids Factory Lab s.r.l. – the project is developing a patient-specific precision medicine platform based on patient-derived organoids (PDOs) to accelerate the discovery and validation of advanced therapies. By combining functional screening, targeted drug delivery and therapeutic testing within a single system, the technology aims to enable safer and more personalised treatment approaches.
- Rosalinda Sorrentino Team – the team is developing innovative diagnostic tools based on spatial omics to improve the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). By identifying distinct tumour ecosystems, the technology aims to enable more precise patient stratification and support personalised treatment decisions.
- BioLogic Lab – the team is developing a sustainable wound dressing based on upcycled bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) for burns, chronic wounds and fragile skin. The project aims to combine advanced biomaterials with circular manufacturing to prepare the technology for pre-clinical and clinical development.
- URiNBB – team is developing a non-invasive diagnostic kit that uses urine-based RNA biomarkers to enable the early detection and monitoring of bladder cancer. Designed as a patient-friendly alternative to cystoscopy, the solution aims to improve diagnostic accuracy while reducing patient discomfort and healthcare costs.
Catalonia:
- Fundació Centre CIM AM Health – team is developing personalised regenerative implants for veterinary bone reconstruction using advanced 3D printing and bioactive biomaterials. Designed to promote bone regeneration and long-term healing, the technology has the potential to transform veterinary orthopaedics while paving the way for future applications in human healthcare.
- Banc de Sang i Teixits – ATMP Platform – team is developing an integrated pre-GMP environment to accelerate the translation of advanced cell and gene therapies from research into clinical application. By supporting process development, manufacturing optimisation and technology transfer, the platform aims to streamline the development of next-generation advanced therapies.
- GINfinity – team is building an AI-powered platform that helps biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies identify promising RNA drug targets with greater precision. By analysing RNA structures rather than sequences alone, the solution has the potential to improve the speed and accuracy of early-stage drug discovery.
- TarGLIO – team is developing an MRI-guided therapeutic platform for glioblastoma based on targeted magnetic nanoparticles. Combining precise tumour imaging with localised magnetic hyperthermia, the technology aims to enable minimally invasive treatment options for aggressive and difficult-to-treat brain tumours.
- HELICURE – team is developing a novel peptide-based therapy for Parkinson’s disease designed to target and neutralise toxic alpha-synuclein aggregates, a key driver of neurodegeneration. By aiming to modify disease progression rather than only alleviate symptoms, the technology has the potential to deliver a new generation of treatments for patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Silesia:
- JSSYSTEMS STUDENT General Partnership – Silesian University of Technology Startup – the project is developing an innovative portable microfluidic platform that enables more accurate drug testing using human cells in conditions that better replicate the in vivo environment. By combining automated cell culture control, real-time imaging and AI-powered analysis, the technology aims to accelerate and improve the precision of pharmacological research.
“The quality of applications received through the BRIDGE Open Call demonstrates the growing innovation potential across Europe’s regional biomanufacturing ecosystems. Our goal now is to help these teams bridge the gap between scientific excellence and commercial success by strengthening their business strategies, investment readiness and ability to communicate the value of their innovations to investors, partners and the market.”- says Alessio Smeraldo, Business Creation Lead at InnoStars.
Over the coming months, the selected teams will participate in a structured acceleration programme designed to strengthen both their scientific and commercial potential. Participants will receive 10 hours of horizontal training covering finance, intellectual property, market access, clinical strategy and pitching for life sciences ventures, alongside up to 5 hours of specialised biomanufacturing training focused on sector-specific opportunities and challenges. Each team will also benefit from up to 5 hours of dedicated coaching to further develop their business models, investment strategies and fundraising readiness.
Beyond training, participants will gain valuable visibility through strategic exposure during Meet in Italy for Life Sciences 2026, taking place in Rome on 13–14 October 2026, where they will pitch their innovations before an expert jury evaluating both the strength of their ideas and their investment potential. The programme also opens the door to the wider BRIDGE innovation ecosystem, enabling participants to connect with the consortium’s extensive network and explore future interregional collaboration opportunities.
The BRIDGE Open Call has been delivered in collaboration with ALISEI, Italy’s National Life Sciences Technology Cluster, whose established innovation platform helped ensure broad outreach and engagement across the life sciences community. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to identifying and supporting high-potential innovators while strengthening Europe’s interconnected biomanufacturing ecosystem.
“Innovation flourishes when entrepreneurs are connected to the right ecosystem. By partnering with BRIDGE, we are helping promising early-stage ventures gain visibility, access valuable expertise and become part of a broader European life sciences community where collaboration can accelerate both scientific progress and business growth.” – adds Alessandra Gelera President of ALISEI.