The University's BIOMA Centre: a collaborative project for the sustainable development of Navarre

A project that seeks to contribute to the sustainable development of the region in its triple dimension: social, environmental and economic, in collaboration with the administration, various entities and the business fabric of Navarre. The University of Navarra has thus presented the new BIOMA Centre at the headquarters of the Navarra Business Confederation (CEN). The BIOMA Centre represents the University of Navarra's commitment to caring for people and the environment in solidarity. It also aims to be a meeting point for professors, researchers, students and the rest of the public.

The president of CEN, Juan Miguel Sucunza, welcomed the attendees and stressed that "companies must lead the transformation in sustainability" through collaboration and commitment to seek joint solutions.

The Rector of the University of Navarra, María Iraburu, said: "Our aim is to make a constructive and innovative contribution, placing science at the service of nature and people. This is embodied in the BIOMA Centre, which we intend to build with all the social agents - companies, administration - and which we wanted to be in Navarre, a land characterised by its biodiversity, social cohesion and good economic data. The BIOMA Centre reaffirms the University's commitment to Navarra".

The BIOMA Centre has a triple objective: interdisciplinary research into biodiversity and the environment, to provide innovative solutions to the great challenges facing our society today, which is carried out by the Institute of Biodiversity and the Environment, which already has more than 50 researchers. Along with research, the Science Museum will be a space for disseminating science and training new generations, who will be able to face the problems of our planet in a responsible and creative way.

The project

The BIOMA Centre will be built in the area of the Cimaagainst the University of Navarra Clinicacting as a link between the campus and the city of Pamplona. It will have 13,000 square metresOf these, 3,600 square metres will be used for teaching; 2,800 square metres for research; and a further 4,400 square metres for the exhibition area. Access to the building will be via a new pedestrian plaza, giving direct access to a service area: the reception, a shop, a restaurant area and versatile spaces for representation and meetings with companies, institutions and other external entities.

As explained by the architect Francisco Mangado, author of the project, the building will support the objectives of respect for the environment and sustainability. It will incorporate energy-saving measures and measures to promote the efficiency of the facilities.

With a budget of 30 million euros - 24 million euros for the building, 2 million euros for the equipment and another 4 million euros for urbanisation and parking - work on the building is expected to begin in 2023, provided that the necessary funds have been raised through the fundraising actions that the university has been carrying out for some time now. The opening of the centre is also planned for the 2025/26 academic year.
 

Partnerships and collaboration with companies

Javier Ortega, Director of Development at the BIOMA Centre, stressed the need to establish solid partnerships between the public and private spheres, civil society, universities, companies and the administration. "Collaboration with the BIOMA Centre can be materialised in three directions: working on shared projects that integrate the University's research into the company's value chain; aligning CSR with the company's strategy and BIOMA's research or dissemination activity; or associating its brand with that of the University in dissemination activities or financing spaces", he emphasised.

José Ignacio Pérez de Albéniz, tax lawyer and managing partner of Arpa Abogados, explained that "the law offers very attractive tax incentives for companies that collaborate with the project".

The Regional Minister for University, Innovation and Digital Transformation of the Government of Navarra, Juan Cruz Cigudosa, was in charge of closing the event. The minister said that this new project of the University of Navarra is great news, as "it will enable the training of students, promote multidisciplinary and applied research, as well as fostering scientific dissemination". 

During his speech, Cigudosa also referred to the importance of collaboration between the Administration, universities, companies and knowledge centres in this transition towards a more sustainable energy model, which is an important economic and social driving force for Navarre.

Finally, he valued the boost that this new centre will give to scientific knowledge and research work based on sustainability, strategic axes that it shares with the Department of University, Innovation and Digital Transformation and which is made clear through programmes such as the WIT International Doctorate and the ANDIA call for grants, both focused on attracting, generating and disseminating knowledge.