Presenting the Bellinzona Institutes of Science (Bios⁺)

The consolidation process of the biomedical research centre in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland continues with the creation of the Bellinzona Institutes of Science (Bios⁺), the non-profit association established on July 21, 2021, by the respective Foundations of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) and the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR). Bios⁺ aims at supporting and coordinating the scientific research and teaching activities of the two Institutes, with a view to establishing a national and international research centre in Bellinzona, as well as enabling further synergies in scientific, organisational and administrative activities.

The Bios⁺ association, which will be based in the future facility shared by the IRB and the IOR in Via Chiesa in Bellinzona, was presented at a press conference on 15 September. In his speech, USI Rector and Bios⁺ Steering Committee member Boas Erez expressed his satisfaction with the "coordinated development dynamic that is taking shape in view of the creation of a structured biomedical research centre in Bellinzona", and underscored the importance of having "clear agreements between all the players involved on issues ranging from the sharing of equipment to the definition of strategies, with the aim of ensuring an effiecient use of resources and a clear positioning of the centre in Switzerland and internationally". For Erez, the creation of the Bios⁺ association on the initiative of the two Institutes IRB and IOR, affiliated to USI through the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, "is certainly a step in the right direction. The new building, which will also accommodate researchers from the Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale EOC, will be a privileged place to promote the integration of research also developed by researchers from the USI Faculty of Biomedical Sciences".

In his opening speech, Gabriele Gendotti, President of the IRB Foundation and Bios⁺, explained the reasons for the association: "IRB and IOR, the two research institutes affiliated to USI, have progressively and significantly intensified their collaboration in recent years, both on a scientific and organisational level, which is why we believe that shared structures should be created to optimise and consolidate this process of bringing them closer together, but also to manage the daily work of research performed under the same roof and with shared objectives. In addition, the IRB and the IOR, in line with the university policy of USI and its Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, intend to continue with the already excellent results achieved step by step over these twenty years of success, as shown by the competitive national and international research funding obtained and publications in the most authoritative scientific journals worldwide".

For his part, the President of the IOR Foundation and Vice President of Bios⁺ Prof. Dr. Franco Cavalli says that "for the IOR, which is still in a growth phase, the creation of Bios⁺ represents a fundamental leap forward as it will guarantee an increasing number of synergies, not only organisational but above all scientific, with IRB researchers. In fact, in many respects, research topics have recently become quite common. We are also convinced that the creation of Bios⁺ will be an essential element in making the biomedical research centre in Bellinzona an essential element in the field of basic research. We are also convinced that the creation of Bios⁺ will be an essential element in making Bellinzona a key player in the field of basic and translational research in the life sciences, not only on a national but also on an international level".

For full details, including the statements by Davide Robbiani and Carlo Catapano, respectively director of IRB and IOR, as well as the Mayor of Bellinzona Mario Branda, see the press kit attached.

For further information: https://biosplus.ch