proposing and applying general government policies in terms of well-being
Department for Social Policy
The Department for Social Policies is a specific area of the General Administration of the Autonomous Community of Galicia. Apart from the powers and functions set forth by legislation 1/1983 of 22nd February on Government Regulations and Presidency, the provisions of the Local Statute and the Spanish Constitution grant it the powers to apply the general government guidelines in terms of well-being, which include social services, family policies, minors, social inclusion, community services, immigration, caring for disabled and elderly people, promoting personal autonomy and caring for young and dependent persons, and policies regarding volunteer work.
the USC features a high capacity for R + D + i ...
The main researchers in the NUTRIAGE project at the USC
University of Santiago de Compostela
The University of Santiago de Compostela is a century-old but forward-looking institution with an international outlook. It is keen on identifying the needs of society and has become an academic point of reference for teaching and research activities alike. Its hundreds of years of history provide an added value of academic impulse when facing the challenges of the present and of the future. As one of the oldest academic institutions in Europe, it was established by Lope Gomez de Marzoa in 1495, and is permanently open to international cooperation.
The seat of the USC is located in two historical towns; Santiago de Compostela and Lugo. Its surface area extends for over a million square metres with almost 30 centres, eighty departments and over sixty graduate courses. It is also equipped with numerous facilities such as research institutes, student residences, sports and cultural facilities and libraries. . The USC has a forward-looking attitude and seeks to promote new initiatives every day while offering its knowledge and leadership to Galicia and to society within an environment of ever increasing international orientation.
The University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) has undertaken a leading role in the Campus Vida project, which was awarded the category of International Excellence Campus in 2010 and is centred in the field of life sciences. Another specialisation initiative promoted by the USC is Campus Terra, centred in the R+D+i capacities regarding food production. Within this framework, the USC provides major R+D+i capacities covering health, nutrition and ageing. In particular, this includes its competencies in endocrinology, gerontology, inflammatory diseases and heart conditions, food safety, preservation and processing technology, food-, nutrition- and diet categories, and also other important capacities in the field of social studies.
The University of Santiago de Compostela has a vast experience in managing cooperation projects on a European level and has so far been awarded over 100 projects in Europe. Within the framework of the Spain-Portugal Interreg ETC Programme, the USC took part in numerous projects and was the main beneficiary in a number of them.
A mission to contribute to a healthier planet, facing challenges that affect the environment, food, health and nutrition.
Universidade Católica Portuguesa
The School of Biotechnology (Escola Superior de Biotecnoloxía - ESB) is located on the Asprela campus (Hospital of S. João, in Porto) of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa and was established in 1984.
At the ESB we provide multiple university activities, with a special focus on higher education (licentiate degrees, doctoral degrees or port-graduate courses); on research and development (fundamental and applied projects); and on expanding towards the secondary and tertiary sectors (providing services and continuous training).
Part of the research carried out at the ESB is performed in the Centre for Fine Chemistry and Biotechnology (CBQF), and its mission is to contribute to building a healthier planet while facing the challenges related to the environment, food production, health and nutrition. The CBQF carries out research in social economics, knowledge and innovation, and its impact on the health and well-being of populations as well as on the the competitiveness of the farming and food production systems.
transforming visions and plans into actions, finding the means and the energy to develop new ideas with the sophistication of business strategies.
CLUSAGA
Food is one of Galicia's strategic sectors, both for its size and its economic and social transcendence. In this context, the Galician Food Production Cluster (Clusaga) comprises an organised structure within the Galician food production market. In a wide sense, it integrates businesses, research and innovation centres and other organisations (there are currently over 80 partners) into cooperation processes that allow to reap the benefits of implementing cooperative actions and projects. The result is a critical mass that allows to strengthen international competition and enhance visibility within the sector.
The leadership of the Galician Food Production Cluster aims at transforming visions and plans into actions while finding the means and the energy for developing new ideas. It makes use of sophisticated business strategies to create practical solutions and make the most of every opportunity to improve the competitive position of its partners, with a consequent increase in sustainable profitability.
For this reason, the role of Clusaga is to keep an eye on the general scene, analyse the markets, anticipate trends and set priorities and strategies to position itself in the market. This is achieved by encouraging cooperation, by making agreements, developing networks and business alliances among companies, and by carrying out joint projects with other entities. And it also means creating a brand value intimately nested in Galicia, a name that will be regarded and valued internationally as a sign of excellence in food and beverages.
The Strategic Plan of the Galician Food Production Cluster 2016-2020 is defined by four areas of action grouped into two central axes (E1 and E3), one horizontal and dynamic axis (E2) and an instrumental axis (E4), all of which contribute to the strategic goals and are defined by precise measures, guidelines and actions.
- E1. Encouraging R+D+i and reinforcing the capacity to innovate.
- E2. Human assets, entrepreneurship and drive towards the factory of the future.
- E3. Markets and internationalisation; gaining access to new markets and adjusting to new consumer trends.
- E4. Consolidating and boosting the Galician Food Cluster.
The particular interest of CLUSAGA in this project is that the goals of the project, as well as its activities and actions, are perfectly aligned with the strategy adopted by the cluster and, consequently, with the work carried out in recent years within the food production sector.
This will allow CLUSAGA to always expand and strengthen its expertise for the benefit of its partners, especially small and medium companies, while at the same time incorporating its know-how into the part of the project related to food production.
PortugalFoods
PortugalFoods is a Portuguese association dedicated to the food sector. It is comprised of over 160 associates (businesses and universities) and seeks to promote competition among knowledge-based businesses. The mission at Portugal Foods is to promote cooperation in R + D + i between universities and the business sector, as well as innovation based on "Business Intelligence".
The CYTMA centre is home to the most advanced and sophisticated food processing, packaging and preservation technologies.
ANFACO-CECOPESCA
A private non-profit business association whose mission —more than a century after it was established— continues to be to stand for and defend the interests of the fishing and food production cluster as well as to provide it with high-value services on a general level through its technological centre.
Located on the Vigo University Campus, ANFACO- CECOPESCA owns an area of 6,000 m2 as well as over 10,000 m2 of urbanised land, which includes the Centre for Advanced Research Technologies for the Fishing and Food-production Industry (CYTMA). This new infrastructure was inaugurated in march 2016 with a total constructed area of over 6,300 m2 distributed in five buildings dedicated exclusively to research, and a pilot building dedicated to scaling technological solutions to a semi-industrial scale, process simulation, development of processing prototypes, and the development of products using new processing and preservation technologies, among others.
The CYTMA Centre has the most advanced and sophisticated technologies for food processing, packaging and preservation, as well as robotics systems and the necessary vision and equipment to carry out a complete assessment of its sub-products. The CYTMA centre is also equipped with modern technologies applied to food production, food health and food safety.
Among its technological assets, the following are of special relevance: High pressures, multi-energy cavity, induction systems, extrusion systems, Skinpack, HPLC- MS/ MS, FPLC, bio-availability assessment systems in tissues, USSING chamber, extraction with supercritical fluids, hydrolysis reactor, vertical spinning, membrane ultrafiltration systems…
A quality and professional education in humanity, culture, science, technology...
Polytechnic School of Viana do Castelo [IPVC]
Created in 1980 under Decree 303/80 of 16th August, the Polytechnic School of Viana do Castelo [IPVC] is located in the Alto Miño region, an area in which occupational and human activity was carried out with a traditional appreciation for natural resources. The goal of the IPVC is to use its Higher Education Centres to pursue a professional and quality education in humanity, culture, science and technology, to and undertake any research projects that may be necessary and adequate for achieving their mission and cooperating with the regional community, especially with regards to its manufacturing and business fabric. Common denominators in such tasks are always permanent discussion and reciprocal appreciation.
FIDIS manages over 100 research projects
Health Research Institute Foundation of Santiago de Compostela
A non-profit organisation in charge of managing the research activities carried out by the Comprehensive Management Board of Santiago de Compostela and Lugo on the basis of the agreement signed with the Galician Public Health Service (SERGAS) on 17th July 2007.
FIDIS is also in charge of the research activities carried out by the Health Research Institute Foundation of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), a research centre dedicated to the transmission, innovation and dissemination of knowledge for the purpose of promoting synergies between the Comprehensive Management Board of Santiago de Compostela (Healthcare Service Department of Santiago de Compostela and Lugo) and the University of Santiago de Compostela. IDIS is one of the 22 centres approved as a Healthcare Research Centre by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competition.
FIDIS manages over 100 research projects financed through bidding procedures, as well as over 600 clinical surveys, and a large number of joint projects with the healthcare industry. With a staff of over 200 employees, it is also in charge of the research activity carried out by over 900 researchers from the SERGAS health service and the University of Santiago de Compostela.
A Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Porto
The centre is established within the Legal Canonical Order and works in charity and social assistance geared towards philanthropy and public utility. Its current work is focussed on the following fields: Social work, health, special education, normal education, culture, religion, environment and special projects. A Misericórdia do Porto is the second oldest and also one of the most important institutions in Portugal thanks to its large number of centres and users, and also to its extensive properties and its historical heritage.
Melchor Fernández Fernández
Project science coordinator. Responsible for activity 1.1 and activity 4.
A graduate in Economics at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) and doctor in Economics by the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Currently the director of the Department for Economic Analysis and coordinator of the group for Economic Analysis and Modelling (game) at the USC, recognised by the Galician University System as a reference group in competitiveness (ED431C 2017/44). His research was centred on evaluating socio-economic policies using general balance models, planning healthcare services, economic analysis of tourism and labour economy. The common denominator in all these lines of research was to analyse, evaluate and provide solutions to social challenges. As a result, he received several awards such as the Lluis Fina Award sponsored by the Labour Ministry, the Euroregion Research Award, and the "Valentin Paz Andrade" Economic Research Award in Galicia. The innovative, multidisciplinary and international character of his research allowed him to coordinate two major research projects related to well-being, ageing and health: CARE-U: An integrating and all-present environment for the self-management of chronic illnesses financed by the Ministry of Economy in Call for Challenges; and lately the NUTRIAGE project: Advanced solutions for a healthy ageing through nutrition, financed by the European Regional Development Fund. Interreg V-A programme.
Ángeles Romero
Responsible for activity 1.2.
Maria Ángeles Rodriguez and Dr Romero. Pharmacy graduate and professor at the Food Area Technology Department of the University of Santiago de Compostela (Lugo Campus). She gives conferences in several disciplines (kitchen technology and Science and technology of meet and fish foods, sensory perception and cuisine, etc.) and is a teacher and internship coordinator of the Degree in Human nutrition and dietetics and in the Master in Food innovation, nutrition, safety and technologies. She has completed several research projects (doctoral thesis, bachelor thesis, master's thesis, degree and post-graduate master's degree), published articles, books, and has also participated in numerous communications at national and international conferences. She also directed and took part in several international, national and regional research projects and in a number of contracts and agreements with businesses and organisations. She is a Scientific committee member for international publications, a contributor in several daily publications and research project assessor at ANECA and EQA. She is one of the founding members of TASTE LAB, S.L. (a tech-based company of the USC and the first Sensory analysis technology company). She is also a representative of the University of Santiago de Compostela in dietary issues and director of "Cacerola de Pan de Cereais".
Elena Amenedo
Responsible for the neuro-cognitive assessment of activity 1.3 and the neuro-cognitive assessment of activity 3.
Psychobiology professor of the Clinical psychology and Psychobiology department of the University of Santiago de Compostela. She is in charge of the line of research on ageing in the Cognitive and affective neuroscience research group (NECEA).
Miguel A. Martínez Olmos
Responsible for activity 1.3 and the nutritional assessment of activity 3. Participant in activity 2.2.
MA specialist in endocrinology and nutrition and responsible for the Clinical and dietetics nutrition unit of the University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS); researcher at the FIDIS foundation of the Biomedical research centre of the Network encompassing "Physiopathology of obesity and nutrition (Cibernobn) of the Carlos III health Institute; full professor in medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Member of the Nutrition and dietetics society of Galicia (SONUDIGA); Spanish society of endocrinology and nutrition (SEEN), Spanish society of clinical nutrition and metabolism (SENPE); Spanish society of obesity research (SEEDO); Spanish diabetes society (SED); and European society of clinical nutrition and metabolism (ESPEN).
Rosaura Leis Trabazo
Responsible for activity 2.2 and activity 3, and participant in activity 1.3.
Doctor in medicine and surgery. Among other tasks, she is a full paediatrics professor at the USC faculty of Medicine; coordinator of the Paediatric, hepatic and nutrition gastroenterology ward of the University clinical hospital of Santiago de Compostela; senior researcher of the "Paediatric nutrition" team of the Health research institute of Santiago de Compostela; member of the CiberObn centre; and vice-president of the USC Atlantic Diet Foundation.
Enrique Arbones
Participant in activity 2.1.
An engineering professor for the food industry and director of "Aula de productos lacteos", a dairy products centre integrated into the USC institute for food research and analysis.
Carlos Diéguez
Participant in activity 1.3, activity 2.2 and activity 3.
Carlos Dieguez is professor of physiology at the USC and director of the Research centre for molecular medicine and chronic illnesses (CIMUS). He is also the science director of CIBEROBN since June 2015.
He has published over 400 articles in highly influential publications worldwide, directed 29 doctoral projects, and participated as senior researcher in national and international projects.
He has performed several jobs related to scientific management such as: chairman of the Spanish society of endocrinology and nutrition, director of the Health research institute of Santiago, managing director of the National research plan and assessment coordinator in the project carried out for the Carlos III health institute. He was also a member of the scientific committee of the European research programme "Unha dieta saudable para unha vida sa" (A healthy diet for a healthy life); and a member of the external scientific committee for several research centres such as the healthcare research institutes of Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona, Malaga, Cordoba and Navarre. He has received several awards such as the award for best scientific career given by the Spanish society of endocrinology and nutrition, and the Geoffrey Harris award by the European society of Endocrinology.
Raimundo Mateos
Participant in activity 1.3, activity 2.2 and activity 3.
Raimundo Mateos is a doctor in medicine and surgery as well as professor of psychiatry at the faculty of medicine of the USC. He is qualified in gerontology management by the USC and has 25 years experience as head of the Psycho-geriatric ward of Santiago de Compostela at the Psychiatric hospital of Conxo.
He is a member of the International psycho-geriatric association since 1992 and has participated as a member of its administration board since 2003. He currently holds the position of outgoing president. He is the former vice-president of the European geriatric psychiatry association (EAGP) and president of the Spanish psycho-geriatric society (SEPG). He is a member of the Spanish society of geriatrics and gerontology (SEGG) and is a former vice-president of the Galician society of gerontology and geriatrics (SGXX).
He is also president of the Spanish society of psychiatric epidemiology (SEEP, integrated in to the SESPAS platform). His lines of research are psychiatric epidemiology within the region and clinical configuration, with a special interest in mental health in elderly people.
