Work
Package 01

BIOPOLIS CoE will operate in the form of a temporary Installation Committee (IC). The IC will be constituted by one representative designated by each of the partner institutions (ICETA-CIBIO, PBS and UM), and it will be headed by the representative of ICETA-CIBIO. The work of the IC will be assisted by technical and administrative staff from the partner institutions. The IC will be temporary, taking only the necessary time to legally create the Non-Profit Scientific Association BIOPOLIS (T1.2), to establish the governance bodies, and to recruit the Board of Directors (BoD). Once the BoD is invested, the IC will prepare a report of its activities and will end its functions.

The BIOPOLIS CoE will be established as a Non-Profit Scientific Association, which will be a private, independent and fully autonomous organization in terms of decision-making (see 1.3.5). Once legally created, ICETA will sign a protocol with the new Association, setting the conditions to hand over all assets and liabilities of CIBIO. The Coordination of the Teaming project will also be transferred to BIOPOLIS CoE following the formal procedures required by the EC. This transition will be the first step of the upgrade of ICETACIBIO towards a CoE, as envisaged in the project. The legal process will be conducted by the IC (T1.1), and will include the definition of by-laws, which will outline the scope and objectives of the Association, the roles and responsibilities of the associates, and the governance structure, among other aspects (Section 3.2). The founding members of the Association will be the three partner institutions of the Teaming project, plus UP as the entity owning the facilities hosting BIOPOLIS headquarters (see WP3). The other members of the Association will be business corporations, research funding agencies and organizations, bodies from the public administration, non-governmental organizations, and other institutions representative of stakeholders sharing the research and innovation objectives of the Association, or that are end-users of such research and innovation.

After legally establishing the BIOPOLIS CoE, the governing bodies will be set up according to the structure and procedures detailed in Section 3.2. The governing bodies will be: General Assembly (GA); Supervisory Board (SB); Board of Directors (BoD); Science Council (SC); and external International Advisory Committee (IAC). The GA includes one representative of each associate. The SB includes representatives of each promoter founding members of the Association and three members designated by the GA to represent stakeholders, which will supervise the work of the BoD. The BoD will include one Director and two to four Associate Directors (AD), to be hired following procedures described in T1.4. The SC will include at least five members, including the AD for research and innovation, 2 researchers representing UM, and 2 Coordinator Researchers of BIOPOLIS elected by their peers. The SC will provide advise on the scientific and innovation activity, including the recruitment of researchers and the overall coordination of Research Units. The IAC will have two components: Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and Industry Advisory Board (IAB).

All members of the BoD will be hired and employed by BIOPOLIS CoE. The Director will be selected following an open, merit-based international competitive call, organised by the IC. The IC will define the profile of the Director, who should have a solid knowledge and experience in research activities, but also having a business-oriented profile. The IC will designate an International Search Committee (ISC), which will include the members of the IC, plus 3-5 high-profile representatives of the research and business communities. The ISC will rank the candidates based on detailed reviews of CVs and motivation letters, followed by interviews of the most promising applicants. The final short-list will be submitted to the GA, which will then select the Director to be appointed. The recruitment process of the two AD will be organised by the Director with the assistance of the IC, involving open, merit-based international competitive calls. A new ISC chaired by the Director will select the AD, which will be submitted to the SB for approval. Both the Director and the AD will be appointed for a period of 4 years, with the possibility of renewal for another 4 years.

The daily management will be assured initially by the IC, and then handed over to the BoD (see (T1.1). The Director will be responsible for the overall executive management, including coordinating strategic planning, assure top-level and legal representation, promote key initiatives, assure compliance with the vision and mission, and oversee self-sustainability targets. The AD will be responsible for managing the CoE in close cooperation with the Director. One AD will be responsible for general management (financial, marketing, operations, people), and will be the direct responsible for the operation of the Administration and Finances Units. The other AD will oversee scientific and innovation management in close collaboration with the SC, including components such as training, communication, dissemination, and knowledge transfer. The latter, will be responsible for the Technical Support and the Communication Advancement and Engagement Units, as well as will Chair the SC. The number of AD and their responsibilities may change over time if necessary to improve the effectiveness of BIOPOLIS management. The management strategies and procedures regarding specific aspects of the CoE activity are described in the following WPs. Monitoring of performance and risks are detailed in WP9. The activities of the BoD will be overseen by the SB, which will ensure that they are aligned with the vision, mission and objectives of the CoE and respect the policies and objectives emanated from the GA. The SB meets regularly with the BoD, and reviews and approves the key strategic and activities plans, as well as the activities and financial reports, which are then submitted to the GA for approval. The SB has the ultimate power of proposing to the GA the dissolution of the BoD. The dissolution of the BoD will have to be decided in a GA meeting.

The initial administration and finances management will be carried out by the IC (T1.1), with technical support from staff of ICETA-CIBIO and PBS. Responsibilities will be handed over from ICETA to the BoD and BIOPOLIS CoE staff, once the formal procedures for transferring the coordination of the project are successfully completed (T1.2). The executive responsibilities of administration and finances will be attributed to one AD, who will be responsible for coordinating the preparation of the Administration and Financial Strategic Plan. This Plan will be implemented daily by the Administration and Finances Unit (A&FU), under the coordination of the Head of Unit. Among other tasks, this Unit will work under the supervision of the BoD for preparing the annual budget and the Reports on Cumulative Expenditure Incurred. The Annual Budget and the Reports on Cumulative Expenditure Incurred will be prepared by the BoD and approved by the SB and the GA.

This Task will implement the CoE’s treasury management and the financial monitoring plan of the CoE’s activities. Monitoring will be done for all activities involving financial resources and the follow up of the CoE’s financial performance against its budget. Treasury management will be carried out under direct supervision of the ADfor A&F, and will be implemented daily by dedicated officers of the Administration and Finances Unit. The treasury management activities will mainly include the management of flows and banking, and the effective control of the risks associated with those activities. A follow up plan to evaluate any deviation from the CoE’s results against the approved budget will be implemented to support decision-making by the BoD.

This Task develops the monitoring plan and financial reporting of the CoE’s activities. Monitoring will be done for all activities involving financial resources and the follow up of the CoE’s financial performance against its budget. The main objective of the follow up plan is to evaluate any deviation from the CoE’s results against the approved budget and to support decision-making, providing the BoD with relevant information so that they are more responsible for performance.