Host Institution

The 3Bs Research Group – Biomaterials, Biodegradable and Biomimetics is a research unit from the School of Engineering of the University of Minho established in 1998 and supports a multidisciplinary and highly skilled team which works at the interface of biotechnology, biology, biomedical engineering and materials science.  The 3Bs coordination of the Network of Excellence (NoE) EXPERTISSUES resulted in the creation of the European Institute of Excellence in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, formally created as an EEIG (European Economic Group of Interest) in July 2009. The headquarters are based in a unique facility (3600 m2) at EU level, the only one specifically designed to execute state of the art and integrated research in the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM) field, allowing the full pre-clinical validation of TERM products. The Group works under a Quality Management system ISO9001:2008 Certified. The group was recognised by FCT as “Excellent”, and integrated the Associated Laboratory IBB until 2011 when it was launched to the new Portuguese Government Associate Laboratory (LA) ICVS/3B´s, in collaboration with the Institute of Health and Life sciences (ICVS) of U. Minho.

The ICVS-3Bs Associate Laboratory promotes a strong interface between Health Sciences & Technologies, maximizing the development of innovative biomaterials, diagnostic strategies, regenerative approaches and therapeutic products. It has strong links to spin-off companies, an academic clinical center and health care providers.

The EXPERTISSUES EEIG aims to be a global leader in the research and development of technology targeted on TERM. Its activities are focusing on the integration of the European know-how and intellectual property to develop new TERM-related therapies that will contribute to improve the European competitiveness in the biomedical field. The EXPERTISSUES EEIG is composed by a network of academic institutions, research centres and industrial players, and its main objectives are to: a) provide a transnational platform for the development and integration of knowledge in the TERM field; b) educate and train researchers; c) support the career development of young researchers; and d) contribute to the development of standards and regulations within the TERM field. The EXPERTISSUES EEIG team leaders coordinate institutions in complementary fields and in most cases coordinate local PhD programs.

EXPERTISSUES EEIG team leaders:

• Julio San Roman, CSIC, Spain
• Minna TTY-säätiö (TUT foundation), Finland
• Heinz Redl, Ludwig Boltzman Institute, LBI Trauma Care, Austria
• Ranieri Cancedda, Universita'& IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST, Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Italy
• James Kirkpatrick, Universitätsmedizin der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz,Germany
• Ralph Muller, ETH Zurich, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Switzerland
• Claudio Migliaresi, U. Trento, Department of Materials Engineering, Italy
• Paul Hatton, U. Sheffield, School of Clinical Dentistry, UK
• Alicia El Haj, Univ. Keele, UK