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Four new delegates and a new executive director will design and execute in coordination with the presidency the strategies for communication, visibility, I+D+i, global impact and intitutional relations.
- The SOMM alliance designates a new Executive Board for internal coordination across the strategic axes of action
- Four new delegates and a new executive director will design and execute in coordination with the presidency the strategies for communication, visibility, I+D+i, global impact and intitutional relations
- The new structure that is established by this precedes the change in the SOMMa presidency, that will take place next November 16th
During the afternoon of June the 30th was held the meeting by which officially took place the constitution of the new Executive Committee of the SOMM alliance. During the meeting, a new internal structure of the alliance was established, with the designation and approval of the new Executive Board. The Executive Board is henceforth composed of the presidency and vicepresidencies, together with the newly appointed 4 Delegates and the new Executive Director and Secretary of the Board.
To these changes will be added 16th November the change in the presidency of SOMMa, when the 1st Vice President Maria Blasco will take over the charge of President, currently held by Luis Serrano. The 2nd Vice President Mª José Sanz will then become 1st Vice President and a subtitute in the position of 2nd Vice President will be designated via a voting procedure.
All the new members of the committee have sound, consolidated research careers in their respective fields, with wide international experience. The newly appointed charges are: Antonio Molina, Executive Director and coordinator of the Board; David Barrado, Delegate of Communication and International Visibility; Ramon Miquel, Delegate of I+D+i Policy; Isabel Márquez, Delegate of Global Impact and Luis Vega, delegate for Intitutional Relations.
Final composition of the Executive Board:
SOMMa President: Luis Serrano (continues in position)
SOMMa 1st Vice President: María Blasco (continues in position)
SOMMa 2nd Vice President: María José Sanz (continues in position)
Executive Director, Secretary and Coordinator of the Board: Antonio Molina
Delegate of Communication and International Visibility: David Barrado
Delegate of R+D+i Policy: Ramon Miquel
Delegate of Global Impact: Isabel Márquez
Delegate of Institucional Relations: Luis Vega
-Executive Director, Secretary and Coordinator of the Commitee:
Antonio Molina, of the Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP, UPM-INIA).
Molina is full professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Department of Biotechnology and Plant Biology of the Polytechnical University of Madrid. Since February 2016, he is director at CBGP, UPM-INIA. The research activity of Molina is focused on the study of plant immunity and its application towards the protection of crops. Molina has developed an intensive activity in the field of innovation and tech. transfer. A prominent highlight is his role as co-founder of PlantResponse Biotech, a spin off company that raised over 12 million Euro from venture capital and that has been designated as one of the most successful Spanish spin offs of the last decade.
As Executive Director, Molina will play a role in the coordination of the SOMMa delegates, in the pursuit of the decided strategic goals of SOMMa, with the help of the work groups that become established, to that aim.
About CBGP (UPM-INIA)
In October 2005, the creation of a Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, CBGP) was approved by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) following a proposal from faculty from the Department of Biotechnology. The proposal of such a Centre had been maturing for a long time and from the beginning it had also included researchers from Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA). As a result, CBGP became a joint UPM-INIA research centre after the joint agreement was signed by both institutions in July 2006.
CBGP was created with a double goal: to carry out the most advanced research aimed at understanding plant function, and to contribute to fulfil the needs of the economic agents within the agriculture, forestry and environment productive sectors that are potential users of this research. CBGP also seeks to have an educational role, and strives to become a reference centre for training of both scientists and technicians in the fields of plant biotechnology and genomics, an area not fully developed in Spain at present.