Indigenous Raw Materials Creating a High-Tech Home-Grown Export-Driven Industry

1. Flocculants Pilot Plant Facility CH CUBA Encapsulation Technology Sterilization Technology VALORISATION CUBA Context-Benefits Background and History • Short-term Social-Economic • Employment • Improvement of the sugar industry • Mid-term Environment • Improvement in water quality • Long-term Health • Biopharmaceutical and biomedical products for the treatment of diseases such as: • - Diabetes • - Cancer • - Rheumatism Dating from contacts in the 1980s, Valorization CUBA was seeded by discussions between Alberto Suzarte of the National Center for Scientific Investigations (CNIC, Havana) and David Hunkeler (EPF-Lausanne). The project now coordinates a research project, its industrialization and related clinical activities involving 4 centers, 1 ministry and 1 firm between the two countries. Valorization Cuba is a bilateral technology transfer operation with key developments coming from both partners. Societal development via the utilization of native human and natural resources makes Valorization Cuba a joint success. Indigenous Raw Materials Creating a High-Tech Home-Grown Export-Driven Industry Transfer of Technology Goals • Valorization of Cuban Sugar Industry • Utilization of Cuban Natural Resources as Raw Materials to Create New Biotechnology Products The Valorization Cuba project has been funded, since its inception, by the Swiss Agency for Development & Co-operation, (Berne, Switzerland). Dianelys Sainz Vidal (CEADEN/EPFL)

2. Sterilization Encapsulation CEADEN BIOMAT Materials EPFL ICINAZ CNIC Applications Sugar Technology Flocculants AQUA+TECH (Pilot Plant) Participants and Organization • Center of Biomaterials (BIOMAT) • University of Havana • Production of biomedical products by using the encapsulation technology • Chemical syntheses and modification of Cuban and imported polymers to be used for encapsulation • National Center for Scientific • Investigations (CNIC) • Production of pharmaceutical grade materials on moderate scales (100kg) • Cuban Institute for Sugar Research • (ICINAZ) • Flocculants for clarification of mixed juice in raw sugar production • 25-L Pilot plant in Havana • Center of Applied Studies for Nuclear • Development (CEADEN) • Effect of radiation on biomaterials • Sterilization, purification and depyrogenation of indigenous polysaccharides Positive Aspects 1) Great will to work for new technologies marketing in Cuba 2) Possibility to create long relation with important impacts: Social (work, new industries) Environmental (water) and Economic (new export markets) 3) Excellent scientific co-workers interested in coming to work at EPFL and going back to Cuba Participants and Specific Objectives • Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) • Laboratory of Polyelectrolytes and • BioMacromolecules (LPBM) • Expertise in: • Encapsulation technology • Polymer characterization • Development of water soluble polymer flocculants For more information contact D. Hunkeler (EPFL) Tel.:+41 21 693 3114 Fax:+41 21 693 5690 E-mail:david.hunkeler@epfl.ch Dianelys Sainz Vidal (EPFL) Tel.:+41 21 693 3683 Fax:+41 21 693 5690 E-mail: dianelys.sainz@epfl.ch • AQUA+TECH Specialties S.A. (Orbe, VD) • Experience in the development and production of water soluble polymer flocculants for various industries on large scales (3 Tons) • Establishment, with ICINAZ, of a production site in Cuba to manufacture synthetic polymers for the processing of sugar and water treatment. José Hernandez-Barajas (AQUA+TECH/EPFL)