José Manuel Santamaría Pérez
José Manuel Santamaría has 25 years of experience in the field of early drug discovery initiatives from both the public and private sectors. He has developed his professional career at USC, specifically within the BioFarma research group and its drug discovery platform, where he holds a senior management position. He has contributed to its growth and consolidation as a high-capacity platform of the ERIC-EU-OPENSCREEN research infrastructure consortium.
He has been involved in managing over 140 projects in Galicia, Spain, and the EU, including public and private contracts, agreements, etc., with a team of 30-40 people and handling a total budget exceeding 42 million euros. He has been instrumental in establishing and managing 4 EBTs (Emerging Biotechnology Companies) and has facilitated over 150 collaborations with various public and private entities, both nationally and internationally. Additionally, he has played a role in setting up a specialized research management unit and digitizing various management procedures.
In the private sector, he serves on the board of directors of the USC spin-off Celtarys Research SL.
He has been actively involved in designing and executing multiple innovative drug discovery initiatives in Spain, including public-private collaboration projects with major pharmaceutical companies and the European Technological Fund INNOPHARMA initiative, which led to the creation of the KÆRTOR Foundation, an unprecedented model in the context of open innovation and public-private co-development in drug discovery.
He has held positions on the Board of Directors of biotechnology companies such as Pharmatools Digital Interactive Services SL; Genomics, Genetics & Health SL "Allelyus," and Oncostellae SL. Additionally, he was a founder and member of the Board of Directors of the Life Sciences Business Technology Cluster (BIOGA).
Being involved in numerous innovative initiatives and interacting with various relevant stakeholders has provided him with a broad perspective of the sector. He enjoys his daily activities, contributing to the goal of being increasingly closer to patients.
He holds a degree in Labor Relations and has a Master's in Economics and Innovation Management from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), as well as training in the operational management of research centres and units of excellence.