2025/02/21

Science and football hand in hand, promoting health and sports in Euskadi through scientific knowledge

At CIC bioGUNE, member of BRTA, we are pleased to announce the start of a strategic collaboration with Athletic Club de Bilbao. The goal of this alliance is to integrate Life Sciences research into the sports field, contributing to the improvement of health and well-being in Euskadi. This collaboration strengthens our commitment to transferring scientific knowledge to Society, driving its application to optimize athletic performance and promote the adoption of healthy lifestyles in society.

At CIC bioGUNE, we consider the integration of science into sports to be fundamental for generating a positive impact on quality of life. In collaboration with the Athletic Club, we are working to translate scientific advances into sports practice and the community at large, ensuring that science is a key tool for performance development and disease prevention.

Scientific innovation and social impact

The first project in this collaboration is coordinated by Iñigo San Millán, Director of Performance at Athletic Club, and focuses on studying performance biomarkers. By deeply analyzing these indicators, we aim to provide precise scientific data that can optimize player physical preparation and ground training strategies based on scientific evidence.

The second project, with a strong social focus, is focused on preventing diabetes and promoting healthy habits from an early age. At CIC bioGUNE, we are aware of the importance of physical exercise in preventing chronic diseases, which is why, together with Athletic Club, we will raise awareness in society about the need to foster an active lifestyle supported by scientific knowledge.

With this collaboration, Euskadi is positioning itself as a model for integrating scientific knowledge into the sports field. Beyond the impact on high performance, we seek the benefits of this initiative to reach society, promoting physical activity as an essential pillar of well-being.

At CIC bioGUNE, we reaffirm our commitment to transferring fundamental knowledge to applied research and the dissemination of knowledge, ensuring that scientific advancements are accessible to all sectors of society. This agreement with the Athletic Club reinforces our bet on innovation and science as drivers of transformation, contributing to a healthier society, ready to face future challenges.

About Athletic Club de Bilbao
Athletic Club de Bilbao, with 37 official titles in its trophy cabinet – 8 La Liga titles, 25 Copa del Rey titles, 3 Supercopa titles, and one Copa Eva Duarte – is the only elite club in the world that competes exclusively with players born or trained in the land it represents, Euskal Herria. This unique and prestigious sporting philosophy is sustained through the club’s youth development work at its Lezama facilities, a benchmark academy in football. Throughout its history, the club has been a model not only in sports but also in promoting the values of effort, dedication, and solidarity. Committed to sporting excellence, Athletic Club has maintained a vision of the comprehensive development of its players, where health and well-being are fundamental.

About CIC bioGUNE
The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), located in the Bizkaia Technology Park, is a biomedical research organisation conducting cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, molecular and cell biology, with a particular focus on generating knowledge on the molecular bases of disease, for use in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.

About BRTA
BRTA is an alliance of 4 collaborative research centres (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE y CIC energiGUNE) and 13 technology centres (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Leartiker, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker y Vicomtech) with the main objective of developing advanced technological solutions for the Basque corporate fabric.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group and the Provincial Councils of the three territories, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration between the research centres, strengthen the conditions to generate and transfer knowledge to companies, contributing to their competitiveness and outspreading the Basque scientific-technological capacity abroad.

BRTA has a workforce of 3,500 professionals, executes 22% of the Basque Country's R&D investment, registers an annual turnover of more than 300 million euros and generates 100 European and international patents per year.

Spanish version