Located at Granada’s Health Science Technology Park, the link-up is the latest in Abbott’s network of partnerships with universities, which also includes associations with the University of Illinois in the US and the University of Singapore. Products and methods resulting from the partnership are intended to be applied across the European Union and around the world.
The company said it also intends to use local and regional consumer insights to find solutions to local and national public health nutrition issues. Specifically, areas of interest include diabetes, obesity, lean body mass, cognition and early nutrition.
Dr Robert Miller, divisional vice president, R&D and Scientific Affairs for Abbott Nutrition told NutraIngredients that understanding cognition in adults and early infant nutrition were “two sides of the same coin.”
“The University of Granada is one of the strongest universities when it comes to nutrition,” he said. “They have a strong programme in infant nutrition.”
He added: “Tackling big health issues these days really does require a multidisciplinary partnership.
“…In understanding how the brain and cognition develops, you also start to understand some of the elements that might mean you start losing cognition.”
The company’s partnership with the university involves funding eight post-doctoral or PhD-level students as they start on their careers. For these students, the partnership with Abbott brings them into the company’s global network of scientists working in the same research area.
“It is a great opportunity for them to get exposure to global interaction,” Miller said.
He added that Abbott Nutrition has a long history with Granada, where it has been involved in both R&D and manufacturing since 1994.