The CTBio project, from its design phase to its current implementation, ensures that the project’s actions comply at all times with the horizontal principles and Community policies on equal opportunities and non-discrimination, equality between women and men and sustainable development, as set out in Regulation (EU) No. 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2013. Specifically, Article 7 states that “Member States and the Commission shall take appropriate measures to avoid any discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation during the preparation and implementation of the programmes”.

Below are the measures adopted by the project in each of the horizontal principles and which contribute to smart, inclusive and sustainable growth, in line with the Europe 2020 strategy.

The project’s scope is biotechnology and the support to companies in the sector in the Euroregion. Biotechnology is “The use of living organisms, or parts of them, to obtain or modify products, to improve plants or animals or to develop microorganisms for specific purposes”. In short, it is a science that uses organisms or parts of them to make a product. It is a useful tool that applied with an environmental ethic can reduce the impact of human beings on the environment. By means of the technologies and advances of this sector, applications have been obtained that can act in diverse environmental problems, as much in their prevention as in their solution.

Thus, for example, in industrial production to reduce the polluting impact of certain industrial processes, or as palliative measures, such as biological control against pests, against droughts or against the effect of sea pollution or in aquaculture.

The project, due to its own theme and activities to be developed, promotes all the potential of the biotechnology sector in the Euroregion as well as its impact and hybridisation with other sectors, following ethical criteria with respect to the environment, and favouring that technology that can have the best effects in favour of the environment, biodiversity and sustainable development.

On the other hand, the project is also aligned with sustainable development through the following actions:

The final target group of the project is entrepreneurs as well as businessmen and businesswomen at the head of Start Ups and technology-based companies of the Euroregion.

In the same way, it also seeks to stimulate female entrepreneurship among young students of specialties related to biotechnology in the universities of the Euroregion.

On the one hand, the problems of gender discrimination are addressed, a barrier on which action is taken by contributing through breaking social stereotypes that are obstacles for women wishing to opt for a scientific career. For this purpose, in measures such as communication and dissemination, we try to introduce images of scientists and researchers, as well as businesswomen, as well as in the slogans of the project.

Attention is also paid as far as possible to the greater difficulty faced by women researchers, entrepreneurs and businesswomen when they have to reconcile family life and be mothers. In this sense, it tries to transmit the message that it is precisely through the path of self-employment and that of being “her own businesswoman” that she can also facilitate better conciliation measures for women. Thus, within the team of the partner entities, as well as in the external and expert teams, parity in the representation of both sexes is always sought, avoiding horizontal and vertical discrimination in the workplace.

In addition, the project is also aligned with equality between men and women through the following actions:

Within the team of the partner entities, as well as in the external teams and experts contracted within the framework of the project, the absence of discrimination due to circumstances of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or convictions, disability, age or sexual orientation or culture, among others, is verified and it is expressly controlled that its personnel are not the target of undesired conducts that have as an objective or consequence the attack against dignity or the creation of an intimidating, humiliating or offensive environment.

In this sense, all biotech business projects to which training and advisory services are provided are required to comply with the principles of equal opportunities and non-discrimination, thus contributing to the maintenance of welfare and social cohesion.