1. Indigenous Raw Materials Creating a High-Tech Home- Grown Export-Driven Industry Valorization of Cuban Sugar Industry Utilization of Cuban Natural Resources as Raw Materials to Create New Biotechnology Products 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. Flocculants Pilot Plant Facility Encapsulation Technology Sterilization Technology Dianelys Sainz Vidal (CEADEN/EPFL) Short-term Social-Economic Employment Improvement of the sugar industry Mid-termEnvironment Improvement in water quality Long-term Health Biopharmaceutical and biomedical products for the treatment of diseases such as: -Diabetes -Cancer -Rheumatism The Valorization Cuba project has been funded, since its inception, by the Swiss Agency for Development & Co-operation, (Berne, Switzerland).

2. 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 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 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 José Hernandez-Barajas (AQUA+TECH/EPFL) EPFL CEADEN BIOMAT ICINAZ CNIC AQUA+TECH (Pilot Plant) Materials Sterilization Encapsulation Applications Technology Flocculants Sugar Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) Laboratory of Polyelectrolytes and BioMacromolecules (LPBM) Expertise in: Encapsulation technology Polymer characterization Development of water soluble polymer flocculants 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.