GSK Gate2Health and IE School of Science & Technology join forces to accelerate healthcare innovation

Today, the global biopharma company GSK held the third meeting of Gate2Health, its open innovation community comprising a dozen leading organizations in the health innovation sector, aimed at improving people’s health through technological solutions. It did so in collaboration with IE School of Science & Technology, part of IE University, a leading innovative academic institution with an entrepreneurial mindset. The event, held at IE Tower, the headquarters of IE University in Madrid, introduced the GSK-IE Biopharma & AI Gateway program, designed to accelerate the research, development, and market launch of new treatments and vaccines using artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies.

The event kicked off with addresses from Florencia Davel, President of GSK Spain, and Ikhlaq Sidhu, Dean of IE School of Science & Technology, and put the spotlight on collaboration between the biopharma industry and academia as a key driver for transforming healthcare systems through innovation. 

During the meeting, digital transformation success stories were shared in areas such as oncohematology, prevention, and respiratory health by hematologists, pulmonologists, and specialists in preventive medicine. In addition, the presentations included real-world examples of how AI can accelerate drug discovery through faster, predictive, and technology-driven processes, optimizing clinical trials and redefining traditional R&D workflows. The importance of this capability is especially relevant in the context of serious infectious diseases and is exemplified by GSK’s new BSL-4 laboratory, the first of its kind in the world to be operated by a pharmaceutical company and the only one with maximum biosafety in Spain, where research with high-risk pathogens is breaking new ground for the development of entirely new treatments.

GSK has also launched the GSK–IE Biopharma & AI Gateway program, designed and delivered in partnership with IE School of Science & Technology, to accelerate the research, development, and market launch of new medicines and vaccines using AI and other advanced technologies. This program was developed under an agreement signed by GSK and IE University in 2025. It is the first specialized program launched by IE School of Science & Technology in health and technology in direct collaboration with industry. GSK’s participation enables the design and implementation of the program in partnership with IEX Labs, a global center for technological innovation that links academic research with leading industry players.

During the event, students from IE School of Science & Technology presented successful tech-driven business projects they have developed in the healthcare sector to inspire Gateway program participants. Additionally, various Gate2Health members shared their experiences implementing innovative solutions in the healthcare system.

Ikhlaq Sidhu, Dean of IE School of Science & Technology, stated, "We are excited to see the amazingly positive impact on our students and researchers, working on true biopharma challenges and solutions enabled by this industry-academic gateway-type collaboration."

In turn, David Barros, Head of Global Health R&D at GSK in Spain, added, "The combination of biomedical research and academic expertise means we can combine our experience in developing medicines and vaccines with the innovative capacity of pioneering organizations such as IE School of Science & Technology. This opens up new avenues for the development of innovative, more effective, individualized treatments. We will continue to promote emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics under the umbrella of the Gate2Health community, which will help transform the future of healthcare and improve people’s lives."

About GSK

GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. For more information, go to www.gsk.es 

About IE School of Science & Technology and IEX Labs

IE School of Science & Technology (IE University) is a forward-looking polytechnic institution that combines rigorous technical education with a strategic business perspective. Its mission is to educate the next generation of technology leaders capable of generating meaningful impact in both industry and society.
 
Through the IEX Labs, the School coordinates a globally set of lab spaces, faculty, and collaborative programs designed to accelerate and scale high-impact research and real-world learning in core technologies, healthcare, clean tech, and financial systems. For more information, go to: www.ie.edu/school-science-technology/