General overview

The Institut Pasteur de Montevideo (IP Montevideo) aims to become a scientific institution of excellence with the incorporation of a group of young and highly selected investigators and new and up to date technology. It also aims to support the development of the Uruguayan biological science and to contribute to the development of bio-technologies and attract investments in the innovation area.

The IP Montevideo main objective is the development of excellent science in the domain of biology, with a particular focus on biomedicine. It follows the model established by the Institut Pasteur de Paris, which, being one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world is at the same time the second academic institution in biotech production. This has been reached through an adequate articulation between a high quality basic science and its applications. The six main foundational objectives of the IP Montevideo were:

• The creation of a modern building.
• The creation of up to date core facilities in the field of genomics, proteomics, molecular and cell biology, bio-informatics and animal transgenesis. These facilities were designed to provide services to academic and private institutions.
• The creation of a program called “Young group leader projects” aiming at attracting the return to the region of young and qualified scientists.
• The creation of a high level Teaching Center aiming to provide courses in the modern areas of biology.
• The creation of adequate scientific and technological conditions that should allow the installation or creation of biotech enterprises and attract investments from international companies.
• To position the IP Montevideo in a regional scenario as a scientific center of excellence with an original design, a flexible organization, competitive costs and rapid decision making.

The IP Montevideo was founded in December 2004, through an agreement between the Uruguayan and French governments and the Institut Pasteur de Paris. The building was started on July 2005 and finalized by November 2006. It was inaugurated the 8th of December of this year, by the President of the Uruguayan Republic Dr. Tabaré Vázquez and started working on February 2007.

In a 5 years period of (2 years of setting up and 3 of real operating cycle) the IP Montevideo has succeeded in constructing a modern and new building, to set up modern core facilities, some of them still unique in the region, to start an incipient research and teaching activity and to start developing a fruitful relationship with the industry.