Por primera vez, el Clúster Biotecnológico y Biomédico de Illes Balears (BIOIB) reúne a un equipo multidisciplinar de expertos para consensuar una propuesta integral que mejore la calidad de vida de los trabajadores de la hostelería, reduzca el absentismo laboral y fortalezca la sostenibilidad del turismo a través de la salud.
Liderado por BIOIB y con el asesoramiento de BioSmart Data y CIMA20, el proyecto inicia ahora su primera fase de investigación y consenso. Durante este año, se analizarán las principales problemáticas de salud en el colectivo de camareras de piso y, junto a los actores involucrados, se diseñarán soluciones innovadoras basadas en evidencia científica para optimizar el proceso asistencial.
Palma, January 30, 2025– The Biotechnology and Biomedicine Cluster of the Balearic Islands (BIOIB) celebrates the kick off meeting of the project“Optimization of Occupational Health and Reduction of Absenteeism in the Hotel Sector of the Balearic Islands: Analysis of Secondary Data and Improvement Proposals for Sustainable Tourism“. This initiative, funded by the Ministry of Tourism of the Government of the Balearic Islands, within the framework of the European Union’s Next Generation EU Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, seeks to improve occupational health in the hotel sector.
This first meeting marks the beginning of a pioneering project that addresses, from a comprehensive perspective, the chronic pain of musculoskeletal origin that significantly affects the group of housekeepers. To this end, a team of twelve experts from different fields will work on a 360º vision of this problem, whose impact goes beyond the health of the workers, also influencing the efficiency of the health system and the productivity of the sector, which is compromised by absenteeism.
The relevance of tourism as the main economic engine of the Balearic Islands and the challenge of contributing to the sustainability of employment, promoting better occupational health conditions for its majority group of workers, are the starting point of this project, which will be scaled up in future phases. “The Balearic Islands is a benchmark in tourism, but we also want to be a benchmark in how we take care of the people who make this industry possible. As a biosanitary cluster, our commitment is to lead innovation in biotechnology, biomedicine and health, promoting solutions that really make a difference in the sector,” stated the Dr. Zara Pons Managing Director of BIOIB.
In this first phase, which runs through 2025, the main problems will be identified, solutions will be designed based on scientific evidence and a consensus will be built among key stakeholders. Pons pointed out that the aim of this project is to give a voice to all the actors involved, promote dialogue and work on the search for consensus solutions with the intention of presenting them to the competent authorities. In 2026, the second phase will make it possible to validate the proposals through a pilot project. Finally, in a third phase, the measures will be implemented across the board in the hotel sector, with the possibility of extending them to other areas of work.
The project, coordinated from BIOIB by Cristòfol Soler, Rosa Falcón and Irene Mir, will be advised by Juan Cifre, COO at BioSmart Data, a reference company in biotechnology and digital health, recognized in 2024 as Start-Up of the Year in the Company of the Year Awards of Banco Sabadell. Cifre will bring his experience in Innovation and Technology. For his part, Mateu Oliver, CEO of CIMA20, will offer scientific and clinical advice in occupational health. His team is completed with the participation of Marta Perez, medical specialist in this field.
To ensure a multidisciplinary approach, BIOIB has brought together leading health professionals in the Balearic Islands to participate in the project, reaffirming its commitment to innovation in the sector. In this regard, the managing director of BIOIB, stressed that “the health of workers is key to the sustainability of tourism in the Balearic Islands. From BIOIB, we have identified the need to improve the health of our population, most of whom work in the tourism sector, and optimize the health system to provide more effective responses to their needs.”
Among the specialists in Anesthesiology and Pain Therapeutics, the following are included Dr. Raquel Pelaez of the Chronic Pain Unit of the Hospital Universitario Son Llàtzer, and Dr. Hermann Ribera, his counterpart at the Hospital Universitario Son Espases. The medical team is also formed by Dr. Joan Toribio, specialist in Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology and head of service at Son Llàtzer; Dr. Hermann Ribera, his counterpart at the University Hospital Son Espases. Dr. Mireia García a specialist in Physical Medicine and Medical Rehabilitation, also from Son Llàtzer; the Dr. Xènia Chela Dr . Rafael Palmer, a political scientist and member of the Research Group on Primary Care and Promotion (GRAPP-CAIB), who already addressed this issue in his doctoral thesis; and Dr. Rafael Palmer, occupational physician and head of the occupational medicine team at the Balearic Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IBASSAL).
In addition, the project has the collaboration of the Hotel Federation of Mallorca (FEHM), represented by its executive vice-president, Mª José Aguiló, and its first vice-president, Inés Batle, as well as the collective of chambermaids, through the president of the Association of Kellys Unión Balear, Sara Del Mar García.
BIOIB works to remain a leader in research, technology transfer and innovation in health and biotechnology. Its work ranges from the development of new drugs and therapies, to the creation of medical devices, digital health and the optimization of healthcare processes, always with a global vision of human, environmental and animal health, and is working on future projects to continue driving innovation in the biotechnology field.