Research is facing the challenge of ensuring reproducibility and reliability of scientific work. To address this challenge, biobank.cy decided on implementing applicable international technical specifications and standards for the support and improvement of the center’s daily administrative and scientific operations. 

A quality team was set up following the center of excellence establishment with the hiring of an in-house quality manager and the pursuit of a close collaboration with experts of the BBMRI-ERIC quality service. 

In the past four years, the quality team worked together with all CoE employees to map the organization and create an organogram, to identify the key and supporting processes of the biobank.cy, and to develop and implement a Quality Management System (QMS) based on ISO 9001:2015 standard with the aim to consistently provide services that meet stakeholders and regulatory requirements while complying with all ethical guidelines in full transparency. 

Quality management stands as a cornerstone in our efforts, essential for attracting stakeholders and instilling trust in our biobanking and research outcomes

biobank.cy successfully went through an external audit by the Cyprus Certification Company (CCC) in October 2022 and has been awarded an ISO9001:2015 certificate for its administration services which maintains ever since. 

The CoE established the following Quality Policy and is committed to: 

• Comply with ISO9001:2015 and continually improve the effectiveness of the Quality Management System 
• Comply with all regulatory requirements and ethical guidelines in full transparency 
• Ensure that the activities of the biobank.cy Centre of Excellence are structured and impartial 
• Apply the principles of best practices for its Biobank as well as research and diagnostic activities 
• Ensure all staff know about the Quality Management System and apply processes in line with standard methods 

As a next step, the quality team is working on further developing the established QMS with the aim to achieve accreditations ISO 15189 for the diagnostic pillar and ISO 20387 for the biobank pillar in an effort to provide high-quality diagnostic services as well as safeguarding the quality of available biological samples and data. 

* Mrs. Stella Antoniou is the Quality Manager of the CoE