ScanBalt Campus Network for Regenerative Medicine initiates wide interdisciplinary collaboration

ScanBalt Campus Network for Regenerative Medicine initiates wide interdisciplinary collaboration

2nd Meeting ScanBalt Campus – Knowledge Network – Regenerative Medicine
In the frame of the 5th ScanBalt Forum in Tartu
21 September 2006

All participants of the meeting were convinced that Regenerative Medicine is an exciting field with high technological and market potential. But they also know, that because of the complexity in R&D in this field it is not easy, to belong to the top level and that interdisciplinary work is necessary. Only if the best from science and industry cooperate and the authorities care for the right framework we will create value and be competitive in the global environment.

The interactive Workshop of the ScanBalt Campus Knowledge Network Regenerative Medicine was a Brainstorming to remove existing hurdles, to initiate new projects and to develop new concepts to optimize cooperation in research, development and education through high quality partnerships, implementation of mobility programs, supervising shared PhD-programs and much more.

The Workshop worked well and the participants were very active. A lot of project ideas were created. First proposals came out, how we should proceed.

Mr. Zilliacus from Nordforsk gave positive comments about the chances for financing. At the end Henner Willnow from Steinbeis/Rostock informed about the actual call for proposals for an ESF Research Networking Programme. The objectives of the program are creating interdisciplinary forums, developing new techniques, training young scientist and others. The programme offers grants for meetings, visits, publication, creation of databases etc. in broad scientific fields, among others in Biomaterials Sciences. More information under www.esf.org

Here are the results of the Workshop:

GROUP I – IP Strategy in Stem cell therapy

Chair: Bo Heiden,
Center for Intellectual Property Studies (CIP), Göteborg, Sweden

Participants:

Johan Öberg, Center for Intellectual Property Studies (CIP), Göteborg, Sweden

Frank Graage, Steinbeis-Transferzentrum, Rostock, Germany,

Henner Wilnow, Steinbeis-Transferzentrum, Rostock, Germany

Luis Mínguez Lara, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium

Ideas for projects / cooperation:

1. Create awareness that IP is ethical in Regenerative Medicine
2. Develop mapping tool for Stem Cell Patent Landscape
3. Specific pilot project:
IP Management in RegMed – Generate success in cardiac project

For all three ideas teams should be built within the next time to work it out.
Thereby the teams will influence each other to use synergies.

NordForsk (Mr. Zilliacus) will help to find financing

GROUP II – Cardiac Stem cell therapy

Chair: Gustav Steinhoff
University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany

Participants:

Vadim Vasilyev, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Harry Zilliacus, Nord Forsk, Oslo, Norway

Raimondas Sirmenis, Vilnius, Lithuania

Ideas for projects / cooperation:

Solving existing problems (hurdles) in Regenerative Medicine

• Mobility
-Intensify training courses for students
-Establish training courses for clinicians
-Install international multicenter studies
-Build network in cardiac field
-Create transnational centers of excellence

• Financing
-Develop ideas for new business models

• Regulatory
-Build transnational groups within ScanBalt to discuss existing and future regulatory framework

GROUP III – Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

Chair: Yrjö T Kontinnen, (YK)
University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Participants:

Eilhard Mix (EM), University Rostock, Rostock, Germany

Aavo-Valdur Mikelsaar (AM), University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia

Raik-Hilo Mikelsaar, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia

Dace Tirzite, Latvian National Contact Point for EC Framework Programme

Robertha Mejía, Center for Intellectual Property Studies (CIP), Göteborg, Sweden

Anna Pytko, Nat. Contact Point for Res. Progr. of the EU, Warsaw, Poland

Vadim Vasilyev, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Ideas for projects / cooperation:

PROJECTS
• SCI (EM) ~ PLA (YK)
• New MAB (AM) ~ SC Lines (EM)
• UCB (RM) ~ n.n.
• Epigenetics (VV) ~ 3D Model (RM)
• Epigenetics (VV) ~ Neurodegen. (EM)

3 TOPICS
1. IP Strategies in Stemcells and Biomaterials
2. Commercialization (GLP, GCP, GMP)
3. Population need + market potential

3 STAGES
1. Seed money network
2. Nord Forsk network
3. 7th EU Framework – Topic: Health

3 METHODS
1. Regional coverage
2. National regulation agencies
3. Joint PhD supervisor (internal + external)

For all project ideas first partners are named. For each project the 3 topics have to be planned and the 3 stages and methods have to be evaluated.