The European Commission has approved a second Important Project of Common European Interest in the field of health, called Tech4Cure, to support innovation in medical devices, in which Slovenian companies will also participate.
Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) in the health sector support joint research and innovation as well as the first industrial deployment of advanced technologies. The project named “IPCEI Tech4Cure” was jointly notified by five member states: France, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia. In accordance with the European Commission’s state aid approval, these five member states will provide up to 403 million euros in public funding, which is expected to unlock an additional 826 million euros in private investment.
Within the framework of the IPCEI in the health sector, 10 companies – as direct partners across 10 projects – will carry out the joint integrated Tech4Cure project, where highly innovative research and development projects as well as first industrial deployment projects will be implemented. These projects involve more than 70 planned collaborations with other partners in the broader IPCEI ecosystem and are aimed at developing technologies that go beyond current market offerings and are expected to lead to major innovations. This includes the areas of cardiovascular diseases, pediatrics and neonatal care, oncology, and ophthalmology.
For the first time since we have been participating in IPCEI projects, Slovenia is acting with a direct partner, which is the company Cosylab, for which the European Commission prepared a thorough review before the individual notification of aid and the approval of the project.
Slovenia is represented in this project by two additional consortia:
- the first consists of the companies Žejn, BioSistemika, Caretronic, Inden, MESI, Result, XLAB,
- and the second consists of Ekliptik, Impant3D, Interesansa and SIPRA engineering.
Companies in both consortia hold the status of associated partners.
Tech4Cure focuses primarily on creating innovative medical devices with advanced and novel digital/artificial intelligence-designed solutions, aimed at further developing the concept of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (“3P medicine”).
The 3P medicine concept improves patient treatment outcomes, reduces healthcare costs, and enhances the quality of life for EU citizens (hereinafter: the European Union). Tech4Cure will contribute to an updated industrial strategy by promoting industrial resilience and strengthening the single market. It will foster the competitiveness of the medical device industry in the EU and support the green and digital transition through advanced, safe, and innovative medical technologies. This will consequently strengthen the healthcare value chain in the EU. The conclusion of the Tech4Cure project is planned for 2036, while timelines vary depending on individual projects and participating companies.
Participating companies will share the project results widely with the European scientific community and industry, not just with companies and countries that are part of the IPCEI. Consequently, positive spillover effects will be created throughout Europe.
Integrated IPCEI projects are important projects in terms of ensuring European competitiveness, resilience, and Europe’s strategic autonomy. For Slovenian companies, participation in IPCEI projects is particularly important for increasing visibility in the European market, thus facilitating easier market access; furthermore, they represent an opportunity to present breakthrough technologies and innovative solutions on European and global markets.
Source: MGTŠ