1.1 The challenges being addressed
The ARTEMIDA (Advanced Regional Translation of Excellence into Medical Innovation for Delayed Aging) phase 1 proposal relates to the topic Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation, Focus area Personalising health and care, Work Programme Health, demographic change and wellbeing. The proposed Centre of Excellence in Translational Medicine (CETM) will address the following challenges:
1. insufficient critical mass of science and centres having sufficient competence to engage countries and regions strategically in a path of innovative growth;
2. the gap in research and innovation performance;
3. building on newly developed capabilities;
4. claiming a competitive position in the global value chains;
5. building on partnerships between leading scientific institutions and low performing partners.
1.2 Relevance for the European society
By 2025 more than 20% of the European population will be 65 years old, with the most rapidly growing population group being people over 80. Age- related diseases and disabilities pose an unprecedented challenge for the national healthcare budgets and the EU health systems. Many older people still work, especially in developing countries, where in 2010, the labour force participation of persons aged 65 years or over was around 31%. However, there are health disorders, characteristically associated with senescence (e.g. neurodegenerative disease, cancer and diabetes), which reduce productivity, decrease quality of life and impose exorbitant costs to healthcare budgets and society as a whole.
1.3 Overall objectives
The ARTEMIDA phase 1 project has three overall objectives
1. To articulate a clear, detailed and achievable long term strategy, based on regional smart specialisation, and the quadruple helix cluster concept (to create and exploit synergies created from the collaboration and cross-fertilisation among (a) legal entities conducting research (universities, research organisations and research for-profit bodies); (b) business entities (large enterprises and SMEs); (c) representatives of regional/local/national authorities and (d) representatives of non-governmental organisations (e.g. patient support groups) in Slovenia and in the wider South East European (SEE) region that builds the regions research and innovation capacity through training and transfer of know-how that are focused on healthy aging;
2. Detailed provisions for good data management and management of the project (e.g. clear goals, performance metrics, productivity incentives, quality control & quality assurance, performance based promotion) and a properly functioning, accountable, transparent and service-oriented CETM administration that follows relevant ISO standards and obtains ISO certification including certification for customers’ satisfaction;
3. To review measures for creating an innovation-friendly environment that stimulates the creation of start-ups and spin-offs, spreading innovation-focused research culture in the SEE region, focused on development of marketable, high-value-added products and services, thus enhancing and creating new research and innovation clusters that will integrate the region into global value chains.
These science and innovation objectives will be achieved by a partnership between the leading scientific institutions of Karolinska Institutet (KI), Sweden and ELIXIR - Europe’s research infrastructure for life science data (Elixir node at The European Molecular Biology Laboratory – The European Bioinformatics Institute, United Kingdom)- and Slovenian public higher education and research organisations University of Ljubljana, National Institute of Biology and National Institute of Chemistry, SMEs and public health provides from Slovenia with international collaborators.
1.4 Conclusions of the action
The overall objectives of ARTEMIDA phase 1 were achieved by implementing the following measures:
1. A comprehensive long term Business plan was prepared that defines the CETM’s activities for the next 10 years;
2. Relevant information gathering measures, critical review of the state of the art, workshops and other information-gathering and information-exchange related activities necessary for preparation of validated guidelines, rules and recommendations for the study of ageing related diseases and data science in Teaming Stage 2 were completed;
3. Planning of informal and formal training and educational activities for ageing related diseases and data science, that will provide the present and potential Teaming partners with essential research, innovation and team working skills was completed;
4. Activities to develop new or promote more effective collaboration with existing regional research and innovation clusters within SEE and the wider European research area were defined to the level of specific deliverables and included into the submitted ARTEMIDA Teaming stage 2 application.
