Periodic Reporting for period 3 - Sano (Centre for New Methods in Computational Diagnostics and Personalised Therapy)
Período documentado: 2022-02-01 hasta 2023-07-31
The objective of Sano is to establish and develop a new Centre for computational medicine in Kraków, Poland. The principal aim is to carry out research at the forefront of medical science by leveraging modern artificial intelligence approaches, large-scale computing and data storage infrastructures in order to develop models which can be deployed in clinical practice. The Centre will also actively engage, as a knowledge provider, in commercialization of the outcomes of scientific research at every step of the process – from prototyping all the way to practical deployment. In order to meet these goals, Sano leverages the expertise contributed by its founding institutions, which specialize in various aspects of the medical R&D value chain, and aims to establish a strong presence in its target widening country – Poland – capitalizing upon the strong academic base and smart specialization of its home region – Małopolska, centred upon the city of Kraków. Efforts are also aimed at strengthening the international positioning of the Centre, by collaborative efforts with renowned institutions, excellent research, attracting top talent and fostering an inclusive environment for scientific advancement.
Sano has successfully reached its maturity stage and experienced transition into a fully operational organisation. The research teams are largely completed, likewise the support and development departments, with roles and responsibilities solidified and culture of collaboration and shared ownership fostered. This alignment contributes to efficient decision-making and effective execution.
Sano now operates as a stable research entity, with smooth day-to-day functioning ensured, resources allocated efficiently and lessons learned from the earlier stages applied to streamline activities and ensure that cost, time and effort are optimized.
Recruitment of employees was successfully completed, with emphasis put on level of professionalism, gender balance and internationalisation of Sano staff.
Comprehensive training and self-development plan for Sano personnel has been introduced in order to allow for the professional growth of individuals, the enhancement of organizational capabilities, and the creation of a culture of learning and improvement within the organisation.
Intensive activities were undertaken by the research teams, in line with Sano Research Agenda and each Research Team’s agenda, including development, deployment, validation and sharing of software artifacts, as well as management and processing of research datasets.
Solid infrastructural and operational framework, which is both scalable and able to meet the emerging requirements of new research projects, is provided, mainly by the Sano IT&Cybersecurity and Scientific Programmers teams, but also by the Centre’s Advanced Partners (Cyfronet, FZJ and USFD).
Sano has built collaborations and partnerships with academic, clinical and industrial partners, paving the way towards future R&D undertakings as well as broader recognition.
A focus in now on securing broad-based funding channels in order to attain financial sustainability.
A series of events, including seminars, meet-ups and workshops, were carried out to engage with the relevant target communities and promote Sano activities.
The Centre has undertaken various visibility activities to showcase its expertise, foster collaborations, and disseminate knowledge, by spreading knowledge about its increasing number of high-quality publications, participating in renowned conferences and workshops and maintaining an online presence via the website and social media.
As Sano entered the maturity stage, the focus shifted toward maintaining and enhancing its current position while exploring opportunities for growth and diversification. Strategies to achieve translational market share by understanding the target market, creating value for customers, emphasising the uniqueness of Sano products under development.
Sano now operates as a stable research entity, with smooth day-to-day functioning ensured, resources allocated efficiently and lessons learned from the earlier stages applied to streamline activities and ensure that cost, time and effort are optimized.
Recruitment of employees was successfully completed, with emphasis put on level of professionalism, gender balance and internationalisation of Sano staff.
Comprehensive training and self-development plan for Sano personnel has been introduced in order to allow for the professional growth of individuals, the enhancement of organizational capabilities, and the creation of a culture of learning and improvement within the organisation.
Intensive activities were undertaken by the research teams, in line with Sano Research Agenda and each Research Team’s agenda, including development, deployment, validation and sharing of software artifacts, as well as management and processing of research datasets.
Solid infrastructural and operational framework, which is both scalable and able to meet the emerging requirements of new research projects, is provided, mainly by the Sano IT&Cybersecurity and Scientific Programmers teams, but also by the Centre’s Advanced Partners (Cyfronet, FZJ and USFD).
Sano has built collaborations and partnerships with academic, clinical and industrial partners, paving the way towards future R&D undertakings as well as broader recognition.
A focus in now on securing broad-based funding channels in order to attain financial sustainability.
A series of events, including seminars, meet-ups and workshops, were carried out to engage with the relevant target communities and promote Sano activities.
The Centre has undertaken various visibility activities to showcase its expertise, foster collaborations, and disseminate knowledge, by spreading knowledge about its increasing number of high-quality publications, participating in renowned conferences and workshops and maintaining an online presence via the website and social media.
As Sano entered the maturity stage, the focus shifted toward maintaining and enhancing its current position while exploring opportunities for growth and diversification. Strategies to achieve translational market share by understanding the target market, creating value for customers, emphasising the uniqueness of Sano products under development.
The ultimate objective which Sano aims to achieve is to become an established Centre of Excellence in the area of computational medicine, coordinating research and development efforts, firstly across the Małopolska region, and then across the country as well as internationally. The Centre has established five independent research teams, each led by a prominent researcher, and each focusing on a distinct research pillar of Sano, as outlined in the Centre’s International Research Agenda:
· Health Informatics,
· Clinical Data Science,
· Extreme-scale Data and Computing,
· Personal Health Data Science,
· Computer Vision Data Science.
Research Team Leaders undertook intensive activities informed by their Team Research Agendas, including development, deployment, validation and sharing of software artifacts between Teams, as well as management and processing of research datasets. The Centre has entered into the institutional and organizational maturity phase, with recruitment of Research Team members and Support and Development staff completed, training framework settled (including a dedicated PhD programme developed in close collaboration with USFD), internal policies and procedures implemented.
Locally – within Sano’s region and throughout the Member State – the expected socio-economic impact generated at the end of the project includes:
· Improved retention of talented researchers and best medical graduates in the local environment,
· Bringing Polish researchers who have enjoyed successes abroad back to Poland,
· Cascading creation of further employment opportunities due to recruitment and retention of numerous high-quality knowledge workers,
· Introduction and dissemination of internationally recognised science management standards within the local research culture,
· Helping local knowledge industry introduce novel products and services, attract investors, and achieve a snowball impact upon the local economy,
· Providing more possibilities for Polish clinics and med-tech industry representatives to participate in international collaboration,
· Enabling Polish clinics to benefit from the development of modern CM in terms of socio-economic aspects, such as early access to state-of-the art methods, potential benefits regarding efficiency (time savings) and efficacy (quality improvement) of health care,
· Providing real-life confirmation for local policymakers to justify further investment in computational medicine, thus creating a positive feedback loop of strategic, sustained growth,
· Building up critical mass by fostering synergies in science and helping Małopolska establish itself as a hub for computational medicine.
In the broader geographical scope of the EU, Sano will be positioned as a fundamental source of innovation, where patients, clinics and medical industry representatives collaborate to chart strategic directions of growth. By bringing valuable local partners, both public and SMEs, to international consortia, Sano will positively impact EU’s future research and innovation landscape, providing additional value.
In the global, long-term perspective, Sano will play a vital role in the Health 2050 transformation, where industrial technologies are developed to address societal challenges related to improved delivery of healthcare through pervasive digitisation techniques – including AI, big data, HPC and in silico simulations.
· Health Informatics,
· Clinical Data Science,
· Extreme-scale Data and Computing,
· Personal Health Data Science,
· Computer Vision Data Science.
Research Team Leaders undertook intensive activities informed by their Team Research Agendas, including development, deployment, validation and sharing of software artifacts between Teams, as well as management and processing of research datasets. The Centre has entered into the institutional and organizational maturity phase, with recruitment of Research Team members and Support and Development staff completed, training framework settled (including a dedicated PhD programme developed in close collaboration with USFD), internal policies and procedures implemented.
Locally – within Sano’s region and throughout the Member State – the expected socio-economic impact generated at the end of the project includes:
· Improved retention of talented researchers and best medical graduates in the local environment,
· Bringing Polish researchers who have enjoyed successes abroad back to Poland,
· Cascading creation of further employment opportunities due to recruitment and retention of numerous high-quality knowledge workers,
· Introduction and dissemination of internationally recognised science management standards within the local research culture,
· Helping local knowledge industry introduce novel products and services, attract investors, and achieve a snowball impact upon the local economy,
· Providing more possibilities for Polish clinics and med-tech industry representatives to participate in international collaboration,
· Enabling Polish clinics to benefit from the development of modern CM in terms of socio-economic aspects, such as early access to state-of-the art methods, potential benefits regarding efficiency (time savings) and efficacy (quality improvement) of health care,
· Providing real-life confirmation for local policymakers to justify further investment in computational medicine, thus creating a positive feedback loop of strategic, sustained growth,
· Building up critical mass by fostering synergies in science and helping Małopolska establish itself as a hub for computational medicine.
In the broader geographical scope of the EU, Sano will be positioned as a fundamental source of innovation, where patients, clinics and medical industry representatives collaborate to chart strategic directions of growth. By bringing valuable local partners, both public and SMEs, to international consortia, Sano will positively impact EU’s future research and innovation landscape, providing additional value.
In the global, long-term perspective, Sano will play a vital role in the Health 2050 transformation, where industrial technologies are developed to address societal challenges related to improved delivery of healthcare through pervasive digitisation techniques – including AI, big data, HPC and in silico simulations.