The best of EU-funded innovations: three HaDEA beneficiaries among finalists of the Innovation Radar Prize

Since 2015, the European Commission has been awarding the annual Innovation Radar Prize to innovators receiving EU funding, putting a spotlight on the promising innovations they are trying to get ‘out of the lab and into the market’.

 

This year, the European Commission and Dealflow.eu are co-organising the Innovation Radar Summit in Lisbon, in partnership with Eura AG, Dealroom.co, the European Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA), Startup Lisboa and Microsoft.

Among the 12 finalists running for this year’s Innovation Radar Prize, there are three HaDEA beneficiaries.

InSilicoTrials Technologies (IST)

IST was founded in 2012 (with the original name of Promeditec) to offer innovative solutions and specialised consultancy for clinical trials, e.g. web-based integrated platforms for the management of clinical data, images and documents. Their mission is to revolutionise drug and medical device development by harnessing the power of in silico technology with the vision of boosting the world’s transition to accessible therapies.

IST is involved in four projects funded under Horizon 2020 or Horizon Europe:

  • SimCardioTest (Horizon 2020) aims to implement computer modelling, simulation and artificial intelligence to design and test cardiac drugs and medical devices. The simulation has the potential to overcome clinical trial limitations, such as under-representation of groups. It also reduces the size and duration of human clinical trials as well as animal testing, and offers robust, personalised information.
  • The BRAINTEASER project (Horizon 2020) will develop a system of wearable sensors to enable prediction and advance clinical decision-making and prevention. Specifically, software and apps will be designed to embrace an agile and user-centred design approach, accounting for the technical, medical, psychological and societal needs of the specific users.
  • The H2020-funded project In Silico World is paving the way to universal replacement of in-vitro and in-vivo with in-silico. It will bring together a large European consortium and a multi-stakeholder advisory board to lay the groundwork to achieve this goal.
  • METASTRA, funded under the Horizon Europe programme, is an interdisciplinary project developing biomechanical computational models to stratify patients with spine metastasis who are at high risk of fracture and identify the best personalised surgical treatment.

Here is what IST’s CEO, Luca Emili, thinks of their participation in these projects:

“Our participation in the SimCardioTest, BRAINTEASER, In Silico World, and METASTRA projects, supported by EU funding, enables us to contribute to the democratisation of the use of in-silico methods in the development of new drugs and medical devices. Big, medium and small size pharma, biotech, and med tech companies will be able to hyper-accelerate their R&D, generating digital evidence to de-risk investments and support regulatory approval. The EU’s support is vital, providing resources and a collaborative network essential for enhancing predictive tools and data-driven healthcare solutions, ultimately transforming the landscape of medical research and patient care.”

Charge2C-NEWCAP LDA

CHARGE2C-NEWCAP LDA is a Portuguese SME, specialising in the creation of nickel-carbon supercapacitors for the European automotive market.

The company develops environmentally-friendly electrochemical solutions by scaling-up cutting-edge technology from lab-scale to the market. They aim to reduce the use of toxic and critical raw materials in their equipment and to make components that last longer and can be further miniaturised.

CHARGE2C-NEWCAP participates in the Horizon Europe-funded project Knowskite-X, which recently started. The project seeks to develop a knowledge-based methodological approach to find new electrode materials based on perovskites for reversible SOFC/SOEC technologies (solid oxide fuel cell/solid oxide electrolysis cell). These technologies are crucial for renewable energy storage and production.

CARBON WATER SAS

CARBON WATERS SAS is a French producer of graphene-based advanced materials and developer of performance additives. They aspire to revolutionise the industry by providing polymers that enhance performance, efficiency, and sustainability, driving the transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy sources while combating climate change.

CARBON WATERS is a partner involved in two projects managed by HaDEA:

  • The MACRAMEproject, under Horizon Europe, will develop methodologies applicable to advanced materials. It will detect, characterise and quantify advanced materials during their processing and product life cycle, including recycling, to assess the resulting impact on health and the environment.
  • The Horizon 2020 project NewSkinis creating an open innovation test bed to provide companies and users with access to the physical facilities, capabilities and services required for the development, testing and upscaling of industrial and consumer products exploiting nano-enabled surfaces and membranes.

Source: European Commission | European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) (https://shorturl.at/bzLR8)