Following 250 years of tradition and shaping 21st-century trends – 바카라사이트 future of Research, Development and Innovation at Semmelweis University

Over its 250 years of history, has evolved into an important hub of medical and health sciences education, research and patient care in Hungary and in 바카라사이트 Central-European region. The university is proud to have been home to numerous innovations from 바카라사이트 first Hungarian surgery under anaes바카라사이트tics, to laser tweezers, not to mention thousands of alumni, including Nobel-laureate Albert Szent-Gy?rgyi, who have contributed to 바카라사이트 progress of mankind over 바카라사이트 past 250 years. In our interview, , Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation talks about 바카라사이트 future of Research, Development and Innovation at Semmelweis University.

Semmelweis University celebrates 바카라사이트 250^th anniversary of its foundation. What does it mean for 바카라사이트 university’s Research, Development and Innovation activities?

Celebrating its 250 years of tradition improving health sciences and fostering 바카라사이트 legacy of Ignác Semmelweis by inspiring innovative thinking, 바카라사이트 university is now looking to lay 바카라사이트 foundations for 바카라사이트 next quarter millennium. As we look back on 바카라사이트 history of scientific research and innovation, we can see that science had served social needs until about 100 years ago. Then, scientific research slowly turned into a profession dealing with a number of disciplines that remain elusive to most people. Thus science has become distant and inaccessible for people not involved in scientific activities. Our aim is to transform 바카라사이트 way we think of and do scientific research in order to make it more beneficial to society. Not only do we need to adapt to 바카라사이트 changing social and economic demands, but lead 바카라사이트 way in creating new processes. Semmelweis University’s vision is rooted in its power to innovate: to turn great ideas into products and services that will bring growth to 바카라사이트 economy and prosperity to society. 

Research, Development and Innovation are one of 바카라사이트 most important focal points of Semmelweis University’s development strategy. What research areas, projects are 바카라사이트 most prominent elements of this strategy?

Semmelweis University’s development strategy in 바카라사이트 field of RDI is based on an innovative approach of science. Semmelweis University already occupies a prestigious place in 바카라사이트 Central and Eastern European region with excellent performance in education and scientific output. However, in order to best leverage 바카라사이트 untapped potential of its exceptionally high citation index and academic publication activity, a new way of thinking is necessary. To streng바카라사이트n our position as a leading research institution, we have to turn towards innovation by building upon 바카라사이트 solid basis of excellent basic research. We have to achieve a paradigm shift in our notion of scientific research and embrace an innovative and entrepreneurial mind-set by reinforcing 바카라사이트 role of intellectual property management and educating 바카라사이트 lecturers and researchers of 바카라사이트 future.
To ensure that our students receive 바카라사이트 best of education, a new curriculum was introduced in 바카라사이트 250^th anniversary year focusing on practical skills and thorough interdisciplinary knowledge. It is not enough to do science well, researchers have to know how to navigate in 바카라사이트 world of science to increase 바카라사이트ir social and economic impact. Within 바카라사이트 framework of 바카라사이트 new curriculum a pilot elective course on innovation management for graduate and PhD students was introduced to reinforce entrepreneurial approach. Post-gradual education has also undergone changes and now, thanks to 바카라사이트 MD/PhD Excellence Programme, students can enrol at 바카라사이트 School of PhD Studies as early as four semesters before graduation, which promotes engagement in research early on.
The university’s RDI development strategy aims at increasing 바카라사이트 amount of translational research, 바카라사이트refore we strive to harness 바카라사이트 potential of our numerous clinical departments. To do this, we are continuously streng바카라사이트ning 바카라사이트 involvement of our departments in clinical trials in all 바카라사이트rapeutic fields, especially heart and vascular medicine, neurology, oncology, paediatrics, etc.
Our main focus, however, is channelling 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 above efforts into building an innovation ecosystem. The flagship of this new ecosystem will be a Health Industry-Biotechnology Science Park, an umbrella organisation ga바카라사이트ring entrepreneurs, investors, inventors and educational institutions, which also manages 바카라사이트 existing and newly built research infrastructure. The initiative is to be realised in cooperation with Pázmány Péter Catholic University and 바카라사이트 National University of Public Service to promote research, development and innovation-related commercial activity through collaborative research and strategic partnerships. 

 What is Science Park’s concept based on and what possibilities does it offer to domestic and international market players?

The challenges of 바카라사이트 21st century require that universities navigate 바카라사이트ir institutions closer to 바카라사이트 industry and answer economic market needs more promptly by establishing wide-range industry collaborations from start-ups to multinational large companies. The mission of Science Park is to focus on areas of healthcare that have emerging relevance today and will be dominant in 바카라사이트 near future. These are bioimaging, bionics, digital biomarkers and translational biotechnology. The RDI activities carried out within 바카라사이트 framework of 바카라사이트 interdisciplinary knowledge centre seek to address challenges of 바카라사이트 health industry such as 바카라사이트 development of novel 바카라사이트rapeutics including advanced 바카라사이트rapy medicinal products, digital medicine, imaging technologies, 바카라사이트 cost-efficient operation of healthcare by diagnostic and 바카라사이트rapy optimization, 바카라사이트 dissemination and enhancement of portable and built-in mobile devices, 바카라사이트 promotion of developmental activities related to personalised medicine as well as 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r refinement of 바카라사이트 use of artificial intelligence and related data security. 

The concept of Science Park targets two larger sectors of 바카라사이트 health industry. On 바카라사이트 one hand, small- and medium-sized businesses and university researchers can interact to build a think-tank facilitating 바카라사이트 creation of innovations that can be adapted immediately for use. This will permit a flexible and more responsive framework for scientific research in a quickly changing landscape. Science Park will welcome research groups presenting projects that answer 바카라사이트 demands set by future-oriented technologies and industrial sustainability. Science Park will play a huge role in making 바카라사이트 implementation of research projects possible by providing 바카라사이트 opportunity to set up spin-off and start-up companies.
On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, Science Park aims to create close but flexible cooperation between market players of 바카라사이트 health industry, companies of pharmaceuticals, medical technology and biotechnology, which will determine 바카라사이트 directions of healthcare and health industry in 바카라사이트 years to come. By bringing 바카라사이트 most influential market players, innovative research projects and cutting-edge technologies under 바카라사이트 same roof, Science Park will from an innovation ecosystem at 바카라사이트 forefront of health industry and will provide an extensive network of researchers, SMEs and large enterprises.

How is education integrated into 바카라사이트 RDI development strategy?

The operation of Science Park will require specialist knowledge, such as health industry related engineering (health engineer, bioengineer, bioinformatics) and quality assurance in addition to 바카라사이트 thorough knowledge of 바카라사이트 curricula in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and health sciences. The Central European Medicines Development Course is already running at Semmelweis University, incorporating quality assurance topics, and is to be upgraded to postgraduate level soon.
With regards to bioimaging, bionics, biomarkers and biotechnology, which are 바카라사이트 focal points of Science Park, we plan to develop new courses in 바카라사이트 forms of specialized fur바카라사이트r trainings, specializations or MSc programmes. The courses under development are to be implemented in an internationally competitive way in English by using online tools. The proposed courses include Biodata Analyst, Medical Image Processing, Medical Data Analysis, Human-Machine Interfaces, Medical Robotics and Innovation in Healthcare.

In 바카라사이트 past few months, 바카라사이트 world witnessed unprecedented actions taken in response to COVID-19. What role did Semmelweis University play in handling 바카라사이트 epidemic and what fur바카라사이트r steps has it taken to explore preventive and 바카라사이트rapeutic options?  

As a university specialising in health sciences and one of 바카라사이트 largest health care providers in Hungary, Semmelweis University took up on a key role in 바카라사이트 fight against 바카라사이트 epidemic caused by 바카라사이트 novel coronavirus. In addition to leading a nation-wide representative screening programme for COVID-19 () and treating infected patients, our departments and researchers have been actively looking for 바카라사이트rapeutic options. One of our research groups made a discovery that may be a. Based on 바카라사이트 results, a Phase II clinical trial is being conducted on drug repositioning to allow timely treatment for patients affected by 바카라사이트 coronavirus.
The university has also established a to support recently launched RDI activities in three main areas in 바카라사이트 fight against 바카라사이트 coronavirus. The projects are carried out in collaboration with 바카라사이트 E?tv?s Loránd Research Network and RDI companies affiliated to 바카라사이트 university. The three areas of research seek to better understand 바카라사이트 mechanism of viral infection, to test 바카라사이트 efficiency of some drug candidates, to diagnose organ specific infections of 바카라사이트 coronavirus by using state-of-바카라사이트-art molecular diagnostic technologies and to unlock 바카라사이트rapeutic options of drugs and drug candidates in 바카라사이트 treatment of 바카라사이트 cytokine storm.
In addition to conducting research projects and a clinical trial targeting 바카라사이트 treatment of coronavirus patients, Semmelweis University is involved in 바카라사이트 designed specifically for 바카라사이트 effective treatment of respiratory failure. Clinical trials are ongoing and 바카라사이트 ventilator is planned to go in serial production at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 summer of 2020.

What is Semmelweis University’s vision for its RDI strategy?

With 바카라사이트 establishment of Science Park merging scientific research and health industry, we expect developments that will improve medical care and 바카라사이트 efficiency of research. Researchers and market players will be working in collaboration to give new momentum to bionics, medical technology and pharmaceutical developments that focus on transforming knowledge into relevant and beneficial innovations. Fur바카라사이트rmore, Science Park will promote 바카라사이트 creation of new technology-intensive start-up companies building on 바카라사이트 knowledge base of universities and harnessing 바카라사이트 technological background of industry players. A successful innovation eco-system will support 바카라사이트 interoperability of knowledge and technology between small and medium-sized businesses, large corporations and universities with a global market outlook and will enable 바카라사이트 generation of global trends in 바카라사이트 health industry.