Biocat participates in NIMAC, an international network to advance research and enterprise collaboration

BY BIOCAT

Biocat has been invited to participate in the fourth work session of the NIMAC, an international network of organizations and official bodies from Massachusetts, Northern Ireland and Finland that aims to advance clinical, business and research collaboration. The event, which will be held from 17 to 19 October in Boston (United States), aims to strengthen the healthcare and life sciences bridge between the United States and Europe by facilitating connections among businesses, researchers and governments.

NIMAC, created in 2009, focuses on three priority areas: diabetes, tissue engineering and medical devices. This strategic alliance includes the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth; the University of Tampere and the Tampere Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, from Finland; the University of Ulster and Queen’s University Belfast, from Northern Ireland; the European commission and the European Mobile Health Alliance.

On 18 October, the work group of representatives from companies, research centers, universities, organizations and public administrations from Massachusetts, Northern Ireland, Finland and Catalonia will participate in a number of events related to the network’s three work areas: diabetes, tissue engineering and medical devices.

Wednesday’s sessions will include two panel discussions to debate the best ways to promote interaction between research and economic development. The first panel, entitled Connected Health: Healthier people, stronger economy, will feature Dr. Joseph Kvedar, director of the Partners Center for Connected Health, Boston; Dr. Eero Punkka, director of the VTT Centre of Knowledge Intensive Services, Finland; Eddie Ritson, director of the European Centre for Connected Health; and Joan Cornet, executive president of the Catalan TICSalut foundation.

The panel entitled International collaboration key to advancement and economic development will discuss different work lines where political and economic strategies for research and business development intersect in the three work areas, and will be divided into two panel discussions. The first will feature political representatives like Therese Murray, president of the Massachusetts State Senate; Edwin Poots, minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for Northern Ireland; Anne Vasara, deputy chief at the Embassy of Finland; and Senén Florensa, secretary for Foreign Affairs for the Government of Catalonia. The second will include representatives from all of the countries present: Andrew Curtis, executive director of the Pfizer BioTherapeutics Business Innovation in Massachusetts; Samir Bhattacharyya, director of Market Access at DePuy Mitek, a Johnson & Johnson Company, Massachusetts; Maritta Perälä-Heape, director of the Centre for Health and Technology, Finland; Marta Príncep, director of Innovation at Biocat; and James McLaughlin, director of the Nanotechnology & Advanced Materials Research Institute, Northern Ireland.

• Related news (7/2/2012)
• Press release in Spanish (17/10/2011)