Already during the implementation of the NICR project, academic institutions have managed to establish numerous collaborations with the biotechnological and pharmaceutical industry. These collaborations were established mainly as part of joint research projects, contract-based research, and activities aimed at a transfer of results into practice. NICR’s period of sustainability represents an opportunity to follow up on these activities and develop them further.
The aim is to deepen partnerships with the implementation sphere, support new joint projects, and strengthen research teams’ ability to transfer research results into the areas of diagnostics, treatment, and other practical applications. Part of these activities is also support of training in the area of technological transfer and cooperation with industry and the healthcare system.
Examples of current cooperative projects
- Personalised medicine: Through translational research to biomedical applications (TN02000109; TA CR): this project brings together the Charles University, Masaryk University, Palacký University in Olomouc, the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and companies CasInvent Pharma, IntellMed, Ltd., Biovendor, MAMA AI, Ltd., TestLine, Ltd., ÚJV Řež, a.s., and Apigenex, Ltd. Its aim is to develop instruments of personalised medicine including those focused on cancers.
- Nanoparticle formulation of copper dithiocarbamate for cancer treatment, NaDiNa (FW04020197; TA CR): this project brings together the Palacký University and the oncomed manufacturing company; its aim is to develop a new therapeutic approach.
- A new rapid diagnostic instrument of screening dangerous biological agents in a mobile version, Bioscreen I (VB02000056; Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic) is a project that brings together the Charles University, the National Institute for NBC Protection, and ESSENCE LINE, Ltd. Company. Its aim is to develop microchip technologies for the detection of microorganisms in order to rapidly identify high-risk biological agents.
- Nanoformulation of injectable forms of bazedoxifene for respiratory and neurological diseases (FW10010306; TA CR) is a project that links the Charles University with Oxygen Biotech, Ltd.; its aim is to develop an original nanoformulation suitable for administration by injection.
- The uses of comprehensive genomic testing: Towards better diagnostics (CZ.02.01.01/00/23_020/0008555; Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic): this project brings together the Masaryk University, Charles University, Palacký University in Olomouc, Apps Dev Team, Ltd., and EUC Laboratories CGB. This alliance will enable a full use of the national potential in a project aimed at assessing the contribution of technological advances to the healthcare system, investigating how much time and money can new technologies save by molecular biological testing.
- MBTA – adoptive immunotherapy of tumours (FW12010389; TA CR) is a project that brings together the Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Charles University, and the Bioinova Company. It focuses on assessing the effectiveness of MBTA adoptive immunotherapy in preventing tumour growth.
- The development and validation of a proteomic classifier for determining the risk of relapse in kidney cancers (MUNI/31/02202503/2025; Masaryk University, TA CR): a project linking the Masaryk University and the Swedish company ProteomEdge AB aimed at a development, testing, and validation of quantification methods for clinical practice.
- Contract-based research with the SOTIO Biotech Company: cooperation with the Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the Czech Academy of Sciences based on longer-term contracts about contract-based research.
- Contract-based research with the Agilent Technologies Denmark ApS Company: Charles University cooperates with this company on validation of monoclonal antibodies.
Such projects and collaborations show that connections between academic research and the biotech or pharmaceutical industry can contribute to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in oncology and support the transfer of findings into clinical practice. Cooperation with the industry boosts the application potential of research results and contributes to a diversification of financial resources, thus contributing to a long-term sustainability of NICR and lowering its dependence on public financing.