Please note that the English version of this text has been prepared with the assistance of AI, and in some instances, it may not have been subsequently reviewed or edited by the authors.
On November 24, the Riga Stradiņš University (RSU) Studies and Science Centre will host the second event of the “BioPhoT” event cycle “Industry Day & Sensing the Future,” which this time will be dedicated to healthcare innovations. The Industry Day “Healthcare from Laboratory to Patient” will bring together researchers, entrepreneurs, representatives of patient organizations and state institutions to explore the latest technologies, exchange ideas, and build cooperation that would help transform scientific discoveries faster into practical solutions for improving patient health.
Registration for the event takes place on the LUMA platform.
How to take patient needs into account right at the start of development? What hinders the introduction of new solutions into practice, and how can researchers, entrepreneurs, patients, and regulators help accelerate this journey? These questions will be at the center of the event's attention, combining experience stories and discussions with practical work on potential directions for cooperation.
The event will take place at the RSU Studies and Science Centre, 21 Konsula Street, Riga, starting at 9:30 AM. Working language of the event: English.
In the first part of the event, participants will learn about the opportunities offered to the industry by “BioPhoT” and Lithuania's experience in implementing innovations in healthcare. Tamás Bereczky, a representative of the European Patients' Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI), will focus on patient engagement in product development and clinical trials, while Kristīne Šalma-Ančāne, a professor at Riga Technical University, will present the experience of the Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence (BBCE) on the path from research to product.
In the panel discussion “Three Truths, One Goal – From Prototype to Patient,” representatives from patients, industry, regulatory bodies, and research will discuss what timely patient involvement offers to each party, where collaboration gets stuck, and how to jointly overcome barriers.
In the afternoon moderated workshop “Reality Check”, participants will get acquainted with the solutions of the “BioPhoT” research team and discuss cooperation interests in four areas:
- diagnostics and biomarkers;
- drug development and advanced therapies;
- biomaterials and medical technologies;
- digital health and artificial intelligence.
The workshop will feature projects that develop, for example, urine-analysis-based solutions for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis and bladder cancer, new materials for bone tissue regeneration, and artificial intelligence tools for assessing osteoporosis risk in dental images. The goal of the discussions will be to identify opportunities for joint pilot projects, technology development, validation, and investment, as well as to agree on next steps.
During the day, an exhibition of “BioPhoT” project posters and prototypes will be on view. An excursion to the RSU Faculty of Pharmacy Laboratory of Finished Dosage Forms is also planned for interested participants. The number of places for the excursion is limited, and registration is required when signing up for the event. At the end of the day, short participant introduction presentations and informal conversations will help find potential collaboration partners.
