THE PROJECT / THE MISSION / INITIAL RESULTS / NEXT STEPS
The Project
The mission of the Tuscany Health Ecosystem (THE) is to make Tuscany the “health region” by driving research towards applications and businesses to foster the growth of health and wellness technologies.
Tuscany Health Ecosystem (THE) is one of the eleven innovation ecosystems funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Mission 4, Component 2, “From Research to Business, Investment 1.5 – NextGenerationEU. As the only ecosystem fully dedicated to life sciences, it represents a network of excellence that brings together all universities and special-status academic institutions in Tuscany, as well as public and private research organizations and Tuscan businesses.
The mission
The mission is clear: to make Tuscany the “health region” by promoting research and its business and regional applications, and by developing technologies dedicated to health and wellness. THE is structured into ten different research areas, called Spokes, and, through a multidisciplinary approach, high-level specialized expertise, and effective dialogue among all stakeholders, it addresses the innovation and training needs of the life sciences sector, strengthening the regional ecosystem and enhancing its competitiveness at the regional, national, and global levels.
What Are the Initial Results?
In its first eighteen months of activity, the THE Ecosystem has achieved significant milestones. We recruited over 400 individuals, including researchers, technologists, research fellows, and PhD candidates, who, together with the existing 1,000 team members, form the essential backbone of research, innovation, and technology transfer activities.
We’ve made substantial progress in diagnostic, therapeutic, and care research. Among these achievements are trials of advanced radiotherapy and cancer diagnostics techniques, such as the innovative FLASH Radiotherapy, which promises greater efficacy in treating radioresistant tumors and reducing damage risks. This endeavor involves physicists, radiation oncologists, chemists, and biologists.
In nanotechnology, we’ve established a new network of coordinated laboratories, produced smart delivery systems, and developed in vitro models for nanoparticle research. In predictive and precision medicine, we’ve identified advanced biomarkers and used AI algorithms to monitor patients with neurodegenerative diseases. We’ve worked on innovative approaches for the diagnosis and monitoring of rare diseases and personalized management of chronic conditions.
We developed upper-limb neuroprostheses and health solutions in robotics and smart systems, presented in May 2024 at the Pisa Robotics Festival. We have also enhanced healthcare through telemedicine, virtual hospitals, and cancer prevention programs. Additionally, we engaged the community through the Health Community Hub in Pisa, Florence, and Siena, and developed interdisciplinary methods to collect life narratives in migratory and traumatic contexts. In technology transfer, we supported intellectual property rights management, launched the THRUSTER course for entrepreneurial skills, and are organizing the international Event X Life Sciences, set to take place in Florence on October 8-9, 2024.
What Are the Next Steps?
In the coming months, we aim to consolidate our achievements and lay the groundwork for the future of our ecosystem. We will continue to advance scientific research and build a network of expertise to enhance outcomes in the life sciences. We will implement coordination actions among stakeholders to strengthen the network of relationships and skills that support clinical innovation, ensuring that technology transfer leads to practical solutions for patient care and assistance.
We will pay particular attention to establishing a sustainability plan for the ecosystem, exploring internal, regional, national, European, and private funding sources. We will open communication channels with the regional government to integrate our sustainability strategy, producing a position paper to advocate for and share this initiative.
We will expand the ecosystem’s activities by collaborating with other regions to pursue interoperability among different regional healthcare systems and aligning our activities with other ecosystems focused on research and healthcare. We will engage with all health sector stakeholders to collaborate and deepen innovative solutions at Event X Life Sciences on October 8-9, 2024.
In conclusion, we are excited about the progress made so far and optimistic about the future. Together, with everyone’s collaboration, we can continue to make Tuscany a global leader in the life sciences.
