Accelerating innovation in health, through interdisciplinary collaboration and entrepreneurship, being an international benchmark in creating solutions that respond to the current and future needs of global society, is the goal of the Haddad NOVA Medical Innovation Center at NOVA Medical School, with the support of the Haddad Foundation, which has invested 3.25 million euros in this pioneering initiative over the next five years.
“This partnership is key for NOVA Medical School because it allows us to leverage all the scientific knowledge generated at our Medical School, ensuring its translation to the market and, therefore, to people,” says Helena Canhão, Dean of Nova Medical School. “It also strengthens our connection with the community, promoting the transfer of knowledge, training and the development of strategic collaborations that will contribute significantly to improving health in Portugal,” she adds.
For Cláudio Haddad, President of the Haddad Foundation, this is “an initiative of excellence that deserves to be supported, especially in the area of innovation, which we consider crucial for the country. We fund projects that, as well as being aligned with the Foundation's mission, inspire us and give us the certainty that the resources will be put to good use and will have a real impact”.
The Haddad NOVA Medical Innovation Center adopts a “Fast-to-First-in-Human” approach, leveraging NOVA Medical School's regulatory expertise to significantly reduce the technological risks and regulatory barriers faced by health innovations. The center connects with the largest network of health institutions in Portugal, including research centers and local health units, private hospitals and patient associations, as well as strategic alliances with industry.
Key initiatives include educational programs, specialized and interactive workshops focused on entrepreneurship, technological innovation, intellectual property management and healthcare market analysis, as well as providing personalized support that connects medical entrepreneurs with experienced mentors and industry leaders to turn innovative healthcare technologies into marketable solutions.
Alongside the training component, the creation of a Pre-clinical to Clinical Innovation Hub provides a privileged environment for collaboration between doctors, nutritionists, clinical and biomedical researchers and data specialists, as a response to current and future health challenges. This hub provides specialized human resources and technological infrastructure with state-of-the-art equipment to accelerate the development and validation of technologies, including new therapeutic and diagnostic solutions, medical devices and digital solutions.
The center is open not only to NOVA Medical School's academic and scientific community, but also to entrepreneurs and startups from all over the world, providing the expertise and infrastructure needed to guide innovators through the essential stages of technological maturation and validation.