NOVA Medical School and EIT Health InnoStars lead discussion on collaborative health innovation
On March 21st, NOVA Medical School took part in the Cascais International Health Forum, an event that gathers global health leaders and experts to address major challenges and explore innovative solutions. In collaboration with EIT Health InnoStars, NOVA Medical School hosted the EIT Morning Health Talk on the theme “Partnerships between Academia and Healthcare Units – An Open Innovation Ecosystem to Create Health Solutions.”
The session featured special guest Michela Bertero, Director at IDIBAPS (Barcelona), in a panel discussion alongside João Conde, Deputy Director for Research at NOVA Medical School, Isabel Fernandes, Head of Oncology at CUF Descobertas, and Hugo Soares, Science Manager at AICIB and Co-coordinator of the Portuguese National Cancer Hub and the European project ECHoS. The discussion was moderated by Marta Passadouro, EIT Health InnoStars Ecosystem Lead Portugal.
Translational Research in Action
Michela Bertero presented the evolution of IDIBAPS, a leading biomedical research institute closely linked to Hospital Clínic Barcelona and the University of Barcelona. She emphasized its unique model - rooted in a tradition of clinician-led support for research through the voluntary donation of 1.5% of their salaries since the 1970s - and its success in promoting applied biomedical innovation through strong academic-clinical collaboration.
Michela also outlined initiatives to support clinician-scientist careers. These include protected time for research and internal funding for impactful, multidisciplinary projects.
One key highlight was the major success story centered around Ariana Benedé, a young leukemia patient whose journey inspired the first clinical trials of CAR-T therapy developed entirely in-house. The Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS remains the only hospital in Europe to have two academic CAR-T therapies approved by a regulatory authority, having treated over 500 patients.
Strengthening Innovation Through Collaboration
The panel explored how strategic partnerships between academia and healthcare providers can accelerate health innovation and generate meaningful clinical impact.
Michela Bertero noted that these strategies often evolve in response to emerging opportunities, as demonstrated by the success of the ARI CAR-T project mentioned above. When discussing the European Health Data Space (EHDS), she shared that Hospital Clínic is investing in a Data Lakehouse to store clinical data and records. This infrastructure will support real-time analytics and enable research using AI and machine learning to develop new diagnostics, prognostics, and personalized medicine approaches - initially for internal use, and later for external collaborations.
João Conde announced that NOVA Medical School secured €3.2 million to establish a hub for pre-clinical to clinical research. An additional €3.5 million in private investment will fund and innovation center focused on intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship in diagnostics, therapeutics, and digital health. These initiatives aim to strengthen NOVA Medical School’s ecosystem by fostering collaboration and developing solutions to address real healthcare needs.
He also highlighted upcoming updates to the NOVA Medical School medical curriculum, incorporating AI, health data, and digital devices, with a focus on practical, team-based learning approaches to prepare students for tomorrow’s healthcare landscape.
Isabel Fernandes emphasized CUF’s role as an innovative hospital group and key partner in Portugal’s healthcare innovation ecosystem. She underscored the importance of academic partnerships with institutions like NOVA Medical School to co-create meaningful research questions and projects aligned with patient needs. Isabel also called for stronger national policies to secure protected time for clinical research and highlighted the success of a matchmaking event organized by NOVA Medical School, which fostered collaborations between clinicians and researchers in cancer related areas.
Hugo Soares introduced AICIB, the Portuguese Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Innovation, created in 2018 to strength clinical and translational research in Portugal. He stressed the importance of a penta-helix approach—engaging academia, healthcare institutions, industry, policymakers, and citizens—in driving inclusive, effective health innovation. AICIB, he noted will play a central role in preparing Portugal for the EHDS implementation, thanks to its experience in coordinating multi-stakeholder initiatives and projects.
A Shared Vision for Impactful Health Innovation
Closing the session, Mariana Silva, Impact and Funding Manager at NOVA Medical School, reaffirmed the vital role of collaborative ecosystems in ensuring scientific discoveries translate into real clinical outcomes. She reinforced the importance of the penta-helix model to drive inclusive, patient-centered innovation aligned with public health priorities.