An Industry Contact Point has been launched at Łukasiewicz – PORT to support scientists and entrepreneurs from the medical and health technologies sector in obtaining funding from the Horizon Europe program.
The aim of the Industry Contact Point (ICP MHT) at our Institute is to assist scientists and entrepreneurs from the medical and health technologies sector in securing funding for innovative research and the implementation of novel technologies.
The main activities of the ICP will include support in selecting and acquiring international partners for European projects, as well as representing Polish entities at matchmaking, networking, and brokerage events. The ICP will also organize training sessions, workshops, and individual consultations at the application preparation stage.
Areas of interest of the ICP MHT include, among others, clinical research, coordinated healthcare and telemedicine, as well as medical IT tools, bioinformatics (models, algorithms, and software for identifying therapeutic targets, drug design, and disease diagnostics), and the development of new materials for medical applications.
Industry Contact Points were established on the initiative of the Ministry of Education and Science. Their goal is to integrate communities focused on innovation in the areas of health, digital technologies, the hydrogen economy, sustainable mobility, metrology, and sustainable solutions based on biotechnology. In addition to Wrocław, the points have been established at five institutes of the Łukasiewicz Research Network in Warsaw, Poznań, and Gliwice.
The activities of the ICP are intended to increase the participation of Polish projects among Horizon Europe beneficiaries. Currently, Poland uses only 1.27% of the available funds, while its contribution to the program budget amounts to 3.23%.
The European Union’s Framework Programme Horizon Europe is the largest international program in the history of the EU dedicated to research and innovation. Over seven years (2021–2027), a total of EUR 95.5 billion will be allocated to innovative research and solutions. Research institutes, universities, public institutions, enterprises, start-ups, non-governmental organizations, and international entities may apply for funding. Within the calls, projects may receive funding ranging from EUR 1 million to EUR 20 million. Such funding supports breakthrough research using modern infrastructure and enables testing of cost-intensive technologies across various fields.
