UMCG and LIFE Cooperative join forces to accelerate medical breakthroughs

In the North, and in Groningen in particular, there are dozens of companies working on innovations in the fields of life sciences and health. There are many hidden gems among them, says Ronald Hesse, director of the LIFE Cooperative partnership. “Millions of patients worldwide have already benefited from innovations developed here in Groningen,” he says.

LIFE Cooperative is a cooperative association comprising more than sixty start-ups, scale-ups, innovative SMEs and international players in the life sciences and health sectors. There is close collaboration with knowledge institutions such as the University Medical Centre Groningen and the University of Groningen, where many member companies have their origins. The aim is clear: to strengthen the life sciences & health ecosystem in the Northern Netherlands through collaboration, talent development and the realisation of new innovations. This can be read in the latest edition of the print edition of the Groninger Ondernemers Courant.

Groningen’s polymer chemistry as an international force

According to Hesse, Groningen stands out in areas such as high-quality polymer technology. To illustrate this, he points to the medical technology company Polyganics. Using biomedical polymers, the company has developed a brain patch which, following surgery, prevents fluid leakage in the brain and also dissolves naturally within the body.

Innocore also works with biodegradable polymers. The company is developing technology that enables medicines to be released into the body in a controlled manner over a longer period, up to twelve months. Hesse sums it up: “High-quality polymer chemistry is one of the things we excel at in Groningen. We must nurture and build on that.”

To raise the profile of these and other economic gems, LIFE Cooperative drew up an industry agenda. This agenda highlights the region’s strengths and where the opportunities for growth lie. The aim is to attract partners and investors and to accelerate new collaborations, investments and economic growth. “We need to show what we have to offer here.”

From innovation to practical application

Throughout the entire development process leading to clinical application, collaboration with the UMCG Innovation Centre is crucial. After all, medical innovations must not only function technically, but also be clinically validated. Hesse cites the XVIVO organ perfusion pump, developed in Groningen, as an example. This is a device that keeps livers, kidneys and other human organs in good condition and prepares them for transplantation. “Ultimately, such an invention must be tested and applied in practice, on real organs,” says Hesse. “Thanks to the UMCG, that can be done here in Groningen.”

The UMCG Innovation Centre plays a connecting role in this. It brings together companies, researchers and healthcare professionals and helps to test, validate and implement innovations in clinical practice. Maarten Eisema, Head of Strategic Relations at the UMCG Innovation Centre: “We ensure that innovations, people and organisations find each other. In this way, we bridge the gap between research, entrepreneurship and patient care.”

Physical collaboration at the Healthy Ageing Campus

The close collaboration between LIFE Cooperative and the UMCG will soon take physical shape. At the Healthy Ageing Campus, on Oostersingel in Groningen, both organisations will soon be based in an easily accessible, redeveloped listed building.

The Innovation Centre will establish its office there, and a number of companies from the LIFE Cooperative network will also move in. As proximity further strengthens the collaboration, existing and new innovations will find their way to patients and residents more quickly.