ITQB NOVA is the local coordinator of a new Center for Infectious Disease Detection
Oeiras, 25 July 2024
ITQB NOVA’s Innovation Unit, InnOValley, is the local coordinator of a new project to create a new Center of Excellence (DxHub) to promote innovative solutions for the detection of infectious diseases. The initiative, funded by a competitive €4.7M European Excellence Hubs Grant, aims to boost regional visibility and competitiveness through innovative, high-value products.
The rise of emerging and re-emerging animal diseases poses significant challenges for animal and human health on a global scale due to viral zoonoses and vector-borne diseases. Southern Europe, particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, is a critical entry point for infectious diseases spreading to Northern Europe. The timely and effective monitoring of disease vectors and diagnosing infections in humans and animals is a global necessity. The primary objective of the DxHub program is to transition scientifically and technologically mature solutions from the laboratory to the field, facilitating on-site and real-time monitoring of potential pandemic or endemic threats. Additional goals include the development of globally competitive products, the creation of high-skilled jobs, the training of researchers in health and innovation, and fostering dialogue with local communities about the importance of effective disease diagnostics for both citizens and the economy.
The DXHub Program will be coordinated by IMBB-FORTH, in collaboration with Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, alongside key public and private sector partners from Oeiras and Crete. The Portuguese Ecosystem will be coordinated by Pedro Pedrosa, from InnOValley, the innovation unit of ITQB NOVA, created with the support of the Oeiras Municipality. “This collaborative project will enhance the local visibility and competitiveness, through a coordinated strategy to promote innovative, high-value products and support the creation of start-up companies”, he explains. Besides ITQB NOVA and Câmara Municipal de Oeiras, the project involves other academic, industrial, and municipal partners, namely: Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, IP (INIAV, IP), IHMT NOVA, STAB VIDA, P-BIO – Associação Portuguesa de Bioindústria, CCDR Lisboa e Vale do Tejo and Agrupamento Escolas Paço Arcos.
