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LifeTech City - pole of competitiveness in the field of medicine, life sciences and informatics
Published on 14 May 2018
Romania
Centru
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
LifeTech City is part of a more comprehensive project developed under the Digital Mures Strategy. The scope of the Digital Mures Strategy is to integrate the Municipality of Tirgu Mures in the global network of local public authorities that provide to their citizens improved public services via ITC. This project has 26 members and brings together 3 public institutions / authorities, 4 universities, 3 medical institutions, 5 NGOs and 11 companies.
The main objectives of LifeTech City are :
Implementing the development directions provided by the Digital Mureş Strategy and the Competitiveness Pole Strategy;
Implementing joint investment, R&D, software and training projects;
Integration of the educational offer with the needs of the business environment;
Maintaining human resources in the medical and related fields in the Center Region;
In terms of the objectives and the results to be achieved following the implementation of the investment projects, four guidelines for the development of the Competitiveness Pole are outlined: sustainable exploitation of research equipment purchased and infrastructures functionality, namely buildings. The infrastructure created will have a dedicated space for the Data Room, and in different buildings there will be spaces that will be leased to the business environment and the academic environment for carrying out the specific activities.
The main objectives of LifeTech City are :
Implementing the development directions provided by the Digital Mureş Strategy and the Competitiveness Pole Strategy;
Implementing joint investment, R&D, software and training projects;
Integration of the educational offer with the needs of the business environment;
Maintaining human resources in the medical and related fields in the Center Region;
In terms of the objectives and the results to be achieved following the implementation of the investment projects, four guidelines for the development of the Competitiveness Pole are outlined: sustainable exploitation of research equipment purchased and infrastructures functionality, namely buildings. The infrastructure created will have a dedicated space for the Data Room, and in different buildings there will be spaces that will be leased to the business environment and the academic environment for carrying out the specific activities.
Expert opinion
LifeTech City is a competitiveness pole in the medical, life sciences, and computer science. The governance structure of the competitiveness pole is under an associative legal status that is composed of quadruple helix stakeholders coming from the public sector, the private sector, universities, and the civil society—namely 26 members who come from 3 public institutions and authorities, 4 universities, 3 medical institutions, 5 NGOs and 11 companies. Regions often face difficulties in finding the right formulas for the legal status of their centres of competence or competitiveness pole, the legal status of the competitiveness pole as an association offers an indicative path for regions to learn from the pros and cons of this governance management structure in a region ranked as a modest innovator in the regional innovation scoreboard.
Works at
Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform
Resources needed
The resources used inside LifeTech City are supported by the affiliated members. Each institution / company / university are offering human resources depending on the project. There is also a managing authority, which have 3 people in charge with the coordination, with fees paid by County Council.
Evidence of success
The LifeTech City Association, as a partner alongside the County Hospital of Tirgu Mures and the Regional Development Agency of Centru Region, as Project Leader, received funding under Horizon 2020 - inDemand Health, which supports the financing of projects in the most innovative regions of Europe in the field of health. The project is to be implemented in the period 2018-2020. The project in in the final phase, solution development after the need identification and call for companies.
Potential for learning or transfer
Tirgu Mures has a strong tradition in medical and pharmaceutical research and hosts some of the most relevant medical centres in Romania. This provides potential for transforming the area into an important international centre for training, practice, research and excellence in bio-informatics, bio-technology, clinical engineering, medical robots and related fields.
Life Tech City aims at supporting and financing R&D projects at the intersection of medicine and the ICT sector. As a technology transfer entity, Life Tech City facilitates cooperation within and beyond its network.
The key point in the transferability of this good practice is to identify a relevant hub (city) in terms of research and applied research in one particular field and create an entity/agency/organization which facilitates cooperation between the different actors working in this area (public institutions/authorities, universities, NGOs, companies etc.).
Life Tech City aims at supporting and financing R&D projects at the intersection of medicine and the ICT sector. As a technology transfer entity, Life Tech City facilitates cooperation within and beyond its network.
The key point in the transferability of this good practice is to identify a relevant hub (city) in terms of research and applied research in one particular field and create an entity/agency/organization which facilitates cooperation between the different actors working in this area (public institutions/authorities, universities, NGOs, companies etc.).
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Regional Development Agency Centre
Romania
Centru
Contact
Programs Expert