Innovation Dialogues Series Explores Pathways From Research to Market

13 November — The first online edition of the Innovation Dialogues Series brought together the FORCE REPAIR and FLAMIN-GO consortia for a joint reflection on innovation, impact, and the road ahead as both projects approach their final phases. The session served as a moment to take stock of achievements, exchange insights, and examine the realities of transforming scientific breakthroughs into market-ready health solutions. Despite addressing very different medical challenges, the two projects share the same ambition: turning cutting-edge research into tangible tools that improve patient outcomes. FORCE REPAIR, presented by project coordinator Dr Damien Dupin (CIDETEC), is developing a smart, multifunctional, and cost-effective 3D-printed dressing for chronic wounds. FLAMIN-GO, presented by Professor Annalisa Chiocchetti (Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale), is advancing an organ-on-chip platform to enable personalised therapy selection for rheumatoid arthritis.

The FLAMIN-GO presentation emphasised how precision medicine is reshaping care for autoimmune diseases. As Professor Chiocchetti outlined, “Rheumatologists lack a biomarker to predict which drug will work for each patient, leaving treatment decisions largely to chance.” The project’s organ-on-chip system shows promise in finally addressing this gap. By recreating the synovial environment with patient-specific cells, it can identify treatment responders early and reveal potential new therapeutic targets. As she noted, “By combining synovial fibroblasts and immune cells from the same patient in our micro physiological platform, we can observe how their tissue responds to drugs in real time.” The vision extends to clinical implementation: “Our ambition is to deliver a personalized diagnostic device directly to hospitals, because ultimately, your own cells hold the key to your cure.”

FORCE REPAIR’s overview, delivered by Dr Damien Dupin, focused on the complexities of developing an advanced wound-care solution while navigating regulatory processes, health technology assessment, and exploitation pathways. The project reflected on the gap between proposal-stage expectations and the realities of developing a personalised 3D-printed dressing that can fight infection, control inflammation, relieve skin tension, and help restore healing capacity in chronic wound patients. “Developing a personalised wound dressing means balancing scientific ambition with practical constraints. What looks straightforward on paper becomes far more complex when you start addressing regulation, materials, manufacturing, and patient variability all at once,” Dupin concluded.

The session also featured extensive insights from prof. Slobodan Vukičević MD, PhD, who discussed the evolution of OSTEOGROW and OSTEOproSPINE from early experimental work to advanced clinical testing. The expertise of Prof. Slobodan Vukičević MD, PhD, CEO of Genera Research Ltd, representing OSTEOGROW and OSTEOproSPINE, offered a clear example of how long-term EU support can help technologies advance from conceptual work to clinical and commercial readiness. The session highlighted precisely this transition from laboratory to market. Coordinators and partners from FORCE REPAIR, FLAMIN-GO, OSTEOGROW, and OSTEOproSPINE contributed experiences that collectively illustrated the complete Horizon innovation pipeline, spanning FP7 to H2020, spin-offs, and EIC Accelerator funding.

He highlighted manufacturing, achievements and regulatory challenges: “The product may look deceptively simple—a lyophilized BMP-6 reconstituted in full blood—but proving its safety, establishing manufacturing and satisfying regulatory demands was an immense scientific and logistical challenge.” In addition, he emphasized the collective effort behind these advances: “Through collaborations with more than fifty experts and multiple regulatory agencies, we advanced OSTEOGROWTM from concept to clinical reality, completing phase I, II, and now phase III studies across multiple indications.”

Klara Schneider, CEO of Infinira Ventures introduced Infinira Ventures to the audience. Infinira Ventures is a sister company to both RISE and EURICE within the EURICE Holding Group, complementing their long-established project-builder expertise with a dedicated venture-builder approach. She highlighted how the newly created venture builder supports the commercialisation of Horizon-funded innovations and helps bridge persistent funding gaps at EU level. As she noted, “This format is new for us as well, and I’m excited to be part of it. I hope you are taking away positive insights today—because innovation only creates impact when we move forward together.” Schneider provided an overview of the EURICE Holding Group’s evolution, portfolio, and long-standing leadership in EU-funded research, and explained how Infinira Ventures complements the well-established project-builder services by guiding high-potential results toward market uptake. Reflecting on the European innovation landscape, she emphasised the need for stronger exploitation support across TRLs: “Exploitation is just as much an obligation as communication or dissemination in Horizon Europe, yet it is often treated as secondary. With Infinira, we want to close this gap—helping projects move from results to real products and ensuring Europe doesn’t lose innovations in the valley of death.” Schneider contextualised the health-focused project talks within the broader landscape of EU strategy, investment gaps, and the rising importance of knowledge valorisation.

Across all contributions, a clear theme emerged: achieving meaningful impact relies not only on scientific excellence, but also on coordinated and forward-looking exploitation planning, a deep alignment with real clinical needs, and a commitment to cross-project learning that strengthens the entire innovation ecosystem.