CaixaImpulse Innovation in Health Program funds 9 new Portuguese biomedical and health projects
The “la Caixa” Foundation has concluded the 2024 edition of the CaixaImpulse Health Innovation Program, through which it will award 3.4 million euros to 29 biomedical and health research projects, covering research centers, hospitals and universities in Spain and Portugal.
The aim of this program is to contribute to the transfer of research results to society and the market, and to foster the creation of new products, services and companies related to life sciences and health.
In Portugal, Call is run in partnership with the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and with the collaboration of BPI. Of the total number of winning projects, nine are from Portuguese research centers, hospitals and universities, which received overall funding of 850 thousand euros.
In terms of funding, the supported projects receive between 50,000 and 500,000 euros, depending on the maturity of the project, to develop it over the next two years. In this edition, 16 projects are part of phase 1 (up to 50,000 euros); 11, phase 2 (up to 150,000 euros), and 2, phase 3 (up to 500,000 euros). FCT is funding one of the Portuguese projects selected in phase 1.
Among the Portuguese projects funded, the following stand out: a new type of immunotherapy (based on memory T lymphocytes) to treat solid tumors; a medical device made of bacterial nanocellulose to regenerate cartilage and treat osteoarthritis; a precise, non-invasive diagnostic method for bladder cancer, with the integration of ultrasound and imaging and the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
The CaixaImpulse Health Innovation Program was created in 2015 by the “la Caixa” Foundation. Since then, 24.7 million euros have been allocated and 231 projects have been supported, leading to the creation of 44 spinoffs and the consequent obtaining of additional co-financing, through other Calls or private investors, worth more than 100 million euros. Since its association with this Program in 2022, FCT has directly supported four projects led by national institutions, with around 218 thousand euros.
Find out more about all the winning projects in the 2024 edition.
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