Innovation and economic exploitation of research
Translating scientific knowledge into impactful solutions for patients and society is an important objective of UMC Utrecht. To meet this objective, we support professionals in economic exploitation and funding via the Research Support Office , Utrecht Holdings , THINC , UtrechtInc and a number of programs such as the Ureka Mega Challenge .
Utrecht Holdings
Withing Utrecht Holdings a total of 39 new ideas for innovations were further elaborated in 2022, and 13 patent applications were filed. As a result, seven licenses were granted for the marketing of innovations from UMC Utrecht. Utrecht Holdings also awarded an innovation voucher of € 40,000 to a highly promising UMC Utrecht project, namely RF Sensing (Radio-Frequency Sensing). Based on this technology the new diagnostic modality PrecorDX was developed. PrecorDX was also the winner of the Venture Challenge in 2022 . In 2022 Utrecht Holdings also made a follow-up investment in Arthrosave , a healthcare innovation that originated from UMC Utrecht.
In 2022, seven licenses were granted for the marketing of innovations from UMC Utrecht.
Five new UtrechtInc startups
In 2022, the startup incubator UtrechtInc was able to welcome five new startups with an UMC Utrecht background (founder of IP) in its program and startup ecosystem. They are Cordys Analytics, Kidney Match, Radiostethoscope/PrecorDX , and Loktu HTS Bio.
TKI subsidy from Health Holland
The top sector Health Holland in 2022 released € 5 million via the TKI subsidy for projects that are initiated from UMC Utrecht. The TKI subsidy is a financial incentive for researchers to set up innovation projects in collaboration with companies. In 2022 the subsidy was used for the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science projects. These projects got off the ground at the beginning of 2023.
Ureka Mega Challenge
In the innovation program Ureka Mega Challenge we support colleagues in turning their innovative ideas into actual products, tools or work processes that will improve the quality of care both for the patient and for the healthcare professional. 2022 was the ninth year that the Ureka Mega Challenge took place. The winner became I See You , an AI technology with which healthcare for premature babies can be aligned even better with the baby’s needs. These vulnerable children thereby get a better start in life and a bigger chance of a healthy future.
In this project, UMC Utrecht staff members worked with partners from the EWUU alliance .
Subsidy for the application of digital health and data science in healthcare
In 2022, UMC Utrecht together with a special consortium including Hogeschool PXL Hasselt, the Medical University of Gdańsk, and Utrecht Inc., received a subsidy of € 1.2 million to boost innovation and entrepreneurship around digital health and data science and to stimulate the application thereof in healthcare. The innovAId project stimulates creative and innovative thinking and creates test environments for innovative ideas at UMC Utrecht. The subsidy comes from the European Institute of Innovation & Technology and Higher Education Institutions Initiative (EIT-HEI).
