The unique portal Gate2Biotech offers everything in the one place
Date: 5.12.2005
These unique web pages are intended for academic specialists, workers in biotechnology companies, students, foreign investors and the general public. The uniqueness of this portal lies in the fact that it is the first portal for Czech biotechnology and which, furthermore, links the commercial sphere and research, suppliers to biotechnology firms, supports spin-off and start-up firms and maps ( statistics, searches) all new developments in the area of biotechnology.
“When preparing reports on the subject and on the state of Czech biotechnology for foreign institutions and important individuals I always had the awkward feeling that I was not presenting the full picture. For this reason I consider the creation of such a portal both as a valuable aid and a pioneering enterprize, which will significantly srengthen Czech biotechnology at at the same time lays the groundwork for further important steps” says renown biotechnology expert, Prof. RNDr. Jaroslav Drobník, chairman of the Biotín Group and emeritus professor of the Natural Sciences faculty of Charles University.
At the current time the portal is in English so that the information is also accessable to foreign users but a Czech version is being prepared.
The first phase of creating the portal mainly involved collating statistics for biotechnologists in the Czech Republic. Further data was supplied through the assistance of important academics and students.. In all, around 35 people worked on the portal” explained Soňa Benova, Biotech Consultant for JIC. After this, experts judged the accuracy of the data, weeded out irrelevant links and made additions where information was missing or insufficiently detailed.
The portal was set up in collaboration with the agency CzechInvest. In the future, as well as covering the Czech Republic, it is planned to map biotechnology activities throughout Central Europe.
Frequently asked questions concerning the project International Clinical Research Centre (ICRC Brno)
Has a conceptual plan been prepared for the projekt ICRC Brno?
An international team of experts from The Mayo Clinic and the faculty hospital at St. Anne’s in Brno began preparing the project ICRC Brno( hereafter referred to as the project) in 2002. In 2005 the agency CzechInvest and the Office of the Vicechairman of the Government of the Czech Republic for Economics joined the project. Preparation of the project was coordinated by the management of Masaryk University Brno, the Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University Brno, the Technical Engineering Institute of the Academy of Science Brno and consulted with leaders of the South Moravian Regional Authority, Brno city council, the Technical University Brno and the Czech Cardiology Association.
In the years 2003-2005 a proposal was developed for a new generation centre for clinical research with optimal orientation towards the global demands of independent and industrial R&D in the 21st century and with regard to the opprtunities and long-term strategic aims of the Czech Republic in the area of developing research, development and stimulation of industrial lines with a high added value.
The results of the analyses showed that the main demands for pilot research in the field of drugs and pharmaceuticals in the near future were to speed up the R&D process whilst maintaining quality and safety, high flexibility of research centres able to react quickly to the needs of clinical medicine and industry and firm international cooperation.
On the basis of these analyses a model for a foundation for R&D was proposed which would meet all the above requirements. This model was given the title The International Clinical Research Centre- ICRC.
How was the procedure for approving the ICRC Brno project decided?
In approving the project, after agreement with the Office of the Government Vice-chairman for Economics and the management of CzechInvest a “two-tier” strategy was decided upon. In the first round the government was supplied with information materials o the basis of which, on 7th June 2005 it became aquainted with the project and recommended its final elaboration. The government’ s positive decision indicates the potential interest in suporting the project was especially important in relations with foreign academic and industrial strategic partners and enabled the project to be retained for the Czech Republic.
At present a full description of the project has been completed for negotiations with the Czech government. All technical aspects specified by the government as conditions for final approval have been fulfilled.
Source: Zpravodaj JIC, "www.jic.cz":[ http://www.jic.cz].
