Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The annual Valorisation Award of the Netherlands Genomics Initiative (NGI) goes this year to the VIRGO Consortium.
VIRGO and its network of associated corporate organisations have created a Dutch internationally recognised centre of excellence in respiratory diseases of viral origin. This has led to a fully integrated organisation for discovery, diagnostic and vaccine development, and providing policy, testing and regulatory advice to the global players in this sector.
The VIRGO Consortium serves as an outstanding example of an academic research centre creating a benefit for the Dutch society and economy through partnerships with leading national and international companies and governments.
Purpose of the NGI Valorisation Award is to stimulate the transfer of scientific knowledge to industry and society. Cooperation with industry was a particularly important criterion in awarding this year's prize.
Excellence in deal making with industry
With the Valorisation Award, NGI aims to get the very most out of genomics. Valorisation means that the valuable knowledge developed by scientists is utilised to provide optimum benefits both for society and industry. In order to focus on valorisation efforts as effectively as possible, the NGI Valorisation Award has a different theme each year. Theme for this year is 'Excellence in deal making with industry'. Next year's will concern the best spin-off.
The Valorisation Award was presented by Erica Terpstra during the Life Sciences Momentum 2009. Together with Rudy Dekeyser, Angus Livingstone, David Owen, Clemens van Blitterswijk and René Kuijten, she forms the NGI Valorisation Advisory Board. The NGI Valorisation Advisory Board functions as an advisor to the NGI Supervisory Board, the NGI Management and the 16 NGI Genomics Centres. It also acts as jury for the NGI Valorisation Award.
€32 million for valorisation
The Valorisation Award is just one of the ways in which NGI seeks to advance valorisation. While top-level science and cutting-edge technology development are crucial to NGI, they are merely a means to an end, i.e. tangible benefits for society. To NGI, the key to translating findings from basic research into everyday applications is to spot the potential of scientific results at a very early stage and provide all the necessary means and expertise to transform the scientific result into a commercially viable product or service. To this end, NGI has invested 32 million in a range of activities:
- Valorisation programmes within the 16 NGI Genomics Centres, including the NGI Valorisation Award
- A valorisation network of professional tech transfer officers
- Life Sciences Start-Up Support focussing on education, coaching, financing and networking (Venture Challenge, the Life Sciences Pre-Seed Grant, BioGeneration Ventures, New Ventures, Masterclass Biobusiness, mibiton, Yels.net)