Starting with 1st of July 2018, North East Regional Innovative Cluster for Structural and Molecular Imaging (Imago-Mol) the project Increasing the excellence of the IMAGO-MOL Cluster by developing the RDI Strategic Planning Documents (CEX – IMAG), financed by UEFISCDI through the National Plan for Research, Development and Innovation for the period 2015 – 2020 (PNCDI III).

The overall amount of the project (PN-III-P2-2.1-CLS-2017-0047/12CLS/2018) is 420,250 RON, out of which 350,000 RON is the grant.

The aim of the project is to increase the excellence and applicative scientific productivity of IMAGO-MOL Cluster through the development of strategic RDI planning documents in order to ensure the continuity and increase of the operational capacity of the IMAGO-MOL Cluster in a field of high importance for health sector – medical imaging, in correlation with ITC and biotechnology.

The specific objectives of the project are:

1. Developing the institutional capacity of IMAGO MOL cluster by developing IMAGO-MOL Cluster RDI Strategic Agenda in order to attract new members and intensify the cooperation between them in RDI activities;

2. Increase the operational capacity of the IMAGO MOL cluster by developing the IMAGO-MOL Implementation Plan related to RDI Strategic Agenda, contributing to a better knowledge and exploitation of the scientific and research potential of the members of the IMAGO-MOL Cluster;

3. Intensify the national and international cooperation in RDI within IMAGO MOL Cluster and its members by developing partnerships with clusters, research poles, in the medical and related fields, leading to an increase in the innovation capacity of its members.

Throughout the project and in partnership and collaboration with Working Groups’ members there will be developed three main strategic documents:  IMAGO-MOL Cluster RDI Strategic Agenda, Implementation Plan and the Strategy for Expansion and Internationalization, in correlation with the needs and the objectives of the Imago-Mol members and key actors in health sector.

The Implementation Plan of IMAGO-MOL Cluster will consists in a portfolio of strategic projects in the health field in North East Region and there will be organized workshops for projects’ identification which will lead to projects’ concept notes in correlation with the available funding sources.  

Between 1st and 31 December 2018, the following activities of the first phase of the project dedicated to Cluster RDI Strategic Agenda have been implemented:

  • Activity 1.1 Establishing the Working Group for the IMAGO-MOL Cluster RDI Strategic Agenda
  • Activity 1.2 Working sessions and webinars organization
  • Activity 1.3 Questionnaire – sources analysis
  • Activity 1.4 Questionnaire processing
  • Activity 1.5 Mentoring session
  • Activity 1.6 Elaboration of the IMAGO-MOL Cluster RDI Strategic Agenda

In order to achieve the objectives set for 2018, the following events were organized:

The results of the project’s first phase are:

  • 1 Working Group for the IMAGO-MOL Cluster RDI Strategic Agenda established with the occasion of CEX-IMAG launching conference held on 4th of July 2018
  • 2 Working Group for the IMAGO-MOL Cluster RDI Strategic Agenda sessions, held on 27th of September and on 1st of November 2018
  • 1 webinar held on 29th of November 2018
  • 1 questionnaire sent to the members of the Working Group
  • 1 report on the questionnaires’ registered responses
  • 1 mentoring session within Pharmapolis Cluster in Debrecen, Hungary, between 20 -22 November 2018
  • 1 IMAGO-MOL Cluster RDI Strategic Agenda

Between 3rd January and 31 December 2019, the following activities of the second phase of the project dedicated to Implementation Plan for Cluster Research&Development&Innovation Strategic Agenda drafting have been implemented:

  • Activity 2.1 Identifying project ideas/research and innovation topics related to implementation of the Strategic action guidelines of IMAGO-MOL Cluster
  • Activity 2.2 Conducting a market research on the proposed strategic action directions and R&I topics
  • Activity 2.3 Realization of a catalog with available funding sources
  • Activity 2.4 Organizing sessions for projects generation
  • Activity 2.5 Developing project fiches
  • Activity 2.6 Organizing working sessions and webinars
  • Activity 2.7 Organizing an outward C2C mission
  • Activity 2.8 Collaboration with the consulting company on innovation – ESCA benchmarking – Silver label
  • Activity 2. 9 Drafting the Implementation Plan for IMAGO-MOL Cluster RDI Strategic Agenda

In order to achieve the objectives set for 2019, the following events took place:

The results of the project’s second phase are:

  • 1 report on project ideas/research and innovation topics
  • 1 study on medical imaging and related areas within North-East Region
  • 1 catalog with available funding sources sent to the Working Group Members
  • 2 sessions for projects generation held on 5-6 March 2019 and 26th of September 2019
  • 5 project fiches:
  1. Translational studies for the correlation of PET imaging and biochemical markers and the evaluation of a possible preventive therapy before the irreversible onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
  2. Regional Center of Excellence in Personalized Endocrine Imaging and Teragnostic
  3. Big Medical Data platform for the analysis of the incidence of primary and secondary cancer after the Chernobyl nuclear accident and the use of Artificial Intelligence to predict and improve the quality of life of cancer patients
  4. Innovative pilot project for the implementation of an evidence-based prevention strategy in the field of combating antimicrobial resistance in the pediatric population in the North-East region
  5. Telestroke regional system
  • 2 webinars organized on 22nd of February 2019 and 9th of June 2019
  •  1 Working Group for the IMAGO-MOL Cluster RDI Strategic Agenda session held on 22nd of May 2019
  • 1 outward Cluster to Cluster mentoring session organized between 20-22 November 2019 at the Canceropole Lyon Auvergne Rhone-Alpes Cluster headquarters from Lyon
  • 1 silver label achieved following ESCA audit during October 2019
  • 1 Implementation Plan for IMAGO-MOL Cluster RDI Strategic Agenda

Between 3rd of January and 30 of June 2020, the following activities of the third phase of the project dedicated to Strategy for IMAGO-MOL Cluster enlargement on local market and external markets accession have been implemented:

  • Activity 3.1 Building a data bank on products/technologies/services;
  • Activity 3.2 Implementing a regional campaign for IMAGO-MOL Cluster enlargement in order to attract new members;
  • Activity 3.3 Identifying clusters/research poles/medical imaging networks and related fields: Health/IT/biotechnology and other research topics/mutual interest projects;
  • Activity 3.4 Concluding partnerships agreement with the identified clusters;
  • Activity 3.5 Developing projects with the identified clusters;
  • Activity 3.6 Organizing a scientific conference in order to present IMAGO-MOL Strategic Agenda and Implementation Plan;
  • Activity 3.7 Publication of an BDI/ISI article in an interdisciplinary journal and in a BDI/ISI review journal;
  • Activity 3.8 Drawing-up the Strategy for IMAGO-MOL Cluster’s enlargement and internationalization.

The results of the project’s third phase are:

  • 1 data bank on products/technologies/services of IMAGO-MOL members
  • 1 regional campaign for IMAGO-MOL Cluster enlargement resulting in 6 new members joining IMAGO-MOL
  • 1 report on clusters/research poles
  • 1 partnership agreement signed with cu Institute for Nuclear Research Hungarian Academy of Science (Atomki) from Debrecen, Hungary, founding member of Pharmapolis Cluster
  • Smart Health Cluster Value Chain for supporting Healthy LifeStyle and improving Patient Care SmartHealth4Care project, submitted in April 2020 under HORIZON 2020 INNOSUP 01- 2018-2020 Cluster facilitated projects for new industrial value chains, call 2020
  • 1 virtual scientific conference “ Artificial Intelligence: applications and implications for the personalized medicine benefit”, organized on 19th of August 2020
  • 2 published articles:
    • USMED and Surgery Assist: IMAGO MOL Cluster Biomedical Solutions to Improve Patient Imaging Availability and Noninvasive Diagnosis, published in Proceedings of the IEEE
    • Nephrotoxicity/renal failure after therapy with 90Yttrium- and 177Lutetium-radiolabeled somatostatin analogs in different types of neuroendocrine tumors: a systematic review, published in Nuclear Medicine Communication Journal
  • 1 Strategy for IMAGO-MOL Cluster’s enlargement and internationalization.

For more details please contact:

Mrs. Alina Capitanu

Project director – Cluster IMAGO MOL
Chief of External Projects Department, North East RDA
E -mail: imago.mol@gmail.com; acapitanu@adrnordest.ro
www.imago-mol.ro ; www.adrnordest.ro

MD, PhD, Professor Cipriana Stefănescu

President of Scientific Committee of Cluster IMAGO-MOL
Scientific Coordinator of the Project
University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Gr.T. Popa” Iasi
E-mail : cipriana.stefanescu@yahoo.com

MD, PhD Assistant Professor Vasile Fotea

President of IMAGO-MOL Cluster
University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Gr.T. Popa” Iasi
E-mail : vfotea@gmail.com

MD, PhD, Professor Danisia Haba

Scientific consultant
University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Gr.T. Popa” Iasi
E-mail : danihaba@yahoo.com

Mrs. Carmen Mihai

Innovation manager
Cluster IMAGO-MOL
E-mail: cluster.imago.mol@gmail.com