Startups in health and life sciences at the “1st Healthcare – Life Sciences meetup”

A new initiative aiming at strengthening the Greek innovation ecosystem in sectors that are developing rapidly at the international level and in which Greece has a competitive advantage, has been launched by the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises-SEV‘s Innovation Committee.

The first choice is the Greek ecosystem of health and life sciences services, which the SEV Committee recognizes as having significant scope for development, while it has the appropriate resources to take on a global role.

The effort to develop the ecosystem of health and life science services began with the creation of a special organizing committee with experts in the field. Mr. Lambros Kourtis, Managing Director, the Sanguine Lab, Ms. Harietta Eleftherochorinou, Innovation Ventures & Strategic Partnerships, IQVIA, Mr. Achilleas Gravanis, Professor of Pharmacology, University of Crete Medical School, IMBB-ITE Researcher, Mr. Aristos Doxiadis, Partner, Big Pi Ventures and Ms. Eleni Pentafraga, Board Member, Head of Legal & Corporate Affairs, ELPEN, are the members of the Health and Life Sciences Organizational Committee, who, in collaboration with the SEV Innovation Committee, are planning and will then implement the action plan, based on the needs and the problems faced by start-ups and researchers in the field.

Research

The establishment of the committee was preceded by the mapping of the needs of the ecosystem, through a survey carried out by SEV with the participation of 45 sector start-ups. The survey findings confirm that collaborations with large companies abroad and raising capital are at the top of the priorities of health and life sciences start-ups (over 80%). Also, more than 70% of the participants consider it necessary to facilitate the conduct of clinical research and access state funding programs such as the NSRF, which are specially designed to cover part of the business risk.

At the same time, however, the Organizing Committee considered that a necessary factor for a full understanding of the needs and the growth of the ecosystem is the systematic communication and exchange of views between startups, researchers, the pharmaceutical industry and other entities that contribute to the development of the sector. This is also the goal of the meetups that are instituted every two months.

The 1st Healthcare & Life Sciences meetup

At the “1st Healthcare & Life Sciences meetup” held on Thursday, 14/7/2022, at the SEV Offices, for the first time representatives from 51 sector start ups passed through the door of SEV headquarters, got to know each other and exchanged thoughts and views with the Organizing Committee on the growth prospects in the Greek and international market but also on the obstacles faced.

Welcoming the new researchers and entrepreneurs to SEV, Ms. Maggie Athanasiadis, Director of the Innovation Sector referred to the objectives of the initiative which include the contribution to strengthening the research of Universities and Research centers, especially in areas of investment interest, so that more clinical studies are carried out in Greece, as well as cultivating collaborations between startups, researchers, the pharmaceutical industry, public and private hospitals both in Greece and abroad.

In a statement, Mr. Markos Veremis, President of the Innovation Committee of the BSE, emphasized the unique comparative advantage in the field of health services and life sciences enjoyed by Greece that will augment future growth.

The next Healthcare & Life Sciences meetup is scheduled for October 11, 2022.