TERM · Linking research organisations in the fields of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine through European cooperation between regional research clusters

The development of innovative 'Advanced Therapies' offers new approaches to tackle major diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer or Parkinson. The progress made in the fields of 'Tissue Engineering' and 'Regenerative Medicine' (TERM) promises to deliver long awaited new solutions. They are recognized as potential sources for medical progress and significant economic growth where Europe should position itself.Since advanced therapies are often based on personalized medicine, the translation of medical developments into real-life, sustainable therapies is challenged by several hurtles. We need new scientific (multi-disciplinary, GMP-conform research environment), economic (new business models for high-cost-low frequency treatments) and structural (translation-oriented RTD) solutions. Europe has to improve its research capacities and accelerate translation to catch up with the US and keep ahead of rapidly developing Asian countries.TERM project aims at a consolidating skills and infrastructures among European regions and their research clusters through the definition of joint actions and mentoring. The goal is to derive high potential, translation-oriented projects from joining skill-sets, infrastructures and networks and from recognizing the requirements of the market forces. The financing situation shall also be analyzed and adapted to the requirements.TERM project will develop knowledge and strategies on how to use resources of the regions and clusters more efficiently with more synergy and focus. The knowledge generated shall be used to develop tools to efficiently assess the research potential of a region, implement best practices in a research cluster, develop inter-regional programs with joined research goals and suggest financial instruments that support these efforts. Therefore, the output of our project will be the development of a European strategy, action plan and best practice tools on how to link research clusters from different regions