Due to the growing LSH sector and the increased familiarity with the PPP Allowance regulation of the Top Sector LSH, the financial potential of the PPP Allowance has increased exponentially: from €4M in 2013 to almost €60M in 2018. This substantial increase in financial resources gives the Top Sector the possibility to invest in more PPP projects and large LSH consortia that aim to tackle healthcare challenges through large-scale research and development programmes.

Through the PPP Allowance, the Top Sector provides a financial instrument to help consortia made up of research organisations, knowledge institutes, companies, and health foundations to realise their innovative ideas. Consortia can apply for a PPP Allowance twice per year and get co-financing for up to 75% of the R&D costs. So far this Match Call has funded over 200 projects since the Top Sector's founding in 2013. The Top Sector has (conditionally) granted over €30M in PPP Allowance in 2018. The €30M of 2018 was matched with almost €50M in investments by Dutch industry and over €11M in cash from foreign private partners. Furthermore, the Dutch research organisations have invested well over €11M in these research projects. We are pleased to note that Dutch SME companies are involved in almost 60% of the new projects started in 2018.

2017 was the year the Top Sector and the Association of Dutch Health Foundations (SGF) started with their first joint thematic call on chronic illnesses, known as the “Beter Gezond” call. Joining forces to tackle shared challenges continued in 2018 with thematic calls on immunology and Big Data & health or in collaboration with health foundations like the Dutch Heart Foundations, Dutch Kidney Foundation and the Aidsfonds. The Top Sector will announce more thematic calls in 2019.

National strategic public-private partnerships (PPPs) have achieved great things during 2018. First of all, Oncode Institute kicked off in February as the national consortium focussed on fundamental cancer research with their catchy and relevant mission ‘Outsmarting cancer, impacting life’.  Oncode grew already to 62 research groups, spread over 12 academic institutions throughout the country. The Dutch CardioVascular Alliance was launched in September, connecting twelve important stakeholders in the cardiovascular research field to act as one. These strategic PPPs receive guidance from the Top Sector via specialised information sessions and matchmaking meetings to enable maximal knowledge exchange.

Get more information on the PPP Allowance, thematic calls or examples of R&D projects on the website.

LifeSciences@Work (LS@W) is the national accelerator designed for life sciences researchers with entrepreneurial aspirations, which is powered by the Top Sector LSH. This year LS@W proudly celebrated its tenth anniversary. LS@W supports startups during their venture development with coaching, 1-on-1 consultations and an intensive network. Within the programme, startups can attend the Venture Challenge, Expert Classes and the Value Centre based on their level of development. Please visit the LS@W page to get an overview of the programme’s results achieved over the past ten years.

• The two Venture Challenge winners of 2018 are Hybridize and SeraNovo. And the autumn edition had a double success with IOVA winning the Investor Forum at the Dutch Life Sciences Conference.
• The following LS@W alumni successfully raised capital in 2018: ATRO-Medical, CC-Diagnostics, Agile Biotics, Prolira, Momo Medical, and Mylife Technologies
• International grants were awarded to UBIQ (EUROSTARS), OcellO (H2020) and Prolira (H2020). Mercurna, Nutrileads, Khondrion, and Cergentis were successful in SME Instruments.
• Nightbalance was acquired by Philips this year. Read an interview with founder and CEO Eline Vrijland-van Beest.
• In 2018 Cristal Therapeutics initiated Phase 2 clinical trials for their CriPec nanomedicine drug candidate in ovarian cancer.
• Quirem successfully received reimbursement for their QuiremSpheres and the first patient in the Netherlands was treated.
• An FDA CiPA publication officially validates the use of Ncardia's Cor.4U® cardiomyocytes for regulatory safety pharmacology. Ncardia’s CEO Stefan Braam talks about his journey from scientist to CEO in an interview here.
  

The website ZorgInnovatie.nl is the national platform where healthcare innovators can present themselves and their innovative ideas. The platform encourages rapid knowledge sharing and intensive cooperation with relevant stakeholders. It is precisely through working with partners in different domains and regions that Zorginnovatie.nl creates added value for healthcare entrepreneurs.

• The platform presents more than 735 innovations.
• Active community with 3300+ members.
• Large network with ten regional partners and initiatives like the Sustainable Healthcare Challenge and the National Healthcare Innovation Prize.

In the KIA 2018-2021, entitled Grow~Motion, the strategic focus lies on the global challenge Health and Care. Cooperation between citizens, researchers, government and entrepreneurs is essential to adequately address this global challenge and exploit economic opportunities, Strong, successful collaboration calls for synergy. The KIA provides this by combining the strengths of people and organisations in sustainable public-private partnerships.

The KIC 2018-2019 titled Glow~Motion describes the implementation and collective deployment of the KIA 2018-2021. The commitment made in the KIC focuses on research and innovation within public-private projects and sustainable strategic partnerships directed to specific health issues.

In 2018, the Council of Ministers officially approved the new Mission-Driven Innovation Policy that builds upon the Top Sector Policy. In this renewed policy, the focus no longer lies on the sectors but on global challenges and key technologies. Health and Care is appointed as one of the four central themes in the renewed Top Sector Policy. The importance of the LSH sector and the robust, innovative solutions it offers are hereby once again officially recognised by the government.

In the coming year, clear missions will be drafted for the global challenge Health and Care. These missions are guiding for the establishment of a new KIA that will become effective in 2020. This agenda will lay out the approach and strategic plan to reach these missions. Other focus points will be valorisation, Human Capital, internationalisation, hurdles in legislation and regulation, the role of the government as launching customer and the affiliation with European and regional initiatives and financing.