Unique International Centre for Clinical Research set up in Brno

Years ago, when cardiologist Tomáš Kára described disorder of the brain’s control of blood circulation his team were awarded a prestigious research prize by the American Medical Society and with it received the opportunity to work in the prestigious American hospital, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. This clinic is one of the best medical facilities in the world whose range and quality of medical care, drawing on its own research and training, is probably unparalleled in the world.

Today Brno medics and the Americans have between them three shared patented devices, among which is a more effective type of cardio-stimulator and a diagnostic device for determining the relationship between brain and heart activity. This is why the Americans chose Brno to set up their center.

In 2002 the ICRC project began to prepare an international team of experts from the Mayo Clinic and Faculty Hospital at St. Anne’s in Brno. In 2005 the agency CzechInvest and the Vice Chairman’s Office of the Czech Republic for Economics joined the project. Coordination of the project is led by Masaryk University, Brno, the Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University, Brno, the Institute of Technology Academy of Science, Brno and in consultation with leaders of the South Moravian Authority, Brno town council, VUT Brno and the Czech Society of Cardiology. In the years 2003-2005 a proposal was drawn up for a new generation center for clinical research, which gained the title the International Clinical Research Center- ICRC, and the campus of the Faculty Hospital at ST. Annes’s Brno was chosen as its site.

In preparing the project maximum use was made of experience from the Mayo Clinic’s over 40 years of operation, and the experience of its leading experts in running their own research center, which is currently the biggest of it’s kind in the world. The Mayo Clinic will participate, above all, in providing mutual research projects in independent and industrial research, financial provision for joint research projects, long-term education, personnel for joint research projects and expert management of the center. Also of importance will be collaboration in commercial application of joint research results and development, and linking of ICRC with academic institutions and industrial companies with which the Mayo Clinic in the USA has long-term collaboration.

ICRC Brno is de facto a conceptually new type of technology park, specializing in medical science and industrial applications in the medical and pharmaceuticals industry. Its main mission will be to obtain for the Czech Republic international R&D projects in independent and industrial research, financial support from grant agencies in the United States and European Union and industrial high-tech production with high added value in the medical and pharmaceuticals industries. And by no means last, its existence will speed up the development of R&D, which for future patients will be the most important thing.