15 Years since EU Accession – FNUSA-ICRC: Health Care in Brno Covered by EU money
The International Clinical Research Center (FNUSA-ICRC) was built between 2011 and 2015 as a part of St. Anne’s Hospital in Brno. It was one of the priority projects financed from the EU structural funds. The EU contributed more than CZK 2 billion from the Operational Programme Research and Development for Innovation. Since 2011, FNUSA-ICRC has been awarded 36 other projects funded by EU funds totaling more than CZK 1.5 billion.
With the help of grants funded by the EU and the Czech Republic, between 2011 and 2015 FNUSA-ICRC bought approximately 1,200 new pieces of equipment with a total value exceeding CZK 1.2 billion. “The majority of the equipment is used not just for research, but also in our departments to treat and diagnose patients; other pieces are shared with Masaryk University, the Czech Academy of Sciences and the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno. The Center is also involved in 14 international projects funded from the European Horizon 2020 programme,” says Martin Pavlík, Director of St. Anne´s University Hospital in Brno, the ICRC project owner where the Center is located.
Over a relatively short period of time, FNUSA-ICRC has become one of the most dynamic research centers in Brno. “We are a member of several research networks, have participated in the implementation of fifteen international research projects, are collaborating with researchers from over one hundred research centres, universities and hospitals in other countries, and we work with leading global corporations such as GE Healthcare, Honeywell, ResMed and Stereotaxis,” explains the Head of FNUSA-ICRC, Gorazd B. Stokin. “In addition, we work with universities in Brno and local companies including BioVendor, Cardion, Contipro and Enantis,” says Stokin.
Collaboration with FNUSA-ICRC brings benefits more than just to companies and institutions. The citizens of Brno can participate in preventive programmes such as 2030 Brno Cardiovision (the aim of the project is for Brno to achieve the lowest possible cardiovascular morbidity and mortality rates in all people of a productive age throughout the Czech Republic by 2030) and HoBiT (how to properly respond to a stroke or myocardial infarction). The center organizes other public activities, such as Brain Week, where those who are interested can learn about selected diseases and the latest methods of their treatment.
Working on quality research projects also attracts foreign researchers and students to Brno. “We have attracted almost one hundred researchers from 25 countries – we have eighteen Italian employees, to give you one example, which is the largest group of Italian researchers among all research institutions in the Czech Republic. We also have foreign students and young researchers coming from abroad, such as from the USA, India and Japan, and every year, around twenty top scientists from abroad come to give public lectures. I think that we help to build a positive image for Brno for people from other countries,” concludes Stokin.
