The opening of Ankara Innovative Diagnostic and Treatment Products Development Center (AnkaTheraHub) was held at the Deanery of Ankara University Faculty of Medicine with the participation of Minister Kacır.
In his speech here, Kacır wished that the center, which was realized with a total investment of 13 million euros, would benefit the capital, Turkey and the nation.
Stating that the integration of innovative technologies into healthcare systems and digital transformation have ushered in a new era that improves the accessibility, effectiveness and sustainability of healthcare services, Kacır emphasized that they are ready to turn this healthcare transformation into a window of opportunity for the well-being of the nation and the common good of humanity.
Kacır explained that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the past 23 years, they have created a strong research, development and innovation infrastructure to transform the national technology push from vision to reality.
Kacır pointed out that they have built a tremendous health infrastructure with high-tech urban hospitals and digital health applications, noting that at the same time they have provided Türkiye with technology development infrastructure that allows them to meet Türkiye's health needs with local and national solutions.
70 billion lira investments last year
Emphasizing that as a ministry, they have introduced new incentive and support mechanisms and implemented programs and projects that will strengthen the unique production capacity in the industry, Kacır continued as follows:
“Last year, by issuing incentive certificates for 161 investments in the healthcare industry, we mobilized over 70 billion lira in investments and paved the way for more than 5,000 skilled jobs. Under the Technology-Focused Industrial Move Program, we support 36 investment projects with a total size of more than 23 billion lira, from biosimilar drugs to cancer and autoimmune drugs, from orthopedic devices and prostheses to to innovative generics with the HIT-30 program, from biotechnological medicines to innovative health technologies. We aim to bring large-scale and qualified investments in a wide range of areas ranging from smart medical devices to technological foods. With our TÜBİTAK scholarship and support programs, we have 14,000 344 projects and more than 18,000 scientists and our young people supports TÜBİTAK Vaccine and Drug Development Campus put into operation: “While the share of manufactured drugs in the Turkish pharmaceutical market in 2016 was 79 percent on a package basis and 44 percent on a value basis, last year it exceeded 91 percent on a package basis and 56 percent on a value basis.” While the ratio of exports to imports for medical devices was 19 percent in 2016, today it is 40 percent.
Features of AnkaTheraHub
Stating that they opened AnkaTheraHub, which will activate Türkiye's high potential in the field of biomedical technologies, Kacır stated that they designed this infrastructure, which was implemented under the European Union (EU)-supported Competitive Sectors Program of the Ministry, as a platform where entrepreneurs and industrialists can develop innovative health technologies, with accredited laboratories of international standards and competent human resources.
Stating that this large center, which will have 10 units specialized in cutting-edge technology, will elevate Türkiye's research, development and innovation capabilities in the field of precision medicine to the top league, Kacır used the following statements:
“It will support research, testing and product development activities with new generation sequencing, advanced clinical analysis systems, technologies for optimization of antibody and vaccine processes, microradiation infrastructures and advanced cellular imaging and analysis solutions, and increase their competitiveness by facilitating SMEs' access to advanced technologies. It will support our researchers and entrepreneurs to transform their innovative ideas into commercially viable products through technology transfer, patenting, mentoring, training and capacity development studies. Thus, serves AnkaTheraHub not only as a research infrastructure, but also where scientific knowledge meets industry, where start-ups
Kacır emphasized that the fact that AnkaTheraHub has the infrastructure to provide key functions from research to production for companies in a single center is an important win for Türkiye's biotechnology ecosystem.
Kacır stated that he is confident that AnkaTheraHub will host initiatives that will have a global impact on behalf of Türkiye and the global health ecosystem:
“In the shortest possible time, we will significantly increase the support we provide to biotechnological and genomic research. We will provide our researchers with the National Omics Platform, which will ensure that big data in the health sector is stored reliably and systematically within the country's borders, and the data at our disposal will pave the way for new discoveries. The TÜBİTAK production program will strengthen research infrastructures in coordination with universities, the Ministry of Health and the public. “We will strengthen the domestic “We can decisively support biotechnological drug production by using purchases as leverage.”
“Hundreds of people contributed to this”
The Rector of Ankara University, Prof. Dr. Necdet Ünüvar, explained that this year is the 80th anniversary of its founding and said: “In our 80th year, we are opening a center like AnkaTeraHub, which produces not only information but also technology and can produce very valuable products not only nationally but also internationally. It is necessary to produce here. Since we have the opportunities that our state provides, we cannot establish such a center without the approval of our Ministry of Industry. We have the sources of financing that we receive from the.” EU and the efforts of hundreds of people that I have been following constantly for six years. We have to make such great efforts. “We have to turn it into a product and create something that we can say, 'Look, we produced that'.” he said.
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