Life Sciences Health is one of the leading sectors in Dutch economy and if we look back to the history, biotechnologies were started to develop here many years ago.
The first microscope was developed by the Netherlands scientists in the late 1500s - Hans Lippershey and Zacharias Janssen, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek is “The Father of Microbiology” and considered to be first microbiologist, the first person who described red blood cells was the young Dutch biologist Jan Swammerdam, “Electrocardiogram’s father” is Willem Einthoven (1924) as well as the first functioning artificial kidney was done by Dutch scientist – Willem Kolff (1943). The Netherlands is the most concentrated life sciences and health region in the world: more than 3000 life sciences and medtech companies and research organizations, all within a 120-mile radius.
Guided tour at Eminent Food in the Netherlands
Kamila Zarubina, analyst of Biomedical Cluster of Skolkovo foundation, participated in a ten day intensive study visit to the Netherlands for the Dutch Visitors Program (DVP) of Life Scinces & Health. DVP is an initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl). The Netherlands selected for this ‘Diplomacy’ programme about Life Sciences & Health participants from 8 countries – Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, Brazil, Mexico, China and Indonesia.
At the Maastrich Health Campus
The program is set up as a way of contributing to a better understanding of the Netherlands through the exchange of professional and personal experiences between participants and their Dutch colleagues to enhance future cooperation.
DVP Programme coordinator, Jos Spijkers: “For each DVP programme Netherlands Embassies in 26 countries can send in candidates. For the ‘Life Science & Health’(LS&H) programme in total 12 Embassies proposed one or more candidates. A Steering Board in The Hague selects for every programme 8 participants from 8 countries.
For this LS&H programme Kamila Zarubina was selected because of the fact that she is working at the interface of Russian and international science and technology development. She has excellent academic qualifications, and interesting work experience. Kamila is very receptive to new ideas, constantly trying to broaden her horizons, and then applying her insights to reality in Russia. She shows high potential in being active at the forefront of development in her sector in Russia, while being a bridge to international partners”.
Within the DVP program participants visited all prominent Universities and institutions, healthcare companies, innovation centers and hospitals in the Netherlands. The program consisted of 8 group visit and 2 days of individual road-show program.
In the first days group had a meeting in Erasmus University Rotterdam, a big research university, driven by a strong focus on current social issues. Associate professor Mr. Marco Varkevisser (Institute for Health Policy Management, Erasmus University) made a lecture to the team with very deep information about health care system and insurance policy in the Netherlands.
Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC)
BMT cluster at the round Table “Why does Life sciences & health need entrepreneurs”
Leiden Bio Science Park was also in the list of individual program of Skolkovo proposed by DVP’s organizers because it’s leading life sciences cluster in the Netherlands and rank among the top five most successful science parks in Europe. Leiden Bio Science Park (since 1984) features over 90 companies and institutions located at the park. Several renowned research institutions such as Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), TNO, Centre for Human Drug Research (CHDR), LURIS (technology transfer office) were also visited by DVP’s participants. There are 2 museums within the park: Naturalis, the national history museum and CORPUS, the museum on the human body.
Hermine Klein, Marketing manager Leiden Bio Science Park: “Scientific collaboration is key to Leiden and Leiden Bio Science Park. Since its foundation in the 16th century Leiden university attracted many international scientists. Leiden Bio Science Park is an international life science community with research collaboration all over the world. In 2013 Leiden Bio Science Park CEO Nettie Buitelaar visited Skolkovo during the Netherlands - Russia year”.
Visit to Netherlands Cancer Institute
So far, there is a strong networking collaboration between Skolkovo and the Netherlands bioscience structures. In April 2013 in Amsterdam was signed third-parties agreement about development of the first center of science and innovations of cell technologies and establishment of Skoltech’s institute of cell technologies study in collaboration with Groningen instate (The Netherlands) and Institute of general genetics named after Vavilov N.I. In September 2013, students from Skoltech university were involved in exchange programs with Groningen institute. In december 2013 Skoltech and Amsterdam Univercity signed MoU about scientific research, investigations and developments of innovative technologies. In last summer Dutch government with 22 representatives of institutions, innovation centers and companies visited Russia for the purpose of development biotechnologies and exchange information.
DVP program in Life Sciences & Health made more tight connections with the Netherlands in terms of research and innovation technologies in biomedicine. Wonderful point that this program within impressive 10-days supported to create network not only within 2 countries but with others 7 participants from emerging market.
Kamila Zarubina: “The overall organization and planning of the program was conducted on the highest level. I managed in the short period of time to visit most important Dutch organizations in healthcare, some of companies are also expressed a great interest about Skolkovo. Thus, I expect to lead contact or engage with Dutch organizations in the future to use Dutch experience for implementation the same projects/events in my country and hope vice versa. It will be very lovely to keep in touch with the Dutch health innovators”.