The last event supported by our Call For Activities in 2017 is about to take place.
Promoted by RESOLVE Program and the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health – i3S, WARP: WORLDWIDE ACELLERATOR RALLY at PORTO will be the first event to aggregate health innovation accelerators, and will take place in December at Porto.
The event will include sessions on valuation of new ideas and how to boost companies in an early stage, exploring funding possibilities to support acceleration programs, as well as discussing ways to promote networking among accelerators. It will also include a showcase of target industry technologies to potential companies and investors with a special focus on promoting their market introduction.
The idea of organizing WARP is to bring a moment of sharing experiences on accelerating innovation in health to Portugal, for the first time. The organization hopes it has a representative and multiplier effect.
João Cortez, one of the promoters of the event shares that, “it is also necessary to consolidate the industry in this sector, and the promotion of new ideas and new companies is the most promising way to achieve this goal.”
There are some companies in the biomedical sector in Portugal, but in order to assist the development of a real ecosystem that generates employment and fosters the economy, it is necessary to turn lab generated ideas into products and new business initiatives.
For Margarida Rossi, also from the organization, the “main goal is to initiate a cooperative and aggregating movement, facilitating good practices and collaboration, and reducing possible duplications of activities between accelerators; it is an opportunity to get to know the national stakeholders, and to establish international partnerships”.
The initiative also promotes Porto as a hub for innovation in the biomedical area, in line with the region’s intelligent specialization priorities, attracting highly qualified employment to the city.
Filipe Araújo, Vice-President and Councilor for Innovation and Environment of the city of Porto refers that “Portugal, Porto particularlly, has excellent conditions to host international events and has a tradition of research in the biomedical area, with important innovation to be explored internationally.”Summing up: in Portugal, there is a set of Acceleration Programs already identified.
WARP will be the perfect moment to share experiences, to learn from each other, allowing evolution and the creation a greater impact in the future.
