EUROPEAN MEDTECH R&D (RSFF)

The project concerns the promoter’s RDI activities related to a highly innovative portfolio of medical device technologies. The portfolio consists of technologies in the earlier stages of development that are associated with high levels of technical and market risk. The project comprises sub-projects in five areas: “imaging systems & intervention”; “clinical care solutions”; “molecular & nuclear medicine”; “monitoring & personal health”; and “emerging market healthcare”. All the selected investments relate to small research ventures that have been organised in a separate R&D unit (“Corporate Technologies”).

The aim of the project is first, to test the technical feasibility of the emerging technologies in new medical devices and, secondly, if successful, to take the more advanced devices closer to commercialisation. The exploratory nature of the ventures and their dependence on cross-fertilisation with third-party R&D requires that Philips, consistent with its “open innovation” approach, collaborates with research partners. Typical collaboration partners include academic research institutions, Contract Research Organisations (CROs), university clinics and – mostly smaller - companies. The R&D work is primarily located at Philips’ R&D centres at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven (the Netherlands), and – to a smaller extent – in Hamburg and Aachen (Germany).

The R&D activities encompassed under this project will not materially change current R&D practices and will be carried out within existing facilities, making use of existing laboratories, pilot plants, clinical centres etc. An EIA is therefore not required by EU Directive 97/11. Compliance of R&D activities with relevant EU legistlation in particular in regards of animal testing will be verified during the appraisal.

The promoter is a private company not operating in the Utilities sector, and thus is not covered by the EU directive on procurement.