"Finnish know-how has taken many big steps forward in research by the pharmaceuticals industry and commercialization of results. A big national opportunity lies hidden in exploiting their potential," says Juha-Martti Savola, the CEO and President of Juvantia Pharma.

Savola, who is acting as the Chairman of the steering group during the second term of the National Technology Agency of Finland's (TEKES) Drug 2000 technology programme, thinks the start-up of the programme is one of the major achievements of Finnish research policy. The aim of the programme is to strengthen the pharmaceutical industry's competitiveness, develop research networks and generate new international business.

"Finland is doing excellent research in fields that have the potential to have an impact on illnesses, their prevention and care, and also promote national competitiveness in the field," Savola stresses.

First term a success

During the first term of the programme from 2001 to 2003 there were 15 corporate projects and 56 projects by universities and research institutes. The total volume of the participating projects was close on 60 million euros. They gave rise to four hundred scientific publications and twenty-nine patent applications.

Esa Heinonen, Vice President, Research and Development, at Orion Pharma and the Chairman of the steering group in the first term, feels that the results relating to research and the discoveries with drugs are good. "Networking with industry and universities has also been a success, and technological expertise has been transferred to Finnish companies for them to use," Heinonen adds.

Worldwide markets

The second term of the programme from 2004 to 2006, which started at the beginning of the year, will continue from the good, promising achievements of the first term. The greatest challenge is to transfer the results achieved in the projects from the test tube and laboratory and make them part of product development that can be commercialized or service activities.

In addition to exploiting the results commercially, the aim is to catalyze the interaction among universities, industry and the sources of funding. "Networking and seeking the benefits of synergy are clear-cut objectives that will lead to the country's resources being exploited more efficiently for the development of national competitiveness. It is clear that Finnish industry which exploits the results of the programme will compete on worldwide markets," Savola says.

The programme offers Juvantia Pharma an opportunity to follow the development of technologies in the field from a box seat and even to be able to affect the setting of targets by research groups in a direction more meaningful for industry.

"My expectations for the profitableness and effectiveness of the programme are high. I hope that the pace and direction developed in the first term will only improve," Savola says.

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