The IHI Science and Innovation Panel (SIP) is a new governance body set up to support IHI in meeting its scientific objectives by providing input from a broad, balanced range of health and research stakeholders much earlier in the call topic design process. As such, the SIP is tasked with providing the Governing Board with science-based advice on a range of matters, including IHI’s scientific priorities and draft call topics. The group will also advise on synergies with other Horizon Europe activities, including other European partnerships, as well as other EU and national programmes.
In January 2022, IHI launched a call for expressions of interest for people interested in joining the SIP as representatives of the scientific community or the wider healthcare community. The call attracted around 100 applications, and at their meeting on 25 March, the IHI Governing Board appointed 10 people to represent the scientific and healthcare communities. When selecting the panel members, the board took into account the expertise and experience of the applicants and the recommendations of the States Representatives Group, as well as the need to have a balanced representation of disciplines and stakeholder groups on the panel. The group will elect a chair from among the scientific community representatives.
Representatives of the scientific community
- Mario Campone - Director General of the Institut de Cancérologie de l’Ouest (ICO); Professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Angers / Oncologist at the Department of Medical Oncology (ICO) (France)
- Anna Chioti - Head of Division Pharmacy and Medicines, Luxembourg Health Directorate - Direction de la santé (Luxemburg)
- Jiri Mekyska - Head of the Brain Diseases Analysis Laboratory, Brno University of Technology (Czech Republic)
- Maroeska Mariet Rovers - Professor of evidence-based surgery & Director of Health Innovation Netherlands (The Netherlands)
Representatives of the wider healthcare community, including the public sector, regulatory bodies, patients and end-users in general
- Katariina Gehrmann - Head of Digital and Innovation services, Department of Children and Adolescents, HUS Helsinki (Finland)
- Ralf Herold - Senior Scientific Officer, Task Force Regulatory Science and Innovation, European Medicines Agency (The Netherlands)
- Eva Hummers - Family physician in Department of General Practice, Göttingen University Medical Centre (Germany)
- Peter Kapitein - CEO and Patient Advocate, Inspire2Life (The Netherlands)
- Annika Tibell - Director, Research, Development, Education and Innovation, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm (Sweden)
- Claudia Wild - Director & CEO, HTA Austria - Austrian Institute for Health Technology Assessment (AIHTA) GmbH (Austria)
Meanwhile the European Commission, the IHI industry partners and the IHI States Representatives Group (SRG) have nominated their own representatives to be part of the SIP:
Representatives of the European Commission
- Arjon van Hengel - Deputy Head of Unit for Health Innovations & Ecosystems, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
- Ceri Thompson - Deputy Head of Unit for eHealth, Well-being and Ageing, Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology
Representatives of the IHI industry partners
- Sibilia Quilici (representing EuropaBio and Vaccines Europe) - Executive Director, Vaccines Europe
- Bernd Stowasser (representing EFPIA) - Head of Sanofi Partnering Germany; Global Head of Sanofi Public Private Partnerships; Alliance Management Member of the EFPIA Research & Innovation Strategy (RIS) Group and Chair of the RIS Core Group
- Nathalie Virag (representing Medtech Europe) - Responsible for the Strategic Partnership Program at Medtronic Corporate Science & Technology; member of the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) Health consortium supervisory board
- Joanna Wills (representing COCIR) - Research Manager Northern Europe, GE Healthcare; Co-chair, COCIR Research & Innovation Panel
Representatives of the States Representatives Group (SRG)
- Martha Cahill - SRG Chairperson, Ireland
- Jan Skriwanek - SRG Vice-Chairperson, Germany
The group is meeting for the first time on 31 March and 1 April, where a highlight of their agenda is a discussion of IHI’s scientific priorities and the proposed themes that could be part of IHI’s first calls for proposals. Among other things, the group will have to assess how well the themes match with IHI’s priorities and the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda.
‘Between them, the members of the new Science and Innovation Panel have significant and diverse expertise, experience and perspectives. I am confident that they will play a major role in guiding IHI’s work in the years to come, and I am looking forward to working with them,’ said IHI Executive Director Dr Pierre Meulien.