#lifesciencesinnovation

The innovation potential of UZH research activities in the Life Sciences domain is huge. With more than 350 professors and researchers at four university hospitals, UZH has a unique opportunity to drive innovation along the entire translational chain, from laboratory to clinic. This potential is reflected, among others, in the number of UZH spin-offs founded in recent years. In the last two years, the majority of all spin-offs founded had their origin in this field.

To keep up UZH’s distinct performance, various programs and initiatives support researchers and students actively participate in the translation of research findings into better therapies and methods for healthcare and medicine. Those range from excellent research infrastructure, training programs for BioEntrepreneurs, funding by the UZH Entrepreneur Fellowships as well as project support by the Therapy Development Accelerator. Wyss Zurich and the UZH Life Sciences Fund complement the support for UZH spin-offs in the Life Sciences domain.

Therapy Development Accelerator

The TDA supports idea development, company formation, preparation, and launch of life science projects from within UZH. The team work alongside founders to “stress-test” all aspects of the idea, gather key feedback, and ultimately facilitate invest ment and partnering discussions. Since 2017 the team has been supporting the Entrepreneur Fellowship program by offering regular coaching to fellows along with preparation for SPARK nights.

In 2022 the TDA was thrilled to see a diverse range of both entrepreneurs and ideas moving forward at UZH. Seven teams were invited to present to outside advisers for intensive feed back through the SPARK night program, supported the appli cations of many grant, award, and accelerator winners, and helped to launch Navignostics with 1M CHF in UZH Life Sciences Fund funding.

SPARK Zurich

The TDA organizes quarterly SPARK nights for early project teams to get a first contact with industry advisors and investors with the objective to help them shape their ideas into investable solutions for patients, while offering attending entrepreneurs an opportunity to learn. SPARK advisors bring expertise in