CyRIC and bialoom, two Cypriot organisations, are contributing to the PhotonMed project, a major initiative in healthcare innovation, according to an official announcement.
PhotonMed is a €32 million international project aimed at revolutionising medical diagnostics and therapeutic tools using photonics technology.
This initiative, coordinated by Finland’s VTT, brings together 39 partners across nine countries and is co-financed by ChipsJU/EU and national agencies, including Cyprus’ Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF).
Photonics, the science of light, offers transformative potential in healthcare by enabling faster, more accurate, and less invasive diagnostics and treatments.
Despite its promise, the leap from research to market has been hindered by gaps in manufacturing and regulatory processes.
PhotonMed addresses this challenge by creating structured industrial supply chains and leveraging a pilot line R&D model to expedite commercialisation.
“Until now, the gap between research and manufacturing has been a major hurdle in introducing photonics innovations for medical applications,” said research professor Jussi Hiltunen from VTT.
“Coupled with regulatory validation processes”, Hiltunen continued, “the time-to-market takes years, incurring high costs”.
“The PhotonMed project aims to bridge the gap by creating structured industrial supply chains and leveraging a pilot line R&D model to facilitate faster commercialisation,” Hiltunen added.
CyRIC, a Business Innovation Centre (BIC) certified by the European Business Network, is a key contributor to PhotonMed. Based in Cyprus, CyRIC focuses on fostering innovation and supporting transformative projects.
The other company involved, bialoom, is a deep-tech start-up from Nicosia, which aspires to become a global leader in diagnostics.
By combining silicon photonics, plasmonics, and in-vitro diagnostics, bialoom addresses critical global diagnostic challenges and exemplifies the cutting-edge innovation emerging from Cyprus.
PhotonMed’s strategy revolves around 16 pilot cases led by end-user companies, including bialoom, to validate research findings and ensure scalable manufacturing.
“PhotonMed project, exploiting pilot line operational model and research infrastructure of various partners, aims at ensuring that new technologies meet stringent regulatory requirements, making it easier for companies to transition from R&D to production,” a relevant announcement said.
