1. NEW GENERATION BIOMIMETIC AND CUSTOMIZED IMPLANTS FOR BONE ENGINEERING
COST Action – MP 1301 –
NEW GENERATION BIOMIMETIC AND CUSTOMIZED IMPLANTS FOR BONE ENGINEERING
Chair : Dr Francis Cambier
Brussels, 9th March 2015

2. New generation BIOMIMETIC and customized IMPLANTS for BONE ENGINEERING
What context ?
With a predicted ageing population and increasing expectations regarding quality of life in old age, there is an ever increasing demand for procedures such as total hip replacements, bone reconstructions, and spinal fusions, resulting from conditions such as joint cartilage degeneration and osteoporosis.
Due to the gap between academic R&D and commercial production, and between materials scientists and clinicians, medical application of these new materials will never be possible unless companies and medics are involved in the development.
This COST Action, NEWGEN, aims at creating the seed for the European research and industry collaboration, combining basic knowledge from academic laboratories, R&D centers, medical units from hospitals, and a significant number of companies

3. Some figures
One third of the population is more than 60 years old in 2010
hip replacements in Europe /year
invasive spinal fusions in Europe /year
More than operations involving bone grafting or bone substitutes performed around the world / year
Orthopedic biomaterials market : ~ $8 billions (grow rate 5%)
US: 42 %, Europe: 31 %

4. The need of cooperation
Design
Biomaterials preparation
Medical assessment
Strong interactions between :
Processing
R&D
Hospital units
Producers
Characterisations
Functionalization
In vitro / In vivo testings
Fabrication
Surgical operation

5. Multimaterials Biomaterial conception Multipartners
Polymers
Metals
Ceramics
Composite
Multidisciplinary
Engineering
Material science
Biology
Physics
Chemistry
Medicine
Regulations
Multipartners
Medical certification
Regulatory approval
Scaling up
Commercialisation
Lack of communications between R&D, Hospital units and Industry
 Unique opportunity to link European researchers to industries and end-users

6. Objectives, benefits, impacts
Establish a structured coordination, helping in the development of the right products.
R&D increasing performance
Increase of competitiveness of European companies
Concrete achievements
Multi-partners projects, mainly on new bioactive and customized bone implants, incorporating every aspect of the whole value chain (including H2020 projects)
Attraction of an Asian company to Europe
Dissemination (1 collective book, papers, Web site)

7. Consortium of partners
29 COST countries + 3 non-COST countries (USA, Canada, Australia)
141 partners
50% of the consortium members are companies, surgeons/medical units and research centers

8. How it works COST Office Members Core group Management committee WG 1
Chair/Vice-chair
4 WG Leaders
At least 1 by COST country
1 by non-COST participant
Core group
Management committee
Chair, VC, WG leaders GH
STSM, Dissemination, Web
WG 1
WG 2
WG 3
WG 4
1 WG Leader – 1 vice leader
Transversal activities (web page feeding, events organisation, communication, STSMs…)
Each WG will consist of partners from academic institutes, industries and medical units

9. The tools Core group meetings WG meetings Scientific workshops
MC meetings (to approve the suggestions)
STSM – selection is difficult: 1st quality, ECI , inclusiveness policy countries, gender balance, etc.
Summer schools
Dissemination – grants, book, papers, etc.

10. Is it easy ? How to get the support of COST: The language:
Pre-proposal (4 pages, web) 30rd Sept 2012  2 experts eligible (10th Oct 2012)  ok for a full proposal (end Nov 2012)
Proposal (40 pages) end Jan 2013  experts
Selection to present (orally)  DC Hearing in Brussels (40 people, mid March 2013)
Decision of DC (9th April 2013)  administrative details to be completed
Decision by Cost Office and CSO (end of May 2013)  beginning of signature of MoU by the countries
Kick Off Meeting  2nd Oct 2013 (starting date)
The language:
Everything is in the Vademecum (including a 2 pages lexicon)
Examples : WG, STSM, LOS, ECI (was ESR), GH, MC, AO, SO, KOM, CNC, SC, EB, (CSO, DC ?), etc.
The role of the grant holder:
Follow the rules (Vademecum) while scientists do not understand (or are not willing to do that)
A difficulty and advantage:
loss of control of the players (members of MC) – but it is a part of the interest  opening to new countries, etc.

11. Thank you for your attention
Conclusion:
A very nice experience
Thank you for your attention