An opportunity for exploitation of research in biomedical engineering: the EC Life Sciences Demonstration Projects

To validate clinically a new stereotactic device for real-time monitored minimally-invasive brain surgery; to perform the first European phase I clinical trials of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) for treatment of glioblastoma, using the facility of the Community Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Petten, on forty patients from six different European centres. These are typical objectives of the current EC BIOMED 2 demonstration projects. The number of supported projects under BIOMED is now 16 in 1998, and will be in total around 80 for the three Life Sciences and Technologies Programmes. Demonstration is expected to play a major role in the Fifth Framework Programme, particularly in its so-called "Key Actions". This article addresses three of the main issues for potential applicants: the readiness for demonstration, the content of the consortium, and the dissemination strategy.