Staff from KITE and the University of Toronto's Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME) came together for the launch of the new partnership between the institutions.
KITE and BME celebrated the new KITE Collaborative at a launch in the Innovations Gallery yesterday. The initiative, which removes the red tape for researchers from both institutions, is the result of years of work from Dr. Milos R. Popovic, director of both institutions, Dr. Christopher Yip, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto, and many others.
This launch is a long way from where this idea began three years ago, said Dr. Yip, when he and Dr. Popovic first shared a vision for tighter integration over coffee. “I’m really excited about this opportunity,” he said. “It’s a chance for us to work together and push the boundaries.”
Under the new partnership, researchers at either organization have a streamlined way to access the resources of both institutions, furthering their shared goal to drive biomedical research and innovation forward. "Now, just by raising your hand and saying, I would like to be part of the KITE Collaborative, you can move people, you can move money. How intellectual property is divided is already set," Dr. Popovic explained. "And, the most exciting thing is, you can actually move biologics between institutions, and you can move data."
The barrier-free model of how academia and research can work together is already paying dividends, says Dr. Popovic, explaining that several companies have expressed increased interest in working with the institutions after hearing about the efficiencies of the Collaborative. “They see much greater value in this joint enterprise,” he explained.
Dr. Brad Wouters, Executive Vice-President of Science and Research at University Health Network, also praised the partnership at the event. “It’s a unique time to do this because of the extraordinary knowledge and understanding of biology, what we’ve learned about the needs of patients and the fundamental knowledge that we can build upon that we can now engineer to create solutions,” he said. “I look forward to the amazing opportunities, progress and impact this will have.”
Learn more through the KITE Collaborative page.