Bridges4Health:
building bridges for health innovation
Regional platform for innovation in Health and Life Sciences in the Norte region
A collaborative platform for innovation in health
Regional strategy
The Bridges4Health project aims to implement the Regional Smart Specialisation Platform (PREI) in Health and Life Sciences. Building on the region’s established scientific and technological potential, the dynamism of its industrial ecosystem, and its leading healthcare institutions in the Norte region, the project seeks to develop a joint, collaborative, and innovation‑driven strategy.
Coordination and innovation
To achieve this, the platform will foster collaboration between research, industry, clinical practice, and society; identify investment priorities; accelerate technology transfer; and attract and train highly qualified professionals.
International ambition
The ambition is clear: to position the Norte Region as a hub of excellence and a reference point in Health and Life Sciences at both national and international levels, while delivering a positive and lasting impact on people’s quality of life.
Strategic partnerships
We aim to build stronger bridges between partners across these domains and to design joint projects that accelerate knowledge valorisation and transform discoveries into products, services, and solutions that address today’s challenges.
Data: 3 de março, 2026
Local: Braga
The platform that will lead health innovation in the North has been launched
The Regional Smart Specialisation Platform (PREI) in Health and Life Sciences, known as Bridges4Health, was officially launched on the 3rd of March 2026 at Espaço Vita in Braga, bringing together more than 100 participants from 43 institutions representing the scientific, clinical, business, and institutional ecosystem of the Norte Region. The event marked the beginning of a strategic initiative aimed at supporting the Norte Portugal Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR‑N) in strengthening innovation, accelerating technology transfer, and consolidating the region’s position as a national and European reference in Health and Life Sciences.
Strategic domains
Coordinated by i3S and 2CA‑Braga, in collaboration with UCIBIO and CBQF, the consortium will operate across four strategic domains:
Precision Medicine
This approach adapts prevention, diagnosis, and treatment to the specific genetic and biomolecular profile of each patient.
Clinical Research
Clinical research transforms scientific knowledge into innovative solutions that promote improvements in healthcare.
Biomedical Devices and Technologies
We map the value chain, set investment priorities, and build consortia connecting R&D, companies, and healthcare professionals to address clinical challenges and scale innovation.
Microbiome and Health
The microbiome stands out as a key element in the transformation of human health.