Representatives of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Helmholtz Association, jointly with members of the National Hellenic Research Foundation and high-ranking Greek politicians, celebrated the launch of a novel research collaboration in Athens on Friday, December 8, 2017. The DKFZ will support efforts to establish the Athens Comprehensive Cancer Center (ACCC) whose structure and tasks will be modeled closely after the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg.
“From our own experience that we gathered when establishing the NCT Heidelberg, Germany's first Comprehensive Cancer Center, we knew very well that the road to founding the ACCC would be long and winding,“ said Prof. Dr. Josef Puchta, DKFZ's Administrative Director, who has played a major role in advancing the project. “I am all the more pleased that, within only one year, we have managed to advance the idea to a point where we can now announce the official start of this promising collaboration.“
An international expert panel had evaluated the project application on behalf of the Helmholtz Association and had rated it as excellent, thus giving the starting signal for the collaboration. Helmholtz will now provide funds of €750,000 from its Initiative and Networking Fund; the DKFZ will contribute an equal amount. Since Germany's financial laws do not allow a direct transfer of the funds, scientists and clinicians from Greece will be invited as visiting scientists to Heidelberg. At the same time, the DKFZ will send experts to Athens in order to assist in building management structures there.
“Research is an essential part of a Comprehensive Cancer Center and therefore our commitment at the ACCC is focused primarily on science,“ said Prof. Dr. Michael Baumann, DKFZ Chairman of the Board. “The next step now will be to launch research projects where DKFZ researchers work collaboratively with Greek colleagues. In addition, we will invest in the joint training of young scientists and researching oncologists.“
The collaboration with the Hellenic Research Council is part of the DKFZ's and the Helmholtz Association's strategy towards internationalization. “The goal is to strengthen the European region as a research base and to prevent individual European countries from falling more and more behind“, said Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Otmar D. Wiestler, President of the Helmholtz Association. “Supporting the ACCC is a contribution to securing Europe's top position in the international research competition.“ He continued: “However, the funds we provide are far from sufficient to accomplish building a whole Comprehensive Cancer Center. Therefore, our commitment is also a signal for other partners, such as from the private sector, or for the European Union to participate in this important venture.“