Presenting Kuopio Health members: Saparo brings competence in imaging and development
“Now, it is important that we keep the Kuopio Health network afloat and remind people of our existence and activities. This is not something we can put on the back burner.”
Research services for imaging and development
Saparo Translational Research is a company founded in spring 2019 focusing on medical research and development selling research services for various operators.
– Our work is based on research in molecular medicine, which has been conducted by the university for decades by now. It includes gene therapy research, imaging and creating, maintaining and using different types of animal testing models in medical research and medical device testing, says Jussi Nurro, the company’s CSO and Chairman of the Board.
Saparo joined the open Kuopio Health innovation ecosystem right after its establishment. The aim was to immediately gain access to the networks in the industry and create contacts with local operators.
– We have a lot of competence in imaging and development. This is an area where we can either provide help ourselves or find the necessary competence for other members of the ecosystem.
Our company currently has six shareholders and we are in the process of developing our concept.
Interest in the international market
The company is looking to enter the international market.
– Our competence is highly specialised, and there are not that many companies in Finland who might benefit from our services. Our ideal client is a large pharmaceutical company that has developed an experimental medicine related to, say, cell therapy or gene therapy, and wishes to see biological response in animal testing before starting clinical trials on patients, Nurro explains.
The company also offers imaging services in living organisms for medical device manufacturers.
You must not lose your grip in building trust
Jussi Nurro wishes that the open Kuopio Health innovation infrastructure could become a highly significant operator in health tech.
– Together, we can be much more than just the sum of Kuopio Health’s parts. We could carry out very extensive projects and make tailored sales proposals to large enterprises. Everyone involved could bring their special expertise to the table, he reflects.
Nurro believes that Kuopio Health can also serve as a collaboration platform at the local level. For example, companies and other agents could find subcontractors whose operating models, culture and practices are well-known, enabling them to supply larger orders.
This requires building trust, in which context Nurro emphasises the importance of physical encounters and networking.
The coronavirus outbreak has somewhat hampered this way of building trust, as it has made it more challenging for the members to get to know one another.
– Now, it is important that we keep the Kuopio Health network afloat and remind people of our existence and activities. This is not something we can put on the back burner.