Professor Eyal Zimlichman and Professor Mario Campone at the inauguration ceremony of the ARC Innovation Center at ICO. (Credit: ARC)
As cancer continues to pose one of the most formidable challenges in global healthcare, embracing technological advances offers an unprecedented opportunity to revolutionize its research and treatment. In a bold step toward transforming cancer care, France’s Institut de Cancérologie de l’Ouest (ICO) in Nantes has partnered with ARC, the health transformation and innovation arm of Sheba Medical Center, Israel’s largest hospital, to launch a new ARC Innovation Center focused on advancing oncology research and clinical practices.
The center, formally inaugurated this week, aims to redefine how cancer treatments are developed and delivered by combining ICO’s clinical expertise with ARC’s proven model of fostering healthcare innovation. The collaboration has already launched ‘Impulse by ICO,’ a startup accelerator supporting new technologies in oncology, along with a sophisticated data platform designed to advance cancer research.
Professor Eyal Zimlichman, Chief Innovation and Transformation Officer of Sheba Medical Center and Founder and Director of ARC Innovation, described the partnership as a major step toward building smarter healthcare systems.
“Together, we aim to develop a robust framework for integrating precision medicine and innovative technologies into healthcare systems. This collaboration demonstrates the power of shared expertise and sets a global standard for innovation that will benefit patients, not only in France but around the globe,” he said at the inauguration ceremony.
The accelerator, ‘Impulse by ICO,’ will support startups and industrial partnerships addressing key challenges in cancer treatment. It aims to create a dynamic ecosystem that nurtures groundbreaking technologies to improve patient outcomes.
In addition, ICO has implemented a cutting-edge data platform that includes a local data warehouse and an integrated tumor library. This infrastructure will support research in drug pricing, care pathway optimization, clinical trial feasibility, and patient cohort analysis, driving forward precision medicine in oncology.
“Our ambitions in research and innovation reflect ICO’s DNA through the care-research continuum,” said Prof. Mario Campone, Director General of ICO. “We must modernize our approach to health data and strengthen our tools and systems to ensure that we remain responsive and efficient in providing safe, high-quality care.”
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The collaboration began after an in-depth assessment by ARC experts, resulting in the creation of a tailored innovation center at ICO. Regular knowledge-sharing sessions between ARC and ICO leaders are planned to ensure the partnership continues to push the frontiers of healthcare innovation.
“At Sheba Medical Center, we believe that innovation thrives on collaboration,” said Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, Director General of Sheba Medical Center. “By combining ICO’s world-class oncology expertise with ARC’s transformative methodologies, we are shaping the future of precision medicine. This endeavor exemplifies how institutions can join forces to tackle the world’s most pressing healthcare challenges.”
ARC’s European expansion underscores its broader mission to reshape healthcare systems worldwide. Established in 2019, ARC equips hospitals with innovation pipelines, enabling them to drive transformation at scale while improving patient care.
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