New Innovation Centre Unites Research and Industry to Prevent Parkinson's and Dementia

Professor Charalampos (Haris) Tzoulis at the University of Bergen will lead the center.

"We are thrilled to receive this fantastic news! Our vision is to enable effective treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia," says Tzoulis.
Today, around 100 million people worldwide are living with these diseases, and the number is expected to double over the next 25 years. At present, there are no treatments capable of stopping or preventing the development of these conditions, explains Tzoulis, who is also Director of Neuro-SysMed.

"Through the Innovation Center for Neuroresilience (ICoN), we will meet this challenge in close collaboration with leading academic environments, public institutions, and Norwegian and international industry partners. This includes stakeholders from the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, health technology and biotechnology sectors, as well as the Norwegian food industry," says Tzoulis.

"Together, we look forward to confronting this challenge – and to making a real difference for patients and for society," says Head of Innovation Yamila Torres Cleuren.

Centre for Research-based Innovation

ICoN is one of eight new Centres for Research-based Innovation (SFI). The funding awards were announced by Minister of Research and Higher Education Sigrun Aasland on 15 December.

With NOK 96 million in funding from the Research Council of Norway and additional contributions from project partners, the center will have a total budget exceeding NOK 250 million over eight years.

The center is built on broad, interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers from the University of Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, and SINTEF, with expertise ranging from clinical medicine and neurology to nutrition, technology, and public health.

The center is scheduled to launch in 2026.

May have major impact

"On behalf of the University of Bergen, I would like to congratulate Charalampos Tzoulis, the academic community, support staff, and all partners on this award. This represents recognition of a leading research environment, but also of the ability to think innovatively and develop solutions that can have major significance for both society and individuals," says UiB Rector Margareth Hagen.

The University of Bergen currently coordinates two Centres for Research-based Innovation - MediaFutures and Smart Ocean - and is a partner in four others.

"Innovation is a core part of our societal mission, and the SFI centers are spearheads demonstrating how research can play an important role in the development of industry and society. Receiving a new award is proof of the strength that can lie in such collaborations between research institutions and partners outside academia," says Hagen.

Innovation Center for Neuroresilience - ICoN 

ICoN will combat neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia by shifting the focus from treatment to prevention, in collaboration with Norway’s growing industries in food, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, health technology, and biotechnology, as well as leading research environments.

The main objective is to develop and test integrated solutions for early detection, monitoring, treatment, and prevention of α-synucleinopathies—and to transform these solutions into new markets for Norwegian industry partners.

Partners in a new center led by NTNU

In addition to ICoN, which is coordinated by the University of Bergen, two UiB faculties are partners in SAINT (SFI Sustainable Applied and Industrialized Nuclear Technology), which is led by NTNU.

This includes the Department of Physics and Technology (IFT) represented by Professor Pawel Kosinski, as well as the Faculty of Law.