Technologies Shaping the Future. The Role of University Clinics in the Innovative Evolution of Medicine: International and Russian Experience

The historical division in Russia between traditional universities and medical schools, as well as fundamental and applied medical science, is one of the key factors that is holding back the innovative development of Russian medicine and pharmaceuticals. Fundamental research findings can only be effectively converted into products and technologies that are in demand in the healthcare system through close collaboration and the mutual integration of university-based science and clinical medicine. In other countries, university clinics and medical institutions that function as divisions of traditional universities and as clinical bases for their medical faculties serve as hubs for biomedical research. University clinics have emerged as key components within innovative ecosystems. They act as sources of clinical data and biological specimens for exploratory research, as well as platforms for early-phase clinical trials of newly developed products. In Russia, however, examples of such institutions remain few and far between. How crucial is it to develop university clinics in Russia? What measures are needed to achieve this, taking into account the specific ways in which science, education, and healthcare are funded and managed in Russia? What are some best practices for collaboration between university-based research and clinical physicians?