More than 1.14 billion PLN will be allocated to biomedical research from Poland’s National Recovery Plan (KPO). In January and February, the Medical Research Agency (ABM) finalized all competitions entrusted to it by the Ministry of Health, including the latest call for research on innovative therapies, future medicines, and drug safety. The coming months could be a breakthrough period for the entire biomedical sector, as KPO funds must be utilized by mid-2026. This acceleration benefits not only companies and scientific institutions but also patients and the economy.
“Since the beginning of its operations, the Medical Research Agency has allocated 4.5 billion PLN to 324 biomedical projects, with 922 million PLN going to Polish entrepreneurs developing new technologies in both medicinal products and medical devices. Under the National Recovery Plan, we are adding approximately 1.14 billion PLN to strengthen research and development in medicinal products and medical devices. We are also supporting Clinical Research Support Centers—systemic and comprehensive solutions aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the Polish clinical research market,” says Ireneusz Staroń, Vice President for Research Funding at the Medical Research Agency, in an interview with Newseria.
Key Investments in Biomedical Research
In January, ABM finalized a competition for businesses to conduct research on drug safety, innovative therapies, and future medicines. A total of 22 projects were selected for funding, amounting to over 112 million PLN. This is another competition funded by the National Recovery Plan. Among the recommended projects are drugs for respiratory diseases, targeted cancer therapies, and an anti-venom for viper bites. The range of submitted and awarded projects was vast, with oncology-related initiatives dominating.
“We’ve heard, for example, that Ryvu’s innovative biological product projects are already in Phase II clinical trials. I believe that as a country, we have an appetite for Polish innovations—especially in biological drugs and cell therapies—to be introduced to the market. Over the next 5–10 years, I hope to see these innovations become available, achieve global success, and reach patients in Poland and worldwide, including the largest market, the United States, where revenues and margins are the highest,” emphasizes Staroń.
A Breakthrough Year for the Biomedical Sector
According to ABM representatives, 2024 will be a breakthrough year for the clinical research and biomedical sectors, thanks to the additional 1.14 billion PLN from the KPO. A portion of these funds will go to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to support research into innovative therapies. This is expected to accelerate development, enhance competitiveness, improve drug safety in Poland, and stimulate economic growth.
“We should invest as much as possible in this field because we want to build a knowledge-based economy driven by new technologies. Even relatively small investments in this industry can translate into significant added value. The pharmaceutical sector alone contributes around 5 billion euros annually to the economy. If we include all related sectors, such as clinical research, we are talking about a major pillar of economic growth,” says Staroń.
Support for Scientific Institutions
In January, ABM also concluded another KPO-funded competition for scientific institutions to conduct applied research in biomedical fields. A total of 57 projects received funding recommendations, amounting to nearly 447 million PLN. These projects include monitoring the effects of cervical, oropharyngeal, and genital cancer treatments, research on genetic causes of hearing loss, and the development of a test for early ovarian cancer diagnosis. The competition attracted record interest, with 224 applications—three times more than previous ABM funding rounds.
“The record-breaking interest in KPO programs reflects the enormous demand from both businesses and research institutions for R&D projects in the biomedical field,” says Dr. Karolina Nowak, Director of the Department of Innovation and International Cooperation at the Medical Research Agency. “To date, ABM has funded 44 commercial projects in innovative products, generics, and new pharmaceutical forms. With KPO funding, we have now started financing biomedical projects for scientific institutions. In this competition, ABM will support 57 projects that will strengthen the biomedical sector and help Polish researchers develop application-driven, market-ready solutions.”
The Challenge of Tight Deadlines
KPO funding presents a significant opportunity for accelerating biomedical projects but also poses challenges due to strict deadlines. These funds must be fully utilized by mid-2026—a timeframe that is relatively short for biomedical research.
“To address this, the Medical Research Agency decided to fund projects only for specific phases of their implementation,” explains Dr. Nowak. “We are now in the process of signing agreements to ensure our beneficiaries can begin their projects as soon as possible. The pace has been fast; the substantive evaluation took time due to the high number of applications and because it was conducted by external experts to ensure full transparency. In the competition for businesses, we also included a financial assessment of the companies, but we managed to complete everything on schedule.”
Expansion of Clinical Research Support Centers
In early January, ABM also announced the results of a competition for the creation and development of Clinical Research Support Centers (CWBK), also funded by the KPO. A total of 200 million PLN has been allocated to medical institutions, enabling the establishment of 12 new facilities in eight provinces. This will expand the CWBK network—centers that coordinate clinical research and support the launch of non-commercial clinical trials—to 33 locations.
