FONDAZIONE IRCCS POLICLINICO SAN MATTEO

Their core work

Policlinico San Matteo is a major Italian clinical research hospital (IRCCS) in Pavia, specializing in translational medicine — bridging laboratory research with patient care. Within H2020, their work concentrated heavily on COVID-19 response, contributing clinical expertise in antibody-based therapies (both polyclonal and monoclonal), convalescent plasma treatment, and pandemic epidemiology. They also bring capabilities in cardiac interventions, specifically stereotactic radiotherapy for ventricular tachycardia, reflecting their broader hospital-based research mission.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

All four H2020 projects started in 2020-2021, entirely shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. The early projects (ATAC, SUPPORT-E, PERISCOPE) were a rapid mobilization around coronavirus antibody therapies, plasma treatment, and epidemiological modeling. The most recent project, STOPSTORM (2021), signals a pivot back toward non-pandemic clinical research in cardiac electrophysiology and radiation therapy — likely reflecting their pre-pandemic strengths re-emerging.

With pandemic-era projects winding down, San Matteo appears to be returning to specialized clinical research in cardiac interventions and radiation therapy, making them relevant partners for cardiology and medical device projects.

How they like to work

San Matteo operates exclusively as a consortium participant — they have not coordinated any H2020 projects. With 74 unique partners across 16 countries, they join large, multi-national consortia where they contribute clinical infrastructure and patient access rather than project leadership. This profile suggests a reliable clinical partner that provides real-world hospital data and treatment validation within broader European research efforts.

Despite only four projects, San Matteo has collaborated with 74 unique partners across 16 countries, indicating participation in large-scale European consortia. Their network is broad and pan-European rather than concentrated in any single region.

What sets them apart

As an IRCCS (a nationally recognized clinical research institute in Italy), San Matteo offers something many academic labs cannot: direct access to patients, clinical trials infrastructure, and hospital-based translational research. Their rapid COVID-19 mobilization across three distinct projects (antibodies, plasma, epidemiology) demonstrates an ability to contribute meaningfully to emergency health responses. For consortium builders, they are a strong clinical validation partner — the organization that can test whether a therapy actually works in patients.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ATAC
  Largest funded project (EUR 335,946) covering all three antibody approaches — polyclonal, monoclonal, and recombinant — against COVID-19 in a single effort.
• STOPSTORM
  Their only non-COVID project, representing a distinct clinical research line in cardiac stereotactic radiation therapy with a long timeline extending to 2027.
• SUPPORT-E
  Pan-European convalescent plasma evaluation — positioned San Matteo as a key clinical site in one of the most debated COVID-19 treatment strategies.