INSTYTUT POMNIK CENTRUM ZDROWIA DZIECKA

Their core work

The Children's Memorial Health Institute (IPCZD) is Poland's leading paediatric hospital and research centre, specializing in clinical care and translational research for children, adolescents, and neonates. They focus on improving drug development pathways for paediatric populations, an area historically underserved by pharmaceutical research. Their work spans rare diseases, clinical trial infrastructure for children, and building European-wide networks that ensure medicines are properly tested and approved for young patients.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 involvement (2016-2018) centred on foundational work: training researchers in paediatric medicine (SMART, which they coordinated) and helping design a European paediatric translational research infrastructure (ID-EPTRI). From 2018 onward, they shifted toward large-scale operational networks — joining c4c, a major clinical trials network for children, and EJP RD for rare diseases, both emphasizing data sharing, best practices, and patient-centred approaches. The trajectory shows a clear move from building capacity and infrastructure blueprints to actively participating in pan-European clinical and data networks.

Moving toward data-driven, networked paediatric clinical research with increasing emphasis on rare diseases and FAIR data principles — a strong partner for any consortium needing a paediatric clinical site in Central Europe.

How they like to work

Primarily a participant in large European consortia (3 of 4 projects), but demonstrated coordination capability with SMART. Their 205 unique partners across 39 countries indicate deep integration into European paediatric research networks rather than isolated bilateral work. They are a trusted network member — the kind of partner that brings clinical access to a major children's hospital and established relationships across dozens of European institutions.

Remarkably well-connected for their project count: 205 unique partners across 39 countries, driven largely by participation in the massive c4c and EJP RD consortia. Their network spans virtually all of Europe plus associated countries, with particular strength in paediatric clinical and rare disease communities.

What sets them apart

As Poland's premier children's hospital and research centre, IPCZD offers something rare in H2020 consortia: direct access to a large Central European paediatric patient population combined with clinical trial capability. Most paediatric research infrastructure is concentrated in Western Europe, making IPCZD a valuable partner for projects needing geographic diversity and real-world clinical validation. Their dual focus on rare diseases and mainstream paediatric drug development makes them versatile across multiple health-sector calls.

Highlights from their portfolio

• c4c
  Their largest project (EUR 450,545) — a flagship European clinical trials network for children with broad scope covering medicines, infrastructure, and best practices.
• SMART
  Their only coordinated project, focused on advanced research training for paediatric medicines — demonstrates leadership capability in capacity building.
• EJP RD
  Part of the European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases, one of the largest rare disease initiatives, contributing paediatric-specific expertise to a multi-year pan-European programme.