SYNAPSE RESEARCH MANAGEMENT PARTNERS SL

Their core work

Synapse is a Madrid-based research management consultancy specialized in running the operational, data, and governance backbone of large public-private health research consortia. They manage project platforms, coordinate data standardization and interoperability across multi-partner initiatives, and ensure sustainability planning for IMI and Horizon 2020 projects. Their core value lies in making complex, multi-stakeholder health research programs actually function — handling everything from data governance frameworks to regulatory engagement and communication strategies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), Synapse focused on bioinformatics-driven disease research — Alzheimer's disease modeling, translational safety science, and integrative omics analysis across projects like MedBioinformatics, AMYPAD, and TransQST. From 2019 onward, their work shifted decisively toward data infrastructure and governance: federated health data networks (EHDEN/OHDSI), FAIR data principles, real-world evidence platforms, and sustainability planning for large research programs. This evolution reflects a move from supporting individual disease studies to building the cross-cutting data and management architecture that connects them.

Synapse is positioning itself as a go-to partner for building sustainable, FAIR-compliant health data ecosystems — expect them to pursue federated data infrastructure and real-world evidence projects in the next funding cycle.

How they like to work

Synapse operates overwhelmingly as a participant (16 of 17 projects), embedded within large IMI-style consortia averaging 15+ partners. With 263 unique partners across 26 countries, they function as a connective hub rather than a loyal repeat-partner organization. Their single coordinator role (NEURONET) was a coordination support action for the entire IMI neurodegeneration portfolio, which perfectly reflects their identity: they don't lead the science, they make complex multi-partner programs run smoothly.

Exceptionally well-connected with 263 unique consortium partners spanning 26 countries, reflecting deep integration into Europe's largest public-private health research initiatives. Their network is pan-European with particularly strong ties to IMI (Innovative Medicines Initiative) consortia involving both pharma companies and academic medical centers.

What sets them apart

Synapse occupies a rare niche: they are a private SME that specializes in the management and data coordination layer of large pharmaceutical-academic consortia, not in the science itself. While most partners in IMI projects are either pharma companies or universities, Synapse provides the operational glue — project management, data governance design, platform sustainability, and cross-project coordination. For consortium builders, they solve the perennial problem of who actually runs the program when 20+ partners need to share data and deliver together.

Highlights from their portfolio

• eTRANSAFE
  Their largest single grant (EUR 2.85M) — a major IMI initiative on drug safety data integration, indicating Synapse held significant operational responsibility.
• NEURONET
  Their only coordinator role: a meta-project that managed and connected the entire IMI neurodegeneration portfolio, perfectly exemplifying their cross-project coordination expertise.
• EHDEN
  European Health Data and Evidence Network — flagship project for FAIR/OHDSI-based federated health data, representing Synapse's strategic move into health data infrastructure.