22 April 2020

Combination of the Nordic POP adjustments to COVID-19 pandemic & definition of the 2021 strategy as The Green Year in Nordic POP leads to establishment of new mobility tools “eMobility” for individual actions, and “eMeeting” for training and networking actions

Based on the various discussions that took place throughout 2019 and that had taken more concrete form throughout the annual meeting 2020, couple of topics in relation to the future development of the consortium common strategy were identified as a current focus of Nordic POP. It has been clearly stated, that WHAT SHALL WE CONSIDER are basically 2 main topics – Nordic added value, and sustainable green chemistry.All these criteria are incorporated in a newly established tools, eMobility and eMeeting.

 

 Nordic added value:

As a consortium of a Nordic/ Nordic and Baltic countries, we have a great opportunity to set the agenda for pharmaceutical research – Nordic POP is a good starting platform for that. We have an advantage of a pretty similar set-up environment – educational system-wise, regulatory-wise, we know who we are – trust is a corner stone. Our main question is: “How do we use each other for the future, how do we finally get together, taking following questions as a starting point:  “Can we set a united future of pharm. education in Nordic/Baltic area?”, “How can we take this collaboration further?”, or, “Do we need some structure/platform on larger scale (incl. international and national grants – how can we share this infrastructure?)”.

 

 Sustainable green chemistry:

Sustainable and green chemistry will also be the theme of the entire 2021 year of Nordic POP. Besides generally enhanced topics - CO2 footprint and Medicinal waste, leading the pharmaceutical research in general towards the questions like “Is the medicine waste recyclable in some way?” Which leads us to commonly discussed issue of responsible technologies, Nordic POP aims to stress the related, but more concrete questions, just as “After the medicine reaches the final customer/patient/, it is not further trackable(tracked) any more?” or “Even though we do not talk about the same amount of pollution as when it comes to pesticides, but still- where it does go and to what extent does it pollute?”

 
  New agenda for Nordic pharmaceutical research?

Adding together these questions, we believe that Nordic pharmaceutical science can also kind of set the agenda to that, because having such a well-established network, we could set up a dialogue on the management level (there has always been dialogues on the individual/local levels, but no centralized dialogue) and that the local vision has to be expanded onto Nordic vision with a Baltic dimension to it, 

BUT, to make sure we built up network carefully, we shall apply the proper network criteria: People, Place, Education and Practise. Having these properly in balance and aligned, we can have bigger impact on the pharmaceutical science and research. And already now, Nordic POP is a great example.

 

 New tool "eMobility":

 Currently, Nordic POP is aiming at being on the front line with promoting green and sustainable way of “doing pharmaceutical research”. We have identified couple of “ways”, which, altogether, form a new tool, “eMobility”. This includes the possibilities to:

  • Joint research activity without people moving -> sample shipping
  • 2 different labs and sharing the data&results (Gøril&Ingunn)
  • e-conferences, e-workshops
  • “eMobility” => define research project without physical movement of people would also mean more involvement for senior researchers
  • Co-supervising of PhD students and postdocs (methods and methodology to use) – Nordic POP Network as one big “consultancy”
  • virtual WP rooms meetings
  • workshops and training events in form of “eMeetings”
  • Joint publications and grant applications as the already expected outcome

To see what does eMobility/eMeeting mean in reality, check the calendar where these activities are already listed.