Hugo Hurts joins the Board of Directors of the Lygature foundation

Hugo has followed Lygature closely since the start and was involved in the launch of one of its predecessors, TI Pharma, which launched in 2006 as the first life sciences ‘top institute’ in the Netherlands.

Hugo explains: “In 2006, I was Director of Pharmaceutical Affairs and Medical Technology at the Ministry of Health and very aware of the importance and potential of the life sciences and health (LSH) sector. Although not all policy makers automatically agreed at the time, at the Ministry of Health we were convinced about the opportunities this sector had to offer. When TI Pharma joined forces with CTMM to become Lygature, it became clear that this was not an organization that would ‘just’ run new projects. Lygature’s added value was - and still is - the ability to bring all sorts of organizations and stakeholders together to solve complex issues. And this really is a profession in itself. You need specific skills, expertise and a great network to be able to do what Lygature does. Public and private stakeholders with a new project idea often underestimate how difficult it is to set up a big consortium, run a smooth process, have the legal work in place and make sure the project is a success from start to finish. That’s where Lygature comes in and I’m very proud to have been involved from the start and pleased to extend my involvement.”

Ambition for healthcare innovation in the Netherlands

Throughout his career, Hugo has been involved in a number of important healthcare developments. The Healthcare law (Zorgverzekeringswet) and innovation in the drug development process are examples where he has shown his commitment to long-term goals. Hugo adds: “In the Netherlands, there’s always a lot of talk about our ambitions for healthcare innovation. We understand that we need different types of stakeholders to really innovate. But we fall short of really accepting that we need to have a long-term focus and public sector support for this. If there is one thing, I’d like to bring to Lygature, it is to stress my message about strategic and long-term vision in order to reach healthcare innovation goals. A lot has already been achieved, but there sure is much more to be gained from the LSH sector than what’s currently happening.”

Future of Life Sciences & Health

What else does Hugo want to bring to the Lygature Board? Hugo concludes: “I hope my experience in the policy making arena will broaden Lygature’s network even further. In addition, I’ve worked extensively with the pharmaceutical industry, academia, regulators and patient organizations, so I know many important players in the field. Finally, I have quite some international experience that I can bring to the table. I hope this will enable me to provide relevant input in the Board discussions about the future of Lygature and the LSH sector.”

Jorg Janssen, Managing Director of Lygature, says: “With both his vision and his European mindset, combined with his decades of experience, we are convinced that Hugo will add a lot of valuable insight for Lygature, as well as the partnerships we facilitate. We are very pleased that Hugo is willing to take up this responsibility.”

The Lygature Board of Directors consists of members from various ‘blood groups’ active in public private partnerships. Its current members are:

• Prof. Dr. Peter R. Luijten - Chairman (Professor of functional medical imaging at UMC Utrecht / Vice Dean at Utrecht Life Sciences)
• Prof. Dr. Marian Joëls (Dean and board member UMC Groningen; professor Neurosciences, RUG)
• Dr. Hans van Eenennaam (Entrepreneur and co-founder of BioNovion, which became part of Aduro Biotech, currently Chinook Thereapeutics, BOD member of Catalym GmBH and ISD Immunotech ApS)
• Mr. Ida Haisma (Director Stichting Leiden Bio Science Park)
• Dr. Gerjan Kemperman (Entrepreneur and founder of ChemConnection which became part of Ardena, currently co-owner and COO Ardena)
• Drs. Michel Rudolphie MBA (Independent consultant and former director of Dutch Cancer Society)