Dear
reader
As a
reference institution for patient-oriented research in Switzerland, the Swiss
Clinical Trial Organisation (SCTO) is proud to be at the forefront of academic
clinical research. In 2022, we worked hard to strengthen our network at both
the national and regional levels. By joining forces, we contributed to the
alignment of clinical research infrastructures and promoted knowledge sharing
for innovative, cutting-edge clinical research. The results we achieved in 2022
profoundly and sustainably support our goal to deliver better therapies to society.
At the
national level, the SCTO is an active member of the national Coordination
Platform for Clinical Research (CPCR), where we help shape the future of
clinical research in Switzerland in line with the goals outlined in the White
Paper: Clinical Research. Several of our long-standing activities directly
focus on these goals: our patient and public involvement (PPI) activities
establish strong partnerships with patients and society, our Education Platform
helps create an attractive environment for clinical research professionals at
all career levels, and our other SCTO Platforms contribute to the development
of innovative and dynamic clinical research approaches. To strengthen our
regional ties, we have launched a new pilot initiative called CRIC (Clinical
Research Infrastructure Cluster). CRIC aims to foster the alignment between
regional and national clinical research infrastructures while avoiding
duplication of efforts, and it will amplify the voice of clinical research in
Switzerland.
We
continue to offer high-quality services to the research community, share our expertise through freely
available tools and resources, coordinate the SwissPedNet’s paediatric research
hubs, and provide access to the international research community as the Swiss
representative in the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network
(ECRIN). Despite the currently difficult collaboration between Switzerland and
the European Union, we are proud to be an active partner in several
international research initiatives.
As
President of the SCTO, I am delighted to see our collaboration with other
research infrastructures and stakeholders in Switzerland continue to grow. It
is thanks to a devoted team and many fruitful partnerships based on mutual
trust that our mission – to foster collaboration and a harmonised
approach in order to increase the impact and value of clinical research – bears
fruit.
Thank you for your interest in our activities.
Yours sincerely
Prof. Christiane Pauli-Magnus
President