Research Infrastructure

The National Centre for Translational and Clinical Research (NCTCR) is a nationally significant research infrastructure established in 2010 through the collaboration of the University of Tartu, the Estonian University of Life Sciences, and Tartu University Hospital Foundation. New member  of the NCTCR, Icosagen Cell Factory Ltd., a research and development institution positively evaluated by the Estonian Research Council since 2020, joined the infrastructure in 2024. Icosagen Cell Factory Ltd. brings diverse expertise and additional capacity to support the successful implementation of the Estonian Research Infrastructure Roadmap program. NCTCR was added to the Estonian Research Infrastructure Roadmap in 2010 and has been included in the Estonian Research Council's Core Infrastructure List (TT6) since 2021.

NCTCR's mission is to provide a high-level scientific ecosystem for conducting clinical, preclinical and veterinary medical research in Estonia. The centre acts as a professional partner to various stakeholders, including business, government agencies, healthcare institutions and research organizations, facilitating health-related scientific and applied research that addresses Estonia's societal development needs. NCTCR ensures the accessibility of research results and advises stakeholders in promoting science-based innovation in health research.

During its first funding period, a state-of-the-art Translational Medicine Centre with an Experimental Animal Centre was established at the University of Tartu for conducting preclinical research, focusing on disease animal models and in vivo imaging. At the Estonian University of Life Sciences, the focus on health research is concentrated within the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, which is the only centre for veterinary medicine education and research in Estonia.

NCTCR supports both basic and applied research, offering modern services and open research infrastructure to Estonian researchers and international partners. A comprehensive package of services and expertise for conducting clinical and preclinical research has been developed, providing support for research teams at all stages of research project.

In the upcoming period, the infrastructure will be expanded to include the Institute of Pharmacy at the University of Tartu, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, the Clinic of Genetics and Personalized Medicine at Tartu University Hospital, and Icosagen Cell Factory Ltd. These additions will broaden the centre's range of scientific services and integrated infrastructure.