Our approach consists of three mutually reinforcing elements

InFECT-NL helps advance infectious disease research towards the development of medicines and vaccines. We connect scientific knowledge, partners and facilities to take promising ideas forward and make clinical research more efficient.

1. Connecting and advancing research

We connect and conduct fundamental research to support product development against infectious diseases. We build on the high-quality scientific knowledge and research expertise of Dutch university medical centres.

By bringing researchers and developers together, we help translate scientific insights into concrete steps in the development process.

2. Organising innovation and collaboration

We coordinate and manage an innovation cluster in which academic medical centres, companies and societal partners share knowledge, expertise, data and facilities. This strengthens collaboration and improves the efficiency of infectious disease research.

Within this network, we help research ideas progress towards practical application. We encourage public–private collaboration and connect researchers with expertise and opportunities for further development and funding.

3. Strengthening early-phase clinical research

We are working towards establishing an early-phase infectious diseases unit for clinical research. This will strengthen the infrastructure needed to study new medicines and vaccines early in their development.

Smart study designs, including first-in-human trials, Controlled Human Infection Models (CHIMs) and proof-of-concept studies, can identify promising products earlier. This fail-fast approach supports informed decisions, helps avoid unnecessary follow-up studies and reduces development time and costs.