Improved cancer therapy with laser technology

Lüneburg. Lower Saxony Economic Minister Dr. Bernd Althusmann kicked off a collaborative project aiming to improve radiotherapy for cancer patients using laser technology. In Lüneburg, he presented a grant document for almost €700,000 for the collaboration, known as “Innovative Support for Reproducible Patient Positioning”. LAP GmbH Laser Applikationen and the Institute for Product and Process Innovation (PPI) of Leuphana University in Lüneburg intend with this joint research and development project to develop an innovative medical product over the next two and a half years that will provide the highest possible safety in imaging and patient marking for the precision use of radiation sources in tumor therapy.

“The innovation funding will help us develop new technologies that improve treatment success in cancer therapy. Collaborating with Leuphana gives us access to research capacity that we as a medium-sized company could not afford on our own,” explained Jens Gauthier, CIO of LAP, in discussing the importance of the cooperation. Cooperation partner Dr. Anthimos Georgiadis of the PPI pointed out the advantages for the university: “The collaboration with LAP promotes the practical relevance of our research. In addition, it once again shows the potential of knowledge transfer from university to industry.” State Commissioner Monika Scherf, who leads the Office for Regional Development in Lüneburg, sees even farther-reaching perspectives in the project:“Innovation in the health business has the potential to strengthen our region long-term. Through the positive cooperation of all parties here locally, we have succeeded for the first time in using the new Opening Clause in Lower Saxony, which says that in cases of special benefit or interest to our state, larger companies can also be assisted by the Innovation Promotion Program in Lower Saxony.”

Minister Althusmann presented the grant document at a formal ceremony in the newly opened LAP showroom. In addition to LAP executive management, Dr. Anthimos Georgiadis of Leuphana and State Commissioner Monika Scherf, the ceremony was also attended by Jürgen Enkelmann, CEO of the Lüneburg Economic Association, and Stephen Struwe-Ramoth, CEO of NBank Lüneburg, who have provided the cooperation project with key support. Guest of honor was Ulrich Mädge, Mayor of the Hanseatic City of Lüneburg.

Further information on the project: https://www.lap-laser.com/de/unternehmen/europa-fuer-niedersachsen

Background:
Funding for the project is provided by the State of Lower Saxony and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The project supports the Health and Social Economy specialization field, a focus topic of the Lower Saxony Regional Innovation Strategy for Intelligent Specialization (RIS3).