In 2005, the Italian Government signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC for the realization in Sicily of a biotechnology research and biomedical center of excellence for projects of high technological content.

At the time, UPMC already had a solid international reputation in research and hospital management that had led to the establishment in Palermo (Sicily) of IRCCS ISMETT, one of the major organ transplant and high-specialty therapy centers in Europe.

Sicily was indeed the ideal location to maximize the impact in the Mediterranean area of a biotechnology research and biomedical center. In 2006, with a decree of the Presidency of the Italian Council of Ministers, the Ri.MED Foundation was established as an international partnership between the Italian Government, the Region of Sicily, the Italian National Research Council (CNR), the University of Pittsburgh, and UPMC.

In 2017, the Ri.MED Foundation entered the governance of IRCCS ISMETT. As a result, a new cluster was created that integrated translational research and highly specialized care with the goal to rapidly transfer scientific results “from bench to bedside”, to the benefit of patients and of the economic development of Southern Italy and of the entire Italian territory.

The Ri.MED Foundation develops innovative biotechnology and biomedical research aimed at timely transferring scientific discoveries in clinical practice. The Foundation is engaged in training highly qualified staff, disseminating scientific knowledge, and establishing and managing research centers and laboratories.

Consistently with its mission, the Ri.MED Foundation has achieved important results, training several biotechnology professionals, publishing hundreds of scientific articles, generating intellectual property covered with filed patents (33 today), and promoting local scientific and public engagement events.

Ri.MED has a diversified and balanced project portfolio led by a multidisciplinary team with clear product development goals and a “bench-to-bedside” approach. The translational research engine of Ri.MED Foundation envisages the development of 10 skills and technology platforms supporting scientific projects: Structural Biology, High Throughput Screening, Bioinformatics, Imaging and Radiomics, Proteomics, Cell factory, Medicinal Chemistry, Preclinical in vivo research; Bioengineering and Tissue Engineering.

Ri.MED’s scientific projects are based on three main areas of interest and fostering cross-cutting collaboration among the different research groups involved:

Regenerative medicine and immunotherapy area, aimed at developing advanced therapy medicinal products:

• Experimental Immunotherapy group
• Hepatobiliary Regenerative Medicine group
• RNA Therapies group
• Cell Factory group

Drug discovery area, aimed at new drug discovery and development:

• Structural Biology and Biophysics group
• Proteomics group
• Molecular Informatics group
• Advanced Data Analysis group
• Imaging and Radiomics group
• Medicinal Chemistry group
• Experimental Lung Research group

Biomedical and tissue engineering area, focused on developing biomaterials, engineered tissues, and medical devices:

• Bioengineering and Medical Devices group
• Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering group
• Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering group

The activities range from identifying new biologically active molecules to developing cellular products for tissue repair and/or regeneration, and organotypic cultures for regenerative purposes and as models for pharmacology screening, and all the way to simulation of physiological systems and preclinical validation of new generation implantable organs and devices.

Ri.MED manages laboratories in Sicily and, at the same time, is currently leading the construction of its new Ri.MED Research Center, a 25,000 square-meter facility, strategically located in the premises of the city of Palermo and within close proximity to the airport. This cutting-edge center will position Sicily as an internationally recognized hub in the Life Sciences, attracting top-tier researchers from around the world and driving a long-term economic development strategy based on biomedical sciences.

Next to the Ri.MED Research Center, the new ISMETT hospital will be constructed, creating a dynamic ecosystem that fully integrates advanced research with high-specialty clinical care, set to benefit patients, healthcare systems, and the economic landscape of Southern Italy, also increasing the ability to attract and access new funds.

Sicily is the geographic and historical heart of the Mediterranean, with a unique and distinct genetic and environmental diversity. This island is therefore an ideal setting for research projects focused on the interaction between humans and their environment, covering topics ranging from nutrition and infectious diseases, life in coastal areas, exposure to solar radiation, etc.

The new center will be equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and advanced technology platforms dedicated to organ-specific research and the related therapeutic areas, including lungs and respiratory diseases, liver and metabolic disorders, heart and cardiovascular conditions, as well as brain, intestines, skin, and the immune system.

The project is based on the “village-road” model characterized by a totally flexible organization of space: 17,000 square meters of laboratories, common spaces, conference rooms, offices, an auditorium, guest houses, connected to the new ISMETT hospital.

Over the past year, the Foundation has successfully managed a complex phase related to contractor difficulties, preserving project continuity: edil works are over 70% complete, with installations and equipment well underway.

The Ri.MED Research Center will create hundreds of jobs and develop allied activities linked to the technological transfer of research products.

Investing in scientific research means foster growth and welfare of the territory.

Ri.MED Foundation
Via Bandiera 11 – Palermo, Italy – Zip Code 90133
Tel +39 091 6041 111    Fax +39 091 6041 122
Fiscal code 97207790821
VAT Number 06317780820

To contact us, please send an email to info@fondazionerimed.com.
Institutional communications (exclusively from certified mail): protocollorimed@pec.it
Events and media relations: communication@fondazionerimed.com
Recruitment and stage: recruitment@fondazionerimed.com

Legal and Administrative Headquarters
The legal and administrative headquarters of the Ri.MED Foundation is located in Palazzo Moncada dei Principi di Paternò in via Roma (top floor with entrance from via Bandiera 11), in front of piazza San Domenico. The palace was built in 1905 to a design by the architect A. Zanca in place of the palace of the noble Montalbanos. Via Bandiera 11, 90133 Palermo

Future Ri.MED Research Centre
Via Ponticelli (crossing via Berlinguer), 90044 Carini