Winner

SafeAlleleSCA, a pioneering precision gene therapy project for Machado–Joseph
disease, has been awarded the €100,000 Jorge Ruas Award at the Final Event of the
Tecnimede Open Innovation Competition 2026, held on 27 May at the Pavilhão do
Conhecimento in Lisbon.

The award recognises outstanding innovation in pharmaceutical technologies and was
presented following a highly competitive international competition that brought
together some of the most promising researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators
working at the forefront of healthcare and life sciences.

The Final Event was honoured by the presence of His Excellency the President of the
Portuguese Republic, António José Seguro, who highlighted the importance of the
pharmaceutical industry as a driver of research, technological development, highly
qualified employment and value creation for Portugal.

Addressing the audience, the President emphasised the need for Portugal to
strengthen its position as a producer of health innovation and praised initiatives such
as the Jorge Ruas Award for fostering talent, strengthening the connection between
science and industry, and helping transform promising ideas into solutions with real
impact on society.

The opening session was delivered by Maria do Carmo Neves, President of the Board of
the Tecnimede Group, who paid tribute to the legacy of Jorge Ruas and his unwavering
belief that scientific knowledge achieves its greatest value when translated into
solutions that improve people’s lives.

A highlight of the event was the keynote address by Yann Gaston-Mathé, Founder and
CEO of Iktos, who explored the current state of artificial intelligence in drug discovery
and its growing role in accelerating pharmaceutical innovation. His presentation
offered valuable insights into one of the most transformative technologies currently
shaping the future of medicine.