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Timeline 

A structured overview
of key milestones and turning points

Follow major achievements, strategic steps and significant moments in the development of CREATIC and advamced therapies.

 

Milestones

Follow the timeline to see how we are gradually transforming the idea of the Central European Advanced Therapy and Immunotherapy Centre into practice. 

2026

  • 21.03.2026

    “Gene Era Between Science and the Patient” a public discussion hosted by the Czech Gene Therapy Association took place on 21 March 2026 at the Václav Havel Library, moderated by Daniel Stach. Leading experts explored the pathway from scientific discovery to new therapies, decision-making in treatment, and the role of patients. CREATIC Director Regina Demlová contributed the perspective of a centre of excellence, highlighting the development of advanced therapies and collaboration with the patient community. The event was available via Czech Television’s iVysílání platform (link here).

  • 26.02.2026

    DEBRA Czech Republic celebrates 25 years of supporting people living with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare and extremely painful condition that affects not only patients’ physical health, but also their mental well-being and family life. Over the past quarter century, DEBRA has become a vital source of expert, practical and human support, while also helping raise awareness and strengthen connections across the clinical, patient and research communities. CREATIC is proud to be a close partner of DEBRA and to have taken part in the anniversary gathering, where we also had the opportunity to present our role in supporting patients. Read more

2025

  • 19.12.2025

    CREATIC has reached an important milestone with the official approval of the reconstructed Pavilion C03 at the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, which will serve as its new GMP facility for the development of gene and cell therapies. The new infrastructure strengthens CREATIC’s capacity to advance innovative treatments for patients with rare diseases from research towards future manufacturing and clinical application. Read more

  • 4.12.2025

    At CREATIC’s pre Christmas gathering, we looked back on the key milestones of 2025 and shared our outlook for 2026, covering research strategy, infrastructure development, expert units, knowledge valorisation, sustainability and the progress of our new facilities, including the emerging CREPROFA production facility. The meeting also highlighted staff education and the operational agenda that supports the long term growth of the Centre of Excellence.

  • 28.11. 2025

    CREATIC presented Brno to European partners as a place where advanced therapies are already becoming a real part of precision and personalised medicine. Through its role in developing ATMPs for children with serious, rare and undiagnosed diseases, CREATIC showed how research, clinical care and innovation can be effectively connected for the benefit of patients. Read more 

  • 19.11.2025

    CREATIC at MEDICA in Düsseldorf exploring new opportunities for collaboration in advanced therapies and clinical research. The event brought inspiring encounters, fresh ideas and a strong sense of how quickly innovation in health and science is moving across Europe.

  • 17.-18.11.2025

    At EuroGCT Sharing Best Practice 2025 in Berlin, CREATIC joined the discussion on patient partnership in ATMP research and shared how academic centres can help make advanced therapies more accessible, equitable and patient centred. Read more 

  • 2.-3.11.2025

    CREATIC Conference 2025
    Brno strengthens its position among Europe’s leading ATMP partners, bringing together experts across research, clinical practice, manufacturing and regulation.
    Two intensive days of collaboration translated European cooperation in advanced therapies into concrete action, supporting safe and sustainable pathways from development to patient care. Read more

  • 23.10.2025

    At the final Science Café of 2025 in Brussels, CREATIC presented its vision for translating biomedical research into clinical impact and joined an open discussion on how to bring advanced therapies closer to patients. Read more 

  • 3.-30.9.2025

    CREATIC, together with the DEBRA organization and Brno University Hospital, is developing mesenchymal stromal cell therapy to promote wound healing and improve quality of life. An example of this collaboration was the exhibition "Rare Encounters" at the university campus in Bohunice, where photographs were accompanied by powerful stories from patients with EB (butterfly skin). Read more

  • 26.9.2025

    At Researchers’ Night 2025 at Masaryk University’s Faculty of Medicine, CREATIC introduced visitors to the healing potential of mesenchymal cells and showed how research can bring hope to patients, including those living with butterfly disease.

    Read more

  • 25.9.2025

    At Prague.bio Conference 2025, CREATIC presented its mission to accelerate the development of cell and gene therapies for rare diseases and connected with partners who share a strong commitment to innovation and collaboration. Read more

  • 15.-17.9.2025

    At CTGCT Days 2025 in Ljubljana, CREATIC presented its progress in advancing ATMPs from research to clinical practice and joined key discussions on regulatory pathways, infrastructure, and patient access. Read more

  • 27.6.2025

    Regina Demlová and Zora Čechová represented CREATIC at the PDA ATMP Conference 2025 in Gothenburg, highlighting how to translate ATMP innovation into clinical practice through regulatory readiness, manufacturing feasibility, patient focus, and European collaboration. Read more

  • 10.4.2025

    CREATIC joined the Prague.bio x CEITEC working meeting to strengthen cross-sector collaboration and highlight our end-to-end capabilities from research and clinical trials to GMP infrastructure enabling real impact for patients.

  • 18.-19.3.2025

    We joined the Advanced Therapies Congress at ExCeL London, Europe’s largest event for leaders in cell and gene therapy. With 3,300+ global experts, 300 speakers, and 75 start-ups, the event was a hub of cutting-edge innovation and collaboration across the entire ATMP ecosystem.

  • 10.-11.3.2025

    Regina Demlová and Jakub Jamárik represented CREATIC at the CERTAINTY Annual Meeting 2025 in Paris.Over two days, leading researchers, clinicians, and experts met at Institut Curie to share updates on work packages, discuss sustainability, and exchange insights that will together shape the future of the project.

  • 24.2.2025

    On 24 February, the Mendel Greenhouse at the Augustinian Abbey in Brno hosted this year’s Rare Disease Day. Organized annually by the Institute of Medical Genetics and Genomics, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, in cooperation with University Hospital Brno, the event brought together healthcare professionals, patient organizations, and the public.

    The goal? To raise awareness, share knowledge, and ensure no one is left behind. Read more

  • 6.-7.2.2025

    The MUNI Health Innovation Days 2025 student competition, brought together 25 students from various universities and faculties to form teams and develop innovative solutions focused on integrating advanced technologies for better coordination of healthcare in the Czech Republic. Read more.

Open 2024

  • 18.12.2024

    Introductory workshop for the implementation of agile management elements, which is a key part of the CREATIC project. Improving internal processes. This workshop was an important milestone on the way to the creation of the CREATIC Centre's Agile Management Strategy.

  • 17.12.2024

    Christmas party - a joint meeting during which we tested our knowledge in a quiz and in the form of a video we looked back at the achievements of the year 2024 and the great amount of work done.

  • 10.12.2024

    Regina Demlova, Director of the CREATIC Centre of Excellence and the National Research Infrastructure CZECRIN, has been elected as the new Head of the Network Committee at ECRIN-ERIC. The election took place during the Network Committee meeting at the Paris office. The committee plays a key role in representing scientific partners and advising the Assembly of Members and the Director General. Comprising senior delegates from ECRIN member and observer countries, it ensures a coordinated approach to advancing clinical research in Europe. This appointment reflects Regina’s leadership in clinical research and gene therapy development, aligning with ECRIN’s mission to foster cross-border collaboration and innovation. We extend our appreciation to Christian Ohmann for his contributions as the previous Head of the Network Committee and look forward to strengthening research infrastructures under Regina’s leadership.

  • 14.11.2024

    The online video platform DVTV recently featured an interview with immunologist Lenka Zdražilová Dubská, whose research is also part of MUNI | CREATIC. The discussion covered the development of new treatments, major breakthroughs in cancer research, and the role of personalized cancer vaccines for paediatric patients. These vaccines, developed in our laboratories, aim to stimulate the patient’s immune system using dendritic cells derived from their own blood. While these cells do not attack the tumour directly, they play a crucial role in activating immune responses that target cancer cells. Personalized cancer vaccines are particularly important for paediatric patients with high-risk solid tumours, where conventional treatment options remain limited. Check out the show.

  • 4.–⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠5.11.2024

    The first Central European Conference for Advanced Therapy and Immunotherapy took place with the theme "Rare diseases need innovative therapies — innovative therapies need scientific discoveries." The event featured panel discussions addressing the challenges of bringing advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) into broader clinical use, barriers in regulatory and market access, and expected advancements in the field. The program included two key sessions: "Bridging the Gap: How to Overcome Barriers in the Translation of ATMPs to Clinical Practice" and "Innovative Pathways in Rare Disease Treatment: From Clinical Trials to Accessible Therapies," with leading experts contributing insights. Organizing this unique conference marks a significant milestone for MUNI | CREATIC in fostering dialogue and collaboration in advanced therapies.

  • 18.10.2024

    The Velvet Innovation Meetup, hosted at the SIMU Simulation Centre, brought together over 160 participants and visitors for an evening of innovation, networking, and presentations of ground-breaking projects. The event was opened by Vice Dean Tomáš Kašpárek and featured ten innovative initiatives. The winning project was Spicy Cells from the Faculty of Science at Masaryk University, while the CREATIC Centre of Excellence also gained attention with a presentation by Lenka Součková, who introduced our work in a unique format and reached the second place of this speech competition! Attendees had the opportunity to explore the state-of-the-art facilities at SIMU and see first-hand how technological advancements are shaping the future of medical education.

  • 16.10.2024

    We took part in the CEITEC Core Facility Day, an event bringing together experts from the Life Sciences sector. The program featured lectures, guided tours of advanced research facilities, and networking opportunities. Regina Demlova introduced the CREATIC Centre of Excellence, emphasizing our expertise in GMP development and manufacturing, with a focus on cell and gene therapies such as cell vaccines and CAR T-cells. A key element of our Clinical Trials Centre is the CZECRIN Large Research Infrastructure, which supports early-phase clinical research in collaboration with university hospitals. We provide a wide range of services, including open access for non-profit and commercial collaborations in the technology sector.

  • 13.10.2024

    The Centre of Excellence CREATIC, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University at the 3rd Teaming Club Conference in Serbia! Read more about the visit in the article here.

  • 07.10.2024

    Research breakfast. Today you could enjoy breakfast with researchers Regina Demlová and Jaroslav Štěrba. As part of the regular "Research Breakfast" series, moderated by Tomas Kasparek, they focused on several interesting topics. This morning's menu included discussions about CREATIC Umbrella – our offering for researchers, Precision Medicine – a new frontier in (cancer) treatments, innovative products developed and manufactured by CREATIC, and a strong connection to pediatric oncology. They also explored possible challenges involved in manufacturing advanced products in gene therapy and shared insights about the new manufacturing unit that is currently being reconstructed.

  • 20.09.2024

    The Third Working Breakfast

  • 18.09.2024

    CREATIC at the CCP Phenogenomics Conference 2024. This week, the prestigious CCP Phenogenomics Conference 2024 is taking place at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague. On the first afternoon, Associate Professor Regina Demlová from the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, delivered an inspiring presentation on cell and gene therapies being developed as part of the Teaming HE project at the Centre of Excellence CREATIC.

  • 11.09.2024

    The reconstruction of our controlled environment facilities has officially begun. On September 11, 2024, Pavilion C03 was handed over to the consortium of contractors (OHLA ŽS, EP Rožnov, IDPS), marking the start of a key development phase for the Centre of Excellence CREATIC at the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University.

  • 08/2024

    Submission of the Research and Development Strategy.

  • 08/2024

    The submission of the Human Potential Centred HR Strategy and Recruitment and Selection Rules. The goal of implementing the HR strategy is to create a motivating and sustainable work environment through well-established personnel processes and their continuous optimization.

  • 25.07.2024

    Visit from Fraunhofer IZI CREATIC Centre of Excellence Lékařská fakulta Masarykovy univerzity and production facilities were visited by Project Manager Training Unit and GMP-Development Mirko Müller from Fraunhofer IZI.

  • 01.07.2024

    The Research Group of Lenka Zdražilová Dubská is being established: Innovative ATMP for Rare Diseases – Faculty of Medicine.

  • 25.06.2024

    The Second Working Breakfast

  • 17.06.2024

    The CREATIC meeting at the Københavns Universitet - University of Copenhagen is in full progress. We are discussing better project management, HR strategy, IP rights and legal aspects of advanced therapy and immunotherapy, and the Fair medicine concept. Read more about the visit in the article here.

  • 14.05.2024

    A strategic brainstorming session in the heart of the White Carpathians was dedicated to intense discussions that propel us forward. As a team of professionals and leaders, we shared ideas and crafted strategies that define our future path.

  • 29.02.2024

    New Research teams established in the Organisational Structure.

  • 22.02.2024

    Rare Disease Day, a seminar that brought together representatives from the fields of genetics, research, and the production of advanced therapy medicinal products, as well as patient organizations and patients themselves. A total of 12 presentations were delivered, and the event concluded with a workshop by the CREATIC center on the topic of clinical trials.

  • 11.-12.02.2024

    Our Director Regina Demlová and research Director Dalibor Valík visited Polish colleagues in Warsaw at the Children's Memorial Health Institute and started collaboration in ATMP research. Read more about the visit in the article here.

  • 01.02.2024

    We have received an investment project decision to grant a subsidy – rebuilding of the Centre of Excellence CREATIC officially started.

  • 31.01.2024

    1st Steering Committee meeting and the ISAB nomination.

  • 09-10.01.2024

    Together with our colleagues in the project we organized a research meeting in Leipzig at Fraunhofer IZI, where we got a lot of inspiration for our further work.

  • 01.01.2024

    Centre of Excellence CREATIC was established on the Faculty of Medicine MU. Read more in the news.

    Entry of the Statute and Organizational rules into force. New Research Programs established in the Organisational structure.

Open 2023

  • 11.12.2023

    Approval of the CREATIC Statute by the Faculty of Medicine management.

  • 01.12.2023

    New project CERTAINTY lead by Fraunhofer IZI started and the CREATIC team is involved. Read more about the project in the article here.

  • 06.11.2023

    Approval of the Centre of Excellence CREATIC by the Masaryk University Academic Senate.

  • 24.10.2023

    Approval process of the Centre of Excellence CREATIC establishment started - approval by the Masaryk University Faculty of Medicine Academic Senate.

  • 19-20.09.2023

    Together with our project partners we spent an inspiring time in Brno during our Kick-off meeting. We discussed our first steps in the project and presented our vision and goals to key stakeholders during the Kick-off ceremony. Read more about the event here.

  • 01.09.2023

    The CREATIC project started its activities.

  • 01-04/2023

    We prepare research projects with leading European partners for funding from Horizon Europe. The projects are focused on ATMP issues and, if supported, will constitute the first research-oriented project activities of CREATIC.

Open 2022

  • 12/2022

    Announcement of the evaluation of the Horizon Europe Teaming for Excellence project. The evaluators supported CREATIC's vision for €15 million funding. Together with national co-funding, CREATIC will receive approximately €35 million over the next 6 years.

  • 10/2022

    Designing CREATIC research projects eligible for funding from European and national grants. Communication with partners in the CREATIC consortium, preparation of basic proposals for the calls in the Horizon Europe Health Cluster.

  • 09/2022

    The amount secured as complementary funding was confirmed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports

    07. 09. 2022 CREATIC full proposal for the second stage of the evaluation was submitted.

  • 05-06/2022

    Preparation of the proposal for national complementary funding (P JAC, 02_22_001 Teaming-CZ I). The CREATIC INVESTMENT project supports the establishment of the CREATIC centre through investment funds for the adaptation of infrastructure facilities and the purchase or upgrade of equipment.

  • 02/2022

    Invitation to submit a full proposal for the second stage of the evaluation.

    Start of work on the full CREATIC project proposal: work breakdown structure, definition of specific activities, detailed definition of partners' roles in establishing and operating the centre, online and on-site project consortium meetings.

Open 2021

  • 01-10/2021

    Contact with advanced partners: Fraunhofer IZI, University of Leipzig, University of Copenhagen (on-line and on-site meetings)

    Preparing proposal for first stage of Teaming for Excellence call (HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-ACCESS-01-01- two-stage)

    5. 10. 2021 Central European Advanced Therapy and Immunology Centre (CREATIC) proposal was submitted.

Open 2020

  • 07-12/2020

    Discussion on the vision of the Centre of Excellence within Masaryk University. Formation of the Masaryk University project team.

    The primary objective is to support the development of the Advanced Cell Immunotherapy Unit (ACIU) focused on the research and development of cell-based Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs). ACIU is nationally recognized unit of excellence certified by State Institute for Drug Control for GMP manufacturing of small volume cell-based products for personalised medicine.

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