The delegation was composed of Maria Würth, granddaughter of Prof. Reinhold Würth and Executive Vice President of the Würth Group for Arts and Culture, accompanied by her husband, who met with the Champalimaud Foundation’s leadership and the directors of the clinical and scientific teams to review progress and discuss next steps for this long‑term collaboration.
The trip formed part of the planned assessment process to follow how the funding is being implemented, to review the work already underway and to explore future priorities for research and clinical innovation at the Centre. In a series of working sessions at the Würth Research Centre of Hope for Pancreatic Cancer, the visitors heard updates on ongoing projects that range from advanced pancreatic surgery and state‑of‑the‑art imaging to liquid biopsies and translational research, all focused on improving outcomes for patients facing one of the deadliest and least studied cancers.
The visit also provided an opportunity to revisit the impact of the 50‑million‑euro commitment, which places the Champalimaud Foundation among the leading international hubs for pancreatic cancer research and care. This support is enabling the reinforcement of clinical and scientific teams, the development of new research programmes and the acceleration of projects designed to translate scientific discoveries more rapidly into better diagnosis, treatment and follow‑up for patients with pancreatic cancer.
Looking ahead, both institutions reaffirmed their commitment to a close, ongoing collaboration. The joint work plan for the coming years will continue to align scientific priorities, the clinical needs identified at the Botton‑Champalimaud Pancreatic Cancer Centre and the long‑term vision that guided the original funding decision: to contribute, from Portugal, to global progress against one of the most challenging cancers.
Text by Teresa Silva Fernandes, Co-coordinator of the Champalimaud Foundation's Communication, Events & Outreach Team.
