The Jesús Usón Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre (JUMISC) is one of the few centres in the world to combine research and training in minimally invasive surgical techniques. It has around 570 scientific collaborators, focused on research, innovation and technological development in the field of social health.
First-class centre for minimally invasive surgery
- 22 November 2013
JUMISC was given an award by the Technology and Health Foundation in 2010 for its contribution to the development of R&D in health technologies. The award recognised the centre's ability to be a true business projects incubator and to transform the knowledge generated in research institutions and developments into products that contribute to improving the health and quality of life in our society.
JUMISC was born as a spin-off in 1995 and was supported by a public consortium (formed in 1996 by the Extremadura Government, the University of Extremadura and the Provincial Government of Cáceres). Today it comprises a new centre, built in 2007, and is a public and multidisciplinary institution, located in Cáceres in western Spain. It is now supported by a public-private Foundation, created in 2006 to find partners for the centre and improve its funding through the input of private and public enterprises.
The centre was a pioneer in Spain of minimally invasive surgery – including laparoscopy, endoscopy, microsurgery, endoluminal surgery and diagnosis, anaesthesiology, pharmacology, bioengineering and medical devices, stem cell therapy and assisted reproduction – and is now firmly established as a European reference centre in this field. JUMISC also carries out studies of in vivo toxicity, tolerance and pharmacodynamics of drugs, in both human and veterinary medicine. Furthermore, it is renowned for its hands-on training in minimally invasive surgery techniques and other specialities, such as telesurgery and telemedicine, and offers the latest tools to train and assess surgeons' skills.
A wide range of services are available at the centre. These include cooperative and under-contract pre-clinical R&D, surgical interventions and disease models (large and genetically modified animals), and technical consultancy in the fields of health, biotech and bioengineering. Studies can be done under specific protocols, calling on Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and international standards.
The centre covers an area of more than 20 310 m² and is divided into four distinct areas: surgical, administrative, events and conferences, and residential. It features extensive and fully equipped facilities, notably 10 operating theatres and three laboratories dedicated to stem cell therapy, assisted reproduction and medical prescriptions, plus sophisticated medical imaging equipment. There is also an accommodation area (2 310 m²) for large and genetically modified animals.
Socio-health care
JUMISC is dedicated to promoting research, innovation and technological development in socio-health care. Its goals included creating and disseminating a body of knowledge in minimally invasive surgery and related technologies; providing experimental capacity (physical, human and procedural) available in the centre to businesses, hospitals, technical institutes and others for research and clinical applications; and facilitating the creation of new technology-based companies and offering advisory services to existing companies in the fields of technology or innovation management.
The centre is widely recognised for its innovation, for helping to increase the competitiveness of Extremadura and for bringing high added-value jobs to the region.
The centre's good work was also recognised by the European Commission, in a ceremony held in November 2010 at the headquarters of the Office of Extremadura in Brussels.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery Jesus Usón” was EUR 34 000 000, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 1 115 589 for 2000-2006 and EUR 451 000 for the 2007-2013 programming period, through the “Extremadura” Operational Programme.