Annual Report 2022

In the last year, the Balgrist Campus Seminar Series was established: a total of 7 events with internal and external speakers took place with the aim of promoting exchange between the Balgrist Campus research groups and presenting topics that are of interest to all of them.

In May 2022, a delegation from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) led by State Secretary Martina Hirayama visited the Balgrist Campus as part of the periodic visits to all research infrastructures of national importance. As the state support for the three open platforms is limited to two periods according to the decree of the SERI and is due to expire in December 2024, the priority task of Balgrist Campus AG is to ensure the long-term financing of these platforms.

Also in May, the Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Imaging (SCMI) was able to put into operation a photon counting computed tomograph of the latest generation from the manufacturer SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS. This device was purchased back in 2017 when the platform was built, a good 5 years before it was licensed for the market. Thanks to the excellent cooperation with Siemens, the Balgrist Campus is one of the first institutions to be equipped with this new technology and is looking forward to using it in respective clinical research projects.

In the year under review, visits to other research infrastructures (e.g. the Paul-Scherrer-Institute) as well as participation in various congresses increased the number of outside activities and appearances. This served to promote our open research platforms and to intensify networking with national research groups and industry. In addition to these external visits, various guided tours of the Balgrist Campus were given, both for public service centers (e.g. the German Chamber of Commerce) and for private companies or service clubs.

SCMI (Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Imaging)
The SCMI team, led by Prof. Daniel Nanz, operates as an independent research and development unit and as a research service unit. In the year under review, members of the team were co-authors of 5 original papers, while SCMI was credited in 16 other peer-reviewed publications. The two pulse sequences available as "work-in-progress" software packages, which were developed at SCMI, will be adopted for the next Siemens software release. Together with Siemens, SCMI applied for a patent for an invention in the field of image contrast optimization methods.
SCMI continued to act as one of two central imaging institutions in a SUVA-funded study (outcome after arthroscopic rotator cuff rupture in the shoulder), in which patients from 4 hospitals in the Canton of Zurich and the Cantonal Hospital of Baden are being examined at SCMI. The multicenter studies NISCI and TASCI also continued. In total, a good 60 imaging projects were performed and charged for in the year under review; in addition, various research groups were able to perform test and preliminary optimization examinations free of charge.
Prof. Nanz taught again at 2 courses of the medical faculty (UZH) and at 2 courses of the "Neuroimaging Block Course" of the faculty of mathematics and natural sciences.

SCMB (Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Biobanking)
The SCMB, led by Dr. Sander Botter, serves as a national reference center for the legally compliant collection, storage, and analysis of tissue and body fluid samples from patients with musculoskeletal conditions.
In 2022, the SCMB was able to start 7 new biobank projects: 1 project uses the SCMB infrastructure (FACS device) and in 6 projects (including 1 multicenter study) tissue samples were collected and performed with different collaborating hospitals. Sample collection was successfully completed in four projects. In addition to sample processing as a service, the SCMB also conducts independent research projects, which are financially supported by a commercial partner.
With the achievement of the three Swiss Biobanking Platform (SBP) quality labels "Vita", "Norma" and "Optima", the SCMB has received the highest possible certification in Switzerland in the reporting year and is currently the only infrastructure in the canton of Zurich recorded by the SBP, which has received the "Optima" label. However, the goal will still be ISO 20387 certification, which is currently not yet offered by the Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS).
The communication of the biobank activities is still very important; in the reporting year two publications were published and the services of the SCMB were acknowledged in three further publications.

SCMA (Swiss Center for medical Movement Analysis)
The SCMA, led by PD Dr. Linard Filli, offers researchers a highly specialized infrastructure for the precise analysis of movement trajectories. Furthermore, the SCMA has a profound expertise in the field of quantitative movement analysis and supports and advises researchers not only in movement analysis but also in study planning or applications. In addition to the services mentioned above, the SCMA group actively conducts its own research projects, which are funded by competitive third-party grants (Swiss National Science Foundation SNF and Balgrist Foundation).
The importance of objective, quantitative motion analysis for musculoskeletal research is increasingly recognized. The SCMA has a state-of-the-art repertoire of precise equipment and measuring instruments, as well as various supporting systems, which enable gradual movement analyses and training (i.e. adapted to the severity of the movement restriction). An important focus of the SCMA is to simulate movements under realistic everyday scenarios.
The SCMA is constantly striving to integrate and develop new technologies to advance the field of motion analysis. In this regard, the SCMA develops tailor-made products with external partners, such as instrumented crutches and rollators. In the year under review, the SCMA co-developed a new modulable stair ramp design, which allows detailed motion analysis when walking on uneven surfaces and has great potential for research projects in the area of fall prevention.
The SCMA platform is used by various research groups of Balgrist University Hospital, the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich to conduct clinical research projects. In total, the SCMA performed studies for 12 research projects in the reporting year and was represented in 8 publications, of which 2 publications included SCMA's own research.
The center's own research activities are supported by motivated undergraduate and graduate students from the University and ETH Zurich.

Finances

The year 2022 concluded with a profit of approx. CHF 43,000.

On the revenue side, rental income was achieved as budgeted thanks to full occupancy. Among the three open research platforms, SCMI (imaging) significantly exceeded the budget and the biobank (SCMB) safely achieved, so that the budgeted total revenue of all three platforms was achieved.

On the cost side, personnel and operating costs of the 3 platforms are still covered by federal contributions until the end of 2024. The Balgrist Campus also closed within budget on the expense side.

Thanks to long-term electricity procurements, the electricity shortage in the year under review did not have any fatal consequences for the tenants at the Balgrist Campus, and the ancillary cost billing was completed at the same level as in previous years.

The construction for the new federally co-financed platforms as well as the high investment costs had to be financed with loans. The equipment will be depreciated over the entire funding period of 8 years and the third-party loan will be amortized by the end of these 8 years.

The Balgrist Association and the Balgrist Foundation have provided generous loans. The Board of Directors expresses its sincere thanks for this support.

Accounting and payments continued to be handled by Interconsulta AG, Zurich. The audit was carried out by the elected Lienhard Audit AG.

Tenants at Balgrist Campus 

The Balgrist Campus has been fully booked since 2019. In the year under review, the lease agreement with the University of Zurich for the various Children's Hospital research groups was extended until fall 2024 due to the delays in the construction of the new Children's Hospital Zurich.

Organization

At the 11th General Assembly (Universal Assembly) on June 7, 2022, all motions of the Board of Directors were adopted/confirmed. The Swiss government has an observer status in the Board of Directors (without voting rights) as part of its support for the three platforms.

Balgrist Campus AG appreciates the good cooperation with the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support.

The Board of Directors held four meetings in 2022. The discussions focused on finances including long-term financing of the three open research platforms, space allocations as well as the power shortage situation and the corresponding necessary measures.

The Board of Directors and management would like to thank all employees and users of the Balgrist Campus for their excellent cooperation and especially all supporters for their substantial help, without which cutting-edge research would not be possible.