Fondazione Bracco established the Felder Award to celebrate Prof. Ernst Felder. At the head of the group’s pharmaceutical research, the great scientist discovered Iopamidol, a non-ionic contrast medium that revolutionised diagnostic imaging worldwide. With funding of one million euros from Fondazione Bracco and the collaboration of Politecnico di Milano and Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, the purpose of the award is to seek out talented researchers who will return to Italy and work on a project in the biomedical field with focus on the microfluidic intensification of pharmaceutical processes. At the same time, this project can help to create a centre of excellence in Italy as a hub to attract young experts in these themes.

The initiative is inserted within Politecnico di Milano’s purpose of strengthening research into biomedical devices, process chemistry and microfluidic chemistry, creating a centre of excellence that can become a hub of excellence for the entire Italian ecosystem. In this perspective, the Rector Ferruccio Resta has underlined the importance of creating great alliances with the world of companies, to play a key role in directing the evolution of sectors that, today, are less guided by engineering, such as life sciences, health and healthcare. These sectors will become totally transformed by the introduction of big data, data analytics and new biometrics devices.