National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)

28 Oct Municipal Solid Waste: What to do with the biodegradables?

National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2010
Based on the disciplines of biology, molecular biology, chemistry, biotechnology as well as information technology and engineering sciences, a new field of research is evolving, called synthetic biology. It has attracted special attention recently, also on an international basis. Synthetic biology can make an essential contribution to the gaining of knowledge in basic research. Beyond that, it opens up options for biotechnological applications in the medium term, i.e. in the area of new and improved diagnostic agents, vaccines and drugs as well as the development of new biosensors and biomaterials or even biofuels. Concurrently, the research area opens up new questions, e.g. about legal aspects in the context of biological safety or the protection from abuse; likewise, questions about the economic use and ethical aspects. Against this backdrop, the German Research Foundation (DFG), acatech, which is the German Academy for Science and Engineering, and the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina have pooled their strengths and crafted a joint statement on possible opportunities and risks of synthetic biology.
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22 Oct Round Table Medical Technology – Ways to an Expedited Approval and Compensation Procedure for Innovative Medical Products

National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2009
Medical technology is an important component of health care—but many hurdles have to be overcome on the way from a clever idea to an innovation in medical technology that is successfully established on the market: a key problem is the long approval and compensation ways for innovations in medical technology that make difficult fast growth and thus the creation of jobs. acatech has been dedicated for several years now to an improvement of the structural conditions for the implementation of innovations in medical technology.With the “Round Table Medical Technology” event, an urgently needed discussion about the maintenance and promotion of the competitiveness of medical technology in Germany has been initiated. The publication summarizes the main positions of the Round Table and presents ways of making the access of new medical technology to the health care market easier.
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22 Oct The Innovative Power of Health Technologies Recommendations for the sustainable promotion of innovation in medical technology

National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2014
Health technology and modern medical technology play a key role in healthcare provision in Germany. They provide systems that help patients make a quicker and more complete recovery, help doctors prescribe more targeted treatments with fewer side-effects and allow people with disabilities to lead independent lives. Medical technology encompasses imaging techniques such as X-ray technology, diagnostic measurement techniques such as electrocardiography and both active and passive implants such as cardiac pacemakers and artificial joints. In recent years, computer-assisted surgery and hospital information systems have also increasingly come to the fore. New and improved medical products are thus not only of benefit to patients but also to doctors working in a wide range of different fields and indeed to business and society as a whole.
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22 Oct Healthcare for Asylum Seekers

National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2015
The foremost priority of the German healthcare system is to protect the health of every person living in the country, which includes those seeking humanitarian protection in Germany (asylum seekers). Providing asylum seekers with healthcare is presenting new challenges for the German healthcare system. The academies have identified the following key areas for action: (I) providing medical examinations and care in the initial reception centres, (II) careand treatment of people suffering from mental illnesses and trauma, (III) meeting the demand for qualified personnel, (IV) taking linguistic and cultural needs into consideration, (V) expanding the scope of available data and research. The academies recommend that specialized polyclinics provide medical care in the initial reception centres. The tasks of these clinics should include: ensuring medical expertise that is sensitive to cultural and religious needs; providing (specialist) interpreters; actively engaging with the structuring and organisation of reception centres; networking with hospitals, on-site doctors, and social welfare organisations.
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22 Oct Public Health in Germany – Structures, Developments and Global Challenges

National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2015
Public health is an important integrative science, translating basic research into better health of populations. Present academic structures for public health research and teaching in Germany are fragmented and, despite continuing efforts and progress, do not always meet national needs and international standards in either scope or scale. Although there are excellent individuals and institutions working in public and global health in Germany, as can be concluded from publication and citation analysis and other indicators, they need increased political support, improved structures and significant research investment.
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22 Oct Individualised Medicine Prerequisites and Consequences

National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2014
One of medicine’s central goals has been and is to heal, relieve or even prevent patients’ diseases. At the beginning of the 21st century, biomedical research and clinical medicine are undergoing a transformation, described by many as a paradigm shift. New approaches based on genome analyses and biomedical technologies are making it possible to analyse biological processes more precisely and more thoroughly than ever before. Associated with this is the goal of better understanding the causes of disease, providing accurate diagnoses, and last but not least, developing highly effective, precisely targeted therapies that have few side effects. For example, our understanding of why people who apparently have the same illness react differently to the same therapy is growing. ‘Individualised Medicine’ is an approach that adds another dimension to our understanding of illnesses. However, a number of ethical, legal and economic questions are associated with Individualised Medicine. This Statement depicts current developments, challenges and framework conditions of Individualised Medicine.
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22 Oct Incorporating the German Energiewende into a comprehensive European approach – New options for a common energy and climate policy

National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2017
The working hypothesis underlying the academies’ position paper is that climate protection is the main objective in the efforts leading to a transition of the energy system (“Energiewende”). The statement describes different options for an incorporation of the German Energiewende into a comprehensive European approach. It focuses on the EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) as a key instrument for tackling climate change and facilitating European market integration. Furthermore, it describes how the EU ETS could be complemented by measures strengthening the European internal electricity market. Subsequently, the issued recommendations are reviewed regarding their legal feasibility and compliance with European law.
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22 Oct Medical care for older people – what evidence do we need?

National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2017
In Germany today, reaching a very old age is no longer an exception. About 4.5 million people (5.4 percent of the population) are 80 years of age and older, and their numbers continue to grow. In recent decades, the over 85-year-olds have been the group with the fastest and greatest gain in life span and many positive developments for this growing population group have been recorded. The increasing life expectancy and the improved health of older people over a longer period are also attributable to therapeutic and preventive measures, in addition to other factors. Sick old people, however, may possibly have entirely different medical needs than younger people; this is not sufficiently reflected in the German healthcare system. The high standard in medicine, not only in relation to medical care, but also in research of diseases and the development of therapies, focuses typically on middle-aged patients with a single disease. Accordingly, knowledge gained from the treatment of middle-aged people is frequently also applied for older patients – although they differ both physically and mentally from younger people in terms of their medical care priorities and personal circumstances. This does not comply with good scientific practice, and often leads not only to inappropriate care, but may occasionally also actually endanger the concerned patients. Older people, who frequently suffer from multiple chronic disorders, take many medications at the same time, each of which focuses on one individual ailment. This polypharmaceutical treatment does not at times correspond to the health targets of older patients and may even pose a considerable health risk. There is a lack of external evidence on how to improve treatment for multimorbid older and very old people. There is also a lack of guidelines that indicate the current knowledge gaps and risks. At the same time, important medications are often not offered. Therefore, research to provide specific scientific evidence specifically for older people is absolutely essential. New treatment objectives come to the fore and determine the indication for pharmacotherapeutic, surgical and other interventions: In younger patients cure, restoration of working ability or long-term prognoses determine the course of action. In older patients, these priorities are often replaced by independence, quality of life despite complaints, and the relief of symptoms. The pressure for a quick and effective change to the healthcare situation of older people is growing continuously in line with the rapid demographic change. Physicians, therapists and carers alike must adjust to old and very old people in their daily work – particularly in hospital care. This also applies to basic, advanced and continuing staff training and the cooperation with other health care providers. At all points in the medical care chain, from the lack of scientific evidence to the implementation in practical care, the focus must be on older people and their specific needs.
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22 Oct Academies call for consequences from the Ebola virus epidemic

National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2017
The Ebola virus is spreading rapidly and to an unexpected extent. The outbreak does not follow the patterns experienced in the past and the virus shows a new disease dynamic in regions, where it has never been recorded before. The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, acatech – the German Academy of Science and Engineering, and the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities call for the following consequences to be taken: To combat the Ebola epidemic vaccines and antivirals are urgently needed. To meet this need, the further development of experimental vaccines and medicines for clinical application needs to be accelerated. Even if the pathogen should temporarily disappear again, research must continue as a precautionary measure because another outbreak is highly probable. Such precautionary measures must also include ensuring that sufficient quantities of available vaccines and antivirals are stockpiled in case of a new outbreak. Increasing medical and social science research in this area is also vitally important for future preparedness.
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22 Oct On Designing Communication between the Scientific Community, the Public and the Media. Recommendations in light of current developments

National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2017
Science and journalism are among the essential pillars of a democratic society. Despite their necessary mutual independence and their often divergent purposes, both freedoms also fulfil similar functions. They supply policy-makers and society with a diverse array of information that is as reliable as possible, reinforcing the education and knowledge of the population and stimulating democratic discourse. They should also provide a basis for reasoned political, economic and technological decisions. The academies responsible for this position paper believe that the appropriate exercise of this function is being impaired by a series of developments in the scientific and media systems. For example, the economic conditions in both the media and the scientific community have noticeably changed in recent years. The academies are concerned about the aforementioned development and consider it necessary that the scientific community and the media itself, as well as political decision-makers and society, take a more active role in ensuring the future quality of generally accessible information, including scientific knowledge and its representation in the media. The recommendations expressed in the present policy paper aim to provide food for thought for decision-making authorities and in this way to counter the undesirable developments that have been observed.
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