For Oncode Institute, 2025 was a year dedicated to further deepening our expertise and preparing for the future. The past year demonstrated that the strength of our model lies not only in excellent basic research but specifically in the combination of science, collaboration, and targeted development toward clinical application.

The results of 2025 confirm that this approach works. Researchers within the Oncode community achieved new scientific breakthroughs, expanded international collaborations, and advanced innovations toward clinical application. At the same time, it became clear how important structural collaboration is for ensuring that scientific insights actually contribute to better patient care.

It also became clear where the challenges lie. Significant bottlenecks still exist, particularly in the phase between fundamental discovery and broad application. Many innovations require long-term development, specialized expertise, and funding that is not readily available. This is especially true for applications that can have great societal value but do not always fit within a traditional commercial model.

In 2025, therefore, efforts were focused not only on scientific and societal impact but also on strengthening the foundation for the future of Oncode Institute. The renewed collaboration with KWF Kankerbestrijding, the further development of the Oncology Bridge Fund, and new partnerships with public and private partners represent important steps toward ensuring continuity and enabling further scaling up.

The experiences of the past year confirm that the Netherlands possesses a strong knowledge base and internationally leading researchers. At the same time, they demonstrate that accelerating innovation requires greater coherence, long-term collaboration, and targeted support throughout the development chain. Given its cross-institutional role, Oncode Institute is well positioned to continue serving as a connector in this regard.

The strategic challenge for the coming years is clear: to build on a proven model, further broaden collaboration, and ensure that scientific insights reach patients, society, and healthcare practice more quickly and effectively.