QUBIS was proud to sponsor the AIMS Summit Dublin 2026, which brought together leaders from medicine, research, investment and industry for two days of discussion, networking and ambitious thinking about the future of healthcare.
The summit began on 26 August with a Shark Tank competition at IDA Ireland before moving to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) on 27 August. RCSI proved an excellent host, welcoming an impressive line-up of speakers from Ireland and further afield.
It was particularly encouraging to see such strong attendance from across the QUBIS community. A number of our portfolio companies joined the event, alongside researchers and colleagues from Queen’s University Belfast. Their presence reflected the depth of healthcare innovation emerging from Queen’s and the value of bringing researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and clinical leaders together.
Partnerships as a foundation for progress
QUBIS was delighted to contribute to the panel discussion, “Partnerships – A Key to Collective Success.” Chaired by John Nugent, Department Manager for Medical Technologies and Healthcare Services at IDA Ireland, and Professor Ger Curley, Professor of Anaesthesia and Critical Care at RCSI, the session explored the role collaboration plays in translating research and clinical insight into meaningful healthcare innovation.
The panel brought together perspectives from academia, enterprise, healthcare and industry. Contributors included Professor Garry Duffy, Head of the Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine at RCSI; Joe Healy, Head of Research and Innovation at Enterprise Ireland; Professor Ian McGilvray of the University of Toronto; Michael O’Rourke, CEO of Re-Vana Therapeutics; and Brian O’Shaughnessy, Chief Commercial Officer at Uniphar Group.
The discussion reinforced a message that sits at the heart of QUBIS’s work: breakthrough research rarely reaches its full potential in isolation. Strong partnerships are essential to help researchers access commercial expertise, investment, clinical insight and the networks needed to move promising ideas towards real-world impact.
It was especially valuable to hear from Michael O’Rourke of Re-Vana Therapeutics, a QUBIS portfolio company developing innovative long-acting drug-delivery technologies. His contribution demonstrated what can be achieved when world-class research is supported by the right combination of entrepreneurial ambition, specialist expertise and long-term collaboration.
Portfolio companies take on the Shark Tank
The summit also gave emerging companies an opportunity to present their innovations through its Shark Tank competition. We were thrilled to have three QUBIS portfolio companies pitching at the event—a strong demonstration of the quality, confidence and commercial potential within our portfolio.
A major highlight was seeing Ryan Lafferty of Dia Beta Labs named the Shark Tank winner. Dia Beta Labs is developing new approaches to address significant unmet needs in obesity care, and Ryan’s success was a fantastic recognition of both the company’s vision and the strength of its proposition.
Pitching to experienced investors and healthcare leaders is no small challenge. We were immensely proud of all three portfolio companies for representing the QUBIS community so strongly and for showcasing the innovation being developed in Northern Ireland.
Connecting ideas, expertise and opportunity
Across the wider programme, speakers addressed some of healthcare’s most urgent and complex challenges - from obesity and workforce wellbeing to academic medicine, healthcare policy and the relationship between research and clinical practice.
The strength of AIMS Summit Dublin lay not only in the calibre of its speakers, but also in the connections created between people who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to exchange ideas. For QUBIS, sponsoring the summit was an opportunity to support those conversations, champion our portfolio companies and researchers, and strengthen relationships across the healthcare innovation ecosystem.
Our thanks go to RCSI for hosting, to the organisers and fellow sponsors, and to everyone from the QUBIS, Queen’s and portfolio communities who attended and contributed.
Congratulations once again to Ryan Lafferty and the Dia Beta Labs team, and well done to all three of our portfolio companies that took to the Shark Tank stage. It was a memorable event and a powerful reminder of what can happen when research, clinical expertise, enterprise and investment come together.