A life-savin project has taen shape as University o Glesga’s first nae-for-profit social enterprise spinoot. KEPsoft Collaborative, born frae da wark o fower European research institutions, plans tae boost da odds for kidney patients tae find life-chyngin matches wi livin donors. Da venture sprang frae da jynt wark o University o Glesga, INESC TEC in Portugal, da Budapest-based HUN-REN Centre for Economic an Regional Studies (KRTK), an Óbuda University.

Da new company offers a saftware platform dat helps connect dose in need wi transplant options. Da plan has aaready bin uised by national groups rinnin kidney exchynge programmes tae tie donors tae recipients. In da United Kinrick, algorithms devised by Professor David Manlove an colleagues steered da UK Livin Kidney Sharin Scheme, Europe’s lairgest o its kind. Reports estimate dat atween 2008 an 2024, dese plans paved da wey for aroond 600 extra kidney transplants compared tae earlier methods.

Short-term plans centre on transplant groups in Europe, yet mony lands lack sic donor-swap schemes. Wi an estimated 850 million fowk warldwide facin kidney problems, KEPsoft Collaborative aims tae shed licht on a grave need.

A new project cried EURO-KEP is set tae back national an international kidney exchynge programmes in Europe. Da endeavour, led by da Organización Nacional de Trasplantes (Spanish National Transplant Organisation) an co-backed unner da EU4Health programme, will further shape da KEPsoft platform. Da project team his earned praise wi a prize frae da Converge Create Change Challenge in 2024.

Vijay Luthra, CEO o KEPsoft Collaborative an a renal transplant recipient, said: “Da social enterprise model allous us tae focus on da needs o da maist important stakehaaders, namely kidney patients waitin for a transplant. It recognises da collaborative naiture o da wark, includin by oor foondin memmers. Oor goal is tae mak kidney transplantation mair accessible tae patients aroond Europe an ayont, an tae dat eyn we are maist gratefu for da financial an operational support provided by Da Challenges Group Ventures Lab an by Community Enterprise in Scotland (CEIS).”

Professor David Manlove, Scientific Adviser tae KEPsoft Collaborative at University o Glesga, said: “Ayont da foondin institutions, da project his enjoyed wide collaboration includin da ENCKEP COST Action (funded by European Union) dat haed 28 pairticipatin kintras. KEPsoft his haed inpit frae stakehaaders frae a range o disciplines, includin policy makers, clinicians, surgeons, nephrologists, immunologists, computer scientists an economists.”

University o Glesga Head o Commercialisation Mel Anderson said: “Da KEPsoft saftware platform his da potential tae transform lives by significantly improvin da nummer o kidney transplants throu optimisin donor-tae-patient matchin. Wi its pairtner universities in Portugal an Hungary, University o Glesga his created KEPsoft Collaborative, a not-for-profit social enterprise tae drive deployment an adoption o dis important platform. Dis is da first o University’s nae for profit social enterprise ventures aimed at deliverin social guid frae research-led innovation. We wish da KEPsoft team ivery success.”

Dis fresh venture staunds as a firm effort tae ease da harsh toll o kidney failure an tae mend lives wi smairt, weel-aimed donor matchin.