CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovation is already beginning to emerge at Charlotte's new innovation district, "The Pearl." IRCAD, the French-based research and training institute for the world's finest surgeons, announced today that The Pearl is its first choice to establish its exclusive North American headquarters. The institute would anchor the first research building in the soon-to-be-constructed The Pearl innovation district, adjacent to the forthcoming campus of Wake Forest University School of Medicine – Charlotte.

IRCAD specializes in educating physicians from around the world in minimally invasive surgery techniques. It also features fundamental research laboratories and research and development units in computer science and robotics that design and develop tools for diagnosis, surgical planning and simulation aimed at improving and making surgical procedures safer. Founded in 1994, IRCAD opened on the grounds of the University Hospital of Strasbourg, France, and has expanded to six training centers in five countries, but none in North America. It currently trains more than 7,200 physicians annually in 18 specialties and maintains the no-cost training website WeBSurg, the world's leading destination for online education in minimally invasive surgery.

"When Atrium Health first announced its commitment to build an innovation district in Charlotte, we could only dream that we would be able to secure an anchor tenant with the reputation – and more importantly, the impact – of IRCAD," said Eugene A. Woods, president and CEO of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Atrium Health. "We envision IRCAD being a 'super magnet,' attracting businesses, physicians and surgeons to train and collaborate in the latest surgical techniques, including: robotics, medical virtual and augmented reality, surgical artificial intelligence and simulation training.

"IRCAD will also help bring together educators, learners, physicians, scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors from around the world to The Pearl. Without question, in combination with the Innovation Quarter in Winston-Salem, the state of North Carolina will be the epicenter for global health innovation, education and research," he said.

"We have been looking for the right North American partner for some time," said Professor Jacques Marescaux (mare-ehs-kó), a surgeon and the president and founder of IRCAD. "We weighed opportunities with some of the most prominent names in academic medicine but, for us, aligning with the rising star of Atrium Health and its renowned clinical excellence is the perfect fit. Having the opportunity to become part of the new innovation district and its proximity to Wake Forest University School of Medicine – Charlotte, in its formative stages, will allow us to grow and excel together as we train the world's best surgeons with the latest technology, innovations and techniques."

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