The International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IIMCB) was created with the support of UNESCO, Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) and the Polish Government and started its activity in 1999. The Institute is a unique, innovative, based on the best world standards research centre, known for it’s scientific excellence. In 2010, IIMCB was ranked first among 36 biological institutions in Poland.However, our aim is to position us at a level of excellence comparable to the best European entities.To achieve this goal, we plan to create the FishMed Centre to be the first zebrafish research and breeding facility in Poland. Zebrafish is an excellent organism to study various aspects of human disease because it is fully transparent until adulthood, and its metabolism is similar to that of mammals. The FishMed Centre proposal has five objectives that can be achieved, documented, and verified. The first objective is the twinning of seven IIMCB groups with six excellent European zebrafish centres. These include the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim, the Universities of Cambridge, Leiden, Sheffield, and Geneva, and an Austrian Institute of Science and Technology. The twinning Partners will share their zebrafish models and know-how in joint projects with regard to cancer, neurodegeneration, epigenetics, and tissue regeneration. The second objective is to develop a zebrafish breeding facility and organize a new research group headed by a leader selected in an international competition. The third objective is to upgrade equipment. The last two objectives are to increase the innovation potential of IIMCB through reinforcement of the technology transfer unit and create a visibility platform to interact with scientific and non-scientific communities.Thanks to FishMed Centre, we will make IIMCB more attractive to excellent new group leaders and experienced researchers, and we will have higher innovation potential, measured by medically relevant discoveries, patent applications, and license agreements.