Health care systems face major financial challenges. We aim to direct our research and development activities toward developing innovative products and renal therapies that not only meet high quality standards that improve clinical outcomes, but are also affordable. As an operator of proprietary dialysis clinics and a provider of products for treating patients at home, we believe that these aims are entirely compatible. We are also in a strong position to provide life-saving therapies and treatments to patients suffering from acute kidney failure due to COVID-19.
Our research and development strategy contributes to our strategy 2025 which aims to provide health care for chronically and critically ill patients across the renal care continuum, in critical settings and by acquiring and developing complementary assets. It is globally orientated, enabling us to respond even better to the worldwide rise in demand for high-quality yet cost-efficient treatment and therapy methods. In doing so, we also take regional market conditions into account and offer a differentiated product range across all three key areas of our strategy 2025.
In the future, we intend to deliver innovative, competitive products even more efficiently and strengthen our focus on developing countries. In addition to research and development activities within our Company, we collaborate with external partners with the aim of building a comprehensive innovation and technology network. These partners include numerous academic institutions, such as research institutes at prestigious universities in the U.S. Another partner is the Renal Research Institute in New York. This subsidiary of Fresenius Medical Care North America is a renowned institution in the field of clinical research into all aspects of chronic kidney failure. Together, we are working on fundamental issues relating to renal therapies. We are also increasingly collaborating with start-ups with the objective of promoting an open culture of innovation and enabling access to the latest technologies.
