During the first year with DigitalWell Arena, much of the work has been about anchoring the investment and establishing cooperation. This has meant a busy schedule for the process managers, resulting in over 150 meetings with potential stakeholders.
One could describe 2019 a bit like an ongoing tour for DigitalWell Arena's process managers Magnus Bårdén and Cecilia Karlsson. It has involved identifying possible collaboration partners, study visits, meetings with decision-makers and entrepreneurs. The topics have touched on everything from looking for test beds to listening to innovators and meeting politicians.
A large number of study visits have also been carried out, including at Norway Health Tech in Oslo and at the giant innovation hub MaRs in Toronto. Cecilia Karlsson participated together with the Forum for Health Policy network on a trip to Amsterdam. There, among other things, they got to listen to the Dutch government's e-health initiative and visit Ksyos, a "virtual care center" that offers services that facilitate communication between caregivers and patients, primarily with the aim of increasing the efficiency of primary care. Ksyo's network includes over 13,000 specialists and general practitioners, and every year over 250,000 patients are treated via digital services.
Many new collaborations have also been initiated during the year, including with other innovation hubs, clusters, entrepreneurs and companies. DigitalWell Arena was on site in Almedalen and the newly established movement MIND//SHIFT participated, which will engage everything from business and the public sector, to non-profit associations and civil society to jointly shift the focus from mental illness to mental well-being.
Cecilia Karlsson at IHubs Capacity's training for innovation leaders, one of many forums where DigitalWell Arena has made contacts.
- Moving forward is a lot about contacts and lobbying. We are lobbying for more people to become interested in the DigitalWell Arena initiative and contribute to a more proactive health society, says Cecilia Karlsson.
According to her, a reaction that has become clear is that there is a lack of a solution for future challenges around health and welfare, and that cooperation between different skills, resources and leadership is therefore crucial.
Many become interested and want to be involved in projects and innovation and test bed environments. It is noticeable that there is a drive for change in the public sector, where people are also prepared to work with actors other than the culturally usual ones, says Cecilia Karlsson.
Is there any question that crystallized as particularly important in the initial stage?
- Everyone is talking about data collection and infrastructure, in order to have value-creating data for the welfare society in the future. Design methodology and user involvement in combination with data and that we involve different people and organizations at different levels in the questions. It is both about opportunities that today are obstacles, for example legislation that needs to be adapted, but also access to environments for collaboration in testbeds.
Are there any groups or topics that will receive extra focus this year?
- DigitalWell Arena focuses on health and preventive efforts, where the individual is the most important resource in the future development of services that strengthen health. We will therefore work within identified areas of need, where digital support can really be a force for the individual's value creation. We will focus on data and data infrastructure, security and prediction – that is, preventive measures to maintain and strengthen one's health.
Magnus Bårdén in Oslo in connection with the AI event AIM2 North. There were several visits to Norway in 2019, including at Norway Health Tech.
