DigitalWell Arena is moving forward with plans to become part of a European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH). Together with four other regional innovation hubs, Linnaeus University and RISE, an application has been sent to Vinnova.
The association goes by the name Health Innovation of Sweden. There is a wide geographical spread among the digital innovation hub's parties. From Blekinge Digital Health in the south to the Geolife Region in the north. All five regional actors in the application have ongoing investments in digital health.
- DigitalWell Arena is already working today with what Health Innovation of Sweden is supposed to do, but the other actors have complementary competences and test beds. It creates great opportunities for the innovative companies that DigitalWell Arena has a relationship with today and in the future, says Magnus Bårdén, Managing Director of DigitalWell Arena.
In its application, Health Innovation of Sweden focuses on two main goals. One is to use digital technology to contribute to a more individual-based, preventive healthcare. By giving individuals greater opportunities to influence their own health, opportunities are created for more equal care.
- In order to meet our future health challenges, we need to work with innovation in close cooperation between operations, industry and research. Digital innovation hubs should make it easier to carry out innovation in collaboration, says Magnus Bårdén.
Technology gives the individual opportunities
The second main goal is linked to Sweden's initiative Nära vård - where the closest care is the one to which the patient or user can contribute themselves. The investment is an agreement between the government and SKR (Swedish Municipalities and Regions) and includes a total of SEK 5.9 billion to support municipalities and regions in the transition work.
- These are services that we should all be able to use safely when needed, if you are sick or want to prevent illness or just want to live a healthier life. Services that see people as a resource and where each person's needs are in focus. With digital technology, there are completely new conditions for individualizing society's health services, says Magnus Bårdén.
Health Innovation of Sweden's role will be to support development, help with implementation, educate and contribute to creating security around new digital solutions. Not least knowledge in cyber security will be an important factor, where Health Innovation of Sweden can assist with expert knowledge, for example about how data can be shared securely.
A main task will also be to make it easier for business and the public sector to jointly drive the development of new digital health services. Often, thresholds in the form of different organizations' working methods, cultures and values are a bigger obstacle than the technological development.
Large availability of test environments
Access to environments where new technology and innovative solutions can be tested is therefore central. Health Innovation of Sweden's partners have access to a large number of test environments and test beds for a variety of purposes.
- A solid knowledge of testing in real environments as well as an impressive platform of various test beds creates the conditions for innovative companies to get closer to society's challenges and public actors. The public sector gets an arena where it is possible to try out the new, evaluate, develop further and get support to scale up good solutions to the entire operation and to other actors, says Magnus Bårdén.
The parties that are part of Health Innovation of Sweden are, apart from DigitalWell Arena:
RISE, Linnaeus University (coordinator), Leap For Life (Halmstad), eHealth Arena (Calmar), Geolife Region (Gävle), Blekinge Digital Health.
European Digital Innovation Hubs – 16 Swedish applications
The investment in European Digital Innovation Hubs is part of the EU's Digital Europe programme. The aim is for each Member State to have at least one EDIH by the start of the program in 2021. The aim is to support the digital transformation of the economy and society and ensure that European citizens and businesses can reap the benefits. The hubs should invite cross-border cooperation.
Five key areas have been identified for EDIH's activities: HPC (High Performance Computing), AI, cybersecurity and trust, advanced digital skills, and the deployment and use of digital capabilities.
In total, 16 Swedish applications to become an EDIH have been received by Vinnova, which will present a list of candidates to the government for a decision. Sweden's candidates will then be forwarded to the EU Commission, and thus given the opportunity to apply in future EU calls. In total, between four and eight Swedish EDIHs are estimated to be relevant.
According to Staffan Nyström, responsible for the announcement at Vinnova, a similar matchmaking that has already been done in the Swedish application process will take place at the European level on November 9-10. It also opens up an opportunity for EDIHs with parties from several countries.
