Today, Health Data Sweden (HDS), a European digital innovation hub (EDIH) with a focus on health data, was launched. The aim is to accelerate the digital maturity of society and improve the use of health data, to contribute to more efficient healthcare and better health. The free services delivered via HDS are aimed at small and medium-sized companies as well as the public sector in Sweden and Europe.
Healthcare systems today are challenged by a growing and aging population, which requires more efficient and smarter treatments. The challenge is that the budget for healthcare is not increasing at the same rate as the need for it. At the same time, new opportunities for treatment are now emerging thanks to the rapid development of technology and better decision support with the help of algorithms and AI. Learning more from health data can support these changes, and contribute to better care in a cost-effective way.
18 parties in national network
Health Data Sweden offers a one-stop-shop to increase the digital transformation of SMEs and the public sector in health data, using AI, cyber security and high-performance computing. HDS establishes coordinated access to knowledge for Swedish and European stakeholders as well as test beds. The strength lies in cutting-edge research in health data, combined with an ecosystem consisting of 18 parties in a national network.
- HDS unites a Sweden-wide constellation of competence. Being able to spread knowledge and experiences from the best initiatives is a basic prerequisite for us to succeed in creating something valuable from health data. Promoting innovation with health data also requires that we develop the gaps we identify in Sweden's competence. This will create value for our citizens, says Sebastiaan Meijer, professor of healthcare logistics at KTH and project coordinator Health data Sweden.
DigitalWelll Arena's team in HDS together with KTH's project management. From left: Magnus Bårdén, Aline de Santa Izabel, Jonas Matthing, Sebastiaan Meijer (Project Coordinator), Erika Tanos and Frida Lindberg (Hub Manager).
The partners are universities, regions, innovation environments and research institutes from all over Sweden. KTH is the coordinator of the project. HDS aims to strengthen the advanced position that Sweden already has in health innovation and use of health data by improving national collaboration. The ecosystem that is created includes all major stakeholders. Cutting-edge knowledge, data access, testbeds and early funding will be available as services for both the public sector and small and medium-sized companies in Sweden and the EU.
Karlstad takes an active role
DigitalWell Arena is one of the 18 parties within HDS, the launch meeting was accompanied by close partner Karlstad municipality. Karlstad has offered to play an active role in contributing to the national development work for health data, through needs-driven innovation that aims to use welfare technology from a person-centered perspective.
- We want to show that a municipality can drive innovation in partnership. We feel brave and are ready to receive with open arms how we can apply health data in new ways, says Ann Otto Nemes, development director in Karlstad Municipality.
Five service areas
The services provided by HDS are divided into five core areas; 1) Competence and training, 2) Access to financing, 3) Access to innovation ecosystems and networks, 4) Test before investment and 5) Development of health data.
More about Health Data Sweden
Health Data Sweden is a three-year project with main funding from EU digital, as well as co-financing from Vinnova and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
HDS is a collaboration between the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Blekinge Institute of Technology, Blue Science Park, Bron Innovation, DigitalWell Arena, eHealth Arena, EIT Digital, EIT Health, Halmstad University, Karlstad University, Karolinska Institutet, Linnaeus University, Region Stockholm, Region Västerbotten, Stockholm University, Stockholm Science City, STUNS Life Science and Uppsala University.
Health data
Health data is all data that can provide information relevant to human health. It can be anything from clinical data from hospitals and doctors, via gene and protein data, to lifestyle habits.
European digital innovation hubs (EDIH)
EDIH's provides technical expertise and testing to enable digital transformation for the public sector and SMEs, with funding from EU Digital.
