European Commission

• 1.2.1. Strategic Research policies

NovaMedTech is a regional project in East Middle Sweden, which purpose is to create good conditions within industrial medicine techniques and to develop new products and services in health care. The initiative is realised within the operational programme of East Middle Sweden and is a part of the action programme Innovative Environments. The main goals of NovaMedTech are to:

• Build networks in healthcare, industry and research;
• Build up product development and research environments, e.g. within medicine techniques for personal health care;
• Develop and commercialise new medicine products; and
• Increase growth within medicine techniquse in the East Middle Sweden region.

NovaMedTech is striving to further develop an arena for innovations and entrepreneurship, and to develop the existing innovation environments in order to fulfill the outlined goals.

• Applied business research
• Innovation networks
• Innovation in the service sector

• Other

During the first 3-year period, a very positive outcome was achieved, measured in terms of project performance against the targets / indicators set by the project. This work has resulted in the development of a system / structure with various tools / methods, to give the actors in the network opportunities to take an idea to product. 39 development projects have been active in NovaMedTech. Their tangible results can be mentioned, for example 42 product ideas have been tested clinically, while 34 prototypes have been developed and commercialized. In addition, five new businesses were started, 27 new jobs created, and a high degree of knowledge and skills growth achieved.

In light of these results the project received additional financing for three years. The project has continued to show good results and the model to find and support good ideas to market seems to be sustainable.

• NovaMedTech has worked a lot with preventing regional conflicts, and done well with it. In large collaborative projects, it is important to understand this risk and work with it.
• It is important to allocate resources for the accounting and administration at an early stage. NovaMedTech had great difficulty in the beginning to understand the procedures and requirements. The information from the Swedish Agency of Regional and Economic Growth was not clear at first.
• NovaMedTech has continuously worked for a clear project management model, where all activities are clarified and can be monitored. 
• Being clear in the internal information. Conflicts have arisen due to lack of internal information.
• Being clear in the mission statement and to anchor the goals at the beginning of the project and continually develop the goals and discuss them with ongoing activities. It is amazing how different images people in the project may have of what the goals are and how they are reached.
• Consolidation of the project in the different organizations involved in our county, municipality and academia is very important.

Yes

• Linköping University