Public and private organisations in Denmark’s North Jutland region are joining forces to develop innovative new products and services for the health and welfare sector. The EU-supported Health Technology Services Programme is creating at least 28 collaborative projects that bring together the region’s entrepreneurs, businesses and knowledge institutions. This is bringing solutions to market that will help patients or assist healthcare workers and welfare providers in their work.
- 29 July 2020
The programme contributes establishing successful collaborations across public and private sectors. The projects provide great value to all partners and lead to solutions that match users needs. Projects have resulted in the creation of several new jobs, involved companies have decided to allocate more resources to innovation and turnovers have increased, with options for export.
The main activities carried out through the programme include matching private and public sector organisations that could work together to generate innovation. Project ideas are screened before the best ones are selected and implemented.
Open workshops bring project partners together, where needs, ideas and results are shared. Through the programme, 60 companies are working with research institutions and 32 of the companies are being supported to bring new products to the marketplace.
Solid results
Twelve projects already completed through the programme have generated 15 jobs so far, with more expected over time. While the programme runs until 2021, many projects have already delivered innovation and new products.
For example, one project has come up with a ‘digital diary’ to help sufferers of Parkinson’s disease and their carers. The diary consists of an app which the patient uses and a medical report for the neurologist. Through the app, the patient can record their symptoms and intake of medication. Activity and sleep patterns are automatically logged with a digital watch. Healthcare professional can use all information generated to inform their treatment plans.
Another project team has developed a robotic aid to help physiotherapists. A platform and robot arm assist bedridden patients perform repetitive leg movement exercises, which takes the strain off the therapist. The device can help with active training, supporting weaker patients as they try to move their arms and legs during essential exercises.
Genuine innovation
Other effective collaborations include the development of:
A decision-support system for antibiotic therapy; An optical platform for the topographical analysis of skin structure; A clinically secure storage system that allows patients to have their personal belongings with them in hospital; and Robot-assisted technology that helps take ultrasounds in an ergonomic way, thereby reducing the physical burden on healthcare professionals.The Health Technology Services Programme is administrated by Life Science Innovation North Denmark based in Aalborg, which has assembled a partnership consisting of University College Northern Jutland, University of Aalborg and Region Northern Jutland.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Health Technology Services Programme” is EUR 4 832 215, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 2 416 107 through the “Innovation and Sustainable Growth in Businesses” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Research and innovation”.