CONNECTINGHEALTH Focus Group: Civil Society

The CONNECTINGHEALTH project is focused on connecting the dots within digital health innovation ecosystems. With this in mind, we are creating a roadmap for future multi-stakeholder collaborations to foster interconnected, inclusive innovation ecosystems across Europe, maxisimising the value of innovation in the sector of digital health.

We are now building out a Multi-Year Action Plan thanks to all of the cumulative efforts of the project to date, but we would like to have your input too! 

We are setting the stage for how our efforts can be applied, aiming to provide specific policy recommendations for tangible and lasting impact. For this purpose, we are applying the Quadruple Helix for Innovation in recognising that innovation is a multi-faceted process that requires active involvement of diverse stakeholders. Composed of civil society, academia, industry, and government, this model  emphasizes the collaborative and interactive relationships among these four components leading to effective solutions that address societal challenges, promote economic development, and enhance the overall well-being of communities.

Join us for one of four rounds of dedicated focus groups from late 2023 to early 2024, where we will work to uncover and better understand the opportunities, enablers, and barriers of each group in relation to the future of (digital) health innovation implementation. 

This focus group has a clear target group: Civil Society. 

1. • Civil society represents non-profit organisations, such as patient groups, community groups, activists, and citizens at large. 
   • In the context of the Quadruple Helix model, civil society plays an active role as a partner in the innovation process. Citizens provide feedback, voice concerns, and actively participate in decision-making processes related to innovation. Non-profit organisations often focus on social and environmental issues, guiding innovation toward solutions that benefit the broader society. Civil society involvement ensures that innovations are socially responsible, ethically sound, and acceptable to the public.

Take a look at the full calendar of focus group meetings below:

Following this, we will conduct 2 verifying workshops in 2024 where we bring all 4 elements of the Helix together to ensure a holistic approach, diversity of perspectives, social acceptance, enhanced sustainability, and increased innovation – stay tuned!