As we are approaching the end of the year, it has come the time to reflect on our accomplishments and to look forward for the opportunities that will arise in 2023. This year, we have embarked in many journeys that could really make a difference in our region in terms of accelerating the digital transition in healthcare.
As we are approaching the end of the year, it has come the time to reflect on our accomplishments and to look forward for the opportunities that will arise in 2023. This year, we have embarked in many journeys that could really make a difference in our region in terms of accelerating the digital transition in healthcare. Out of them, we would like to outline the following milestones that have been attainted in 2022:
North East Regional Development Agency is part of the ”Science meets regions” program, coordinated by the Joint Research Center, as members of the consortium organized under the umbrella of Vanguard Initiative. The overall aim of the Science meets Regions program is to stimulate interregional collaboration in order to find solutions to common challenges at European level, to facilitate the digital transition in healthcare and to implement mechanisms to reduce the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on society.
The event ‘Accelerating the digital transformation of health services in the North East Region’ aimed to strengthen collaboration between hospital managers, specialists, researchers, innovators, representatives of the medical industry and public authorities in order to identify, develop and implement innovative solutions to problems that are being faced in the national healthcare system. Between 9 and 10th of June 2022, in Piatra Neamt, plenary sessions were organized on topics related to the digitalization of the health system, presentations of examples of good practice at European level, the role of Artificial Intelligence in medical diagnosis as well as funding opportunities in the field of digital health. but also participatory workshops according to the methodological model “Innovation Camp” proposed by the JRC, in order to identify the possibilities of ensuring the interoperability of medical data at regional, national and European level. An important part of the proposed program was dedicated to the presentation of innovative technical solutions for the digitalization of the healthcare system.
At regional level, our Digital Innovation Hub became an eDIH unde the name “Digital Innovation Zone* eDIH-Manufacturing & Smart Health for better business, life and world in the North East Romania Region” or, in short, eDIH-DIZ, with a budget of 4 million Euros. eDIH-DIZ was created to provide assistance and support to SMEs and public institutions in the manufacturing and health sectors in the digital transformation process. This will happen by integrating technologies that can increase competitive advantages, reduce emissions and waste, optimize production and bring new services and products to market.
The Health Cluster of the Region, Imago-Mol, has various projects in implementation that are in strong connection with the development of digital health solutions. For example, Iasi Smart Health City is a project coordinated by the cluster and funded by Structural Funds. Its general objective is to increase the capacity of non-governmental organizations and social partners in the city of Iasi to get involved in the formulation and development of the smart health concept as a vertical of the local smart city policy.
Also, Imago-Mol Cluster is the coordinator of the Precision MEDICine Clusters integrating Digital Technologies for New EcoSystems in HealThcare (MEDIC-NEST) project, financed by the European Cluster Excellence Program COS-CLUSTER-2020-3-03, for which the activities started on February 1, 2022. The partner clusters are: Medvia from Belgium, Hellenic Biocluster from Greece and Biotecyl (Cluster De Salud De Castilla Y Leon) from Spain. The overall objective of the MEDIC-NEST project is to strengthen the excellence of cluster management and to facilitate strategic partnerships, as well as exchanges between clusters and ecosystems specializing in precision medicine in Europe.
One of the opportunities to facilitate the exchanges between clusters is the SMART HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES in medical diagnostic and treatment FORUM, an event that will bring together various gamechangers determined to make systemic improvements in healthcare.
Between 7 and 9 of February 2023, in Iasi, Romania there will be 3 full days of activities such as panel sessions, debates, project generation roundtable, site visits and an European Smart Health pitching competition in order to enhance collaboration, exchange know-how and facilitate the internationalization of medical business. Also, the forum will host a Smart health Technologies Alley aiming to showcase the newest solutions in this sector.
The Forum is organized in partnership with Hellenic BioCluster, MEDVIA (Belgium) and Biotecyl (Spain) under the framework of MEDIC-NEST project and represents an opportunity to implement a COSME ClusterXchange scheme and to strengthen the cooperation between European clusters and their members in the field of precision medicine.
We are looking forward to welcome ECHAlliance members in Iasi, known as one of the fastest growing tech hubs in Europe, being home to a highly skilled IT community and to health & med tech companies active mainly in digital health, diagnostics and pharmaceuticals.
