Innovation to Market (I2M) supports organisations looking to implement digital Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA) solutions

The Innovation to Market (I2M), an initiative developed within the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Health Ageing (EIP on AHA) and led by ECHAlliance, has officially launched the Matchmaking Sessions during the last Conference of Partners held in the occasion of the AAL Forum in Aarhus.

The aim is to support the transformation of health and care in the Digital Single Market, thereby reinforcing the links between the development of solutions by companies, start-ups, and researchers – the supply side, and bridge a gap with the expectations and needs of care providers, policy-makers, insurers and other potential buyers of these products and services – the demand side.

Specifically, the matchmaking will match demand-related unmet needs from healthcare organisations with supply-led digital solutions. It targets healthcare providers, insurers and pharmaceutical companies looking for a concrete AHA digital solution and who are ready to implement it in their organisation. I2M Partners will:

• Help them to clarify their needs and requirements
• Research the best matching solutions
• Organise a physical matchmaking session where participants can meet, facilitating introductions and networking. 

Why to participate?

The aim of this matchmaking is accelerating commercialisation. The benefits to participate for healthcare organisations are: 

• Meet the latest technological developments in AHA that can solve their need
• Connect with other healthcare providers who have similar needs
• Access a large network of European innovators
• Gain visibility in the European healthcare community as an innovative healthcare organisation through social media, press releases and other media coverage. 

The benefits for AHA solution providers are:

• Connect with potential customers
• Get a better understanding of customers’ and users’ needs
• Gain visibility in the European healthcare community as an excellent solution provider through social media, press releases and other media coverage.

Selected participants will have the chance to attend the session which will be organised in the frame of 4YFN.

4YFN is the startup event of the world’s largest exhibition for the mobile industry, GSMA MWC. 4YFN convenes the brightest talent with the greatest ideas to develop the technologies of tomorrow. 4YFN is where top-flight investors connect with the hottest startups to change the world and where major corporations find early stage innovation to acquire or commercialise. 4YFN is committed to build the startup ecosystem for a better future.

How to participate?

If you are a public or private healthcare/social organisation, submit your digital need now. Deadline for submission is 14th November 2019 23:59 CET.

https://eiponaha.eu/I2MMatchmaking

If you are a solution provider, I2M will launch the registration for digital solution(s) associated to the selected needs in December 2019. We will keep you posted!

What are the evaluation criteria for a need to be selected?

WE4AHA partners will select those needs that have the greatest:

• Expected impact for the hospital, healthcare professionals, and patients (e.g., health outcomes, cost savings, and the degree of satisfaction of end-users).
• Scalability Scaling covers whether the identified need affects a sizable proportion of the population and whether there are other organisations that might share the same challenge/need.
• Commitment of the organisation to implement a solution in the short term. 

What is next? 

Up to four needs will be selected.

• I2M Partners will contact the selected healthcare organisations to refine the need and better understand their requirements.
• WE4AHA Partners will then launch a second call addressed to vendors and look for the digital solutions available on the market. Up to four solutions per each need will be selected.
• I2M will invite both the organisations with the need and the solution providers to a live matchmaking session organised between 24-26 February 2020 in in the Health and Wellness Area of 4YFN, Barcelona. Free 4YFN, passes including the Digital Health and Wellness Summit, will be granted to all the selected organisations (one per organisation). In addition, a flat travel and accommodation reimbursement (up to 500,00 Euro per person) is provided to the four selected healthcare organisations.

Timeline

Who is behind this initiative?

WE4AHA is a EU-funded coordination and support action that aims to advance the effective, large-scale uptake and impact of Digital Innovation for Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA), by building a comprehensive set of support and promotion services. This February 2019 matchmaking session is part of the Innovation to Market (I2M) Plan that WE4AHA has created. The plan is addressed to organisations delivering AHA services and solution suppliers. It aims at facilitating relationships, mutual understanding, and scaling-up, and at increasing the impact of innovative technology-driven solutions on the AHA market. ECHAlliance and Ticbiomed are the partners in charge of the I2M plan design, implementation and evaluation.