2022 has been another successful year for the 70+ ecosystems of our network and through our Ecosystem of the Month we have only been able to feature the work of 12 of our ecosystems, which keep on growing year after year. In this piece, our Community Team, composed of Andy Bleaden, Adriana Díaz and Inés Luján, has looked at the knowledge we gained from 12 of our ecosystems in 2022 and which they think you should learn about too. Top accelerator program opportunities, potential EU project partnerships and innovative ideas for inspiration are awaiting you.
Andy Bleaden, Communities Director at ECHAlliance, says:
“We were very pleased when we opened our first ecosystem in Szombathely in West Hungary. When we showcased them at the start of the year it was very clear how seriously they took both regional collaboration and projects.
This was a pattern we saw within one of our French Ecosystems in Normandy, who during the French EU Presidency showed just how involved our Normandy ecosystem is in both projects and coordinating the Digital Innovation Hub and their champions from their competition were interesting to learn more about.
I can remember my first Ecosystem meeting ever and that was in Manchester – there were so many initiatives and no one place to share them. The Manchester Ecosystem Manchester Ecosystem kick started that idea of matching need and solution and is still going strong. Worth remembering that all the way through the Pandemic the Greater Manchester Ecosystem has carried on meeting (albeit virtually) and still continues to offer great collaboration potential.
Compare that to one of our newer Finnish Ecosystems, the Kuopio Ecosystem, that has grown and grown since joining our network. As a joint venture between the public and private sector, they have strength in many areas including gene, cell and nano therapy development, medical imaging, development of novel digital and AI solutions for the health sector.”
Adriana Díaz, Communities Manager at ECHAlliance, observes:
“Our Health Capital Helsinki Ecosystem has a long legacy of high-level healthcare, world-class health data and a problem-solving mindset with savvy engineers in an ecosystem that fosters innovation. Among their key members, they count on the HUS Helsinki University Hospital, which is among the five largest hospitals in Europe. Their long-term incubator program, Health Incubator Helsinki, is home to 29 science-based health tech and medtech startups.
The Digital Health Rheinland Ecosystem has been a consistent member of our network over the last few years and our oldest Ecosystem in Germany. More than 140 companies, institutions and associations across all sectors have come together within HealthRegion CologneBonn. They are also active partners in several EU projects and always open for new project opportunities.
The lifetech.brussels Ecosystem gathers more than 250 company members and partners providing high potential HealthTech solutions. Through their accelerator program, every year they boost innovation of healthtech startups. With 19% of worldwide clinical trials related to cancer being conducted in Brussels, many of lifetech.brussels members are top clinical champions in the field.
In the West of Spain, our Extremadura Health Ecosystem has strong involvement from both the Health Care Service and the Social care system, which is reflected in their excellence in their work on Active Ageing in rural areas as well as in chronic diseases. They are a great go-to partner for EU-funded programs with a great track record of scale up with pilots.”
Inés Luján, Ecosystems and Membership Officer, adds:
“The year 2022 has helped us to further deepen the work of our Ecosystems, such as that of our Norwegian Smart Care Cluster, focused on sustainability and which reached an incredible number of 280 members this year.
Our OuluHealth Ecosystem has a long history in making things happen together with a unique combination of university, hospital and cluster of innovative companies, which in 2022 also joined several European projects.
Following the line of European projects we have the great example of the Treviso Health and Social Care Innovation Ecosystem, which besides systematise the efforts and activities of all local partners acting on health, social and welfare issues in the Treviso area, North-East Italy, is part of some pioneering projects that are already changing digital health in Europe.
Finally, we have our Health Cluster Portugal Ecosystem, a reference in oncology, which is also part of some European projects. The Health Cluster Portugal represents a coherent ecosystem of more than 220 members of the health value chain comprising organisations with different ambitions and needs, a unique mixture that makes it a fundamental part of the ECHAlliance Ecosystems. “
Ecosystems of the month 2022
- January: Hungary – Western Hungarian Digital Health Ecosystem
- February: France – Normandy Pôle TES E-Sante Ecosystem
- March: England – Manchester Connected Health Ecosystem
- April: Finland – Kuopio Health Ecosystem
- May: Finland – Health Capital Helsinki Ecosystem
- June: Germany – Digital Health Rheinland Ecosystem
- July: Belgium – lifetech.brussels Ecosystem
- August: Spain – Extremadura Health Ecosystem
- September: Norway – Smart Care Cluster Ecosystem
- October: Finland – OuluHealth Ecosystem
- November: Italy – Treviso Health and Social Care Innovation Ecosystem
- December: Portugal Health Cluster Ecosystem
