CONNECTing the dots withIN diGItal HEALTH Innovation Ecosystems

Project Information

CONNECTINGHEALTH

Grant agreement ID: 101070756

DOI

10.3030/101070756

Project closed

EC signature date 13 June 2022

Start date 15 June 2022

End date 14 June 2024

Funded under

• European innovation ecosystems

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 409 376,00

Coordinated by

ECHALLIANCE COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE
Ireland

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CONNECTINGHEALTH (CONNECTing the dots withIN diGItal HEALTH Innovation Ecosystems)

Reporting period: 2023-06-15 to 2024-06-14

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically transformed the world and the field of healthcare, and brought more pressure on the European countries and companies to develop and implement cutting-edge domestic health technologies. To succeed, collaboration, innovation, and investment that harnesses the collective strengths of the entire continent, are needed.
In response to those needs, the "CONNECTINGHEALTH - CONNECTing the dots withIN diGItal HEALTH Innovation Ecosystems" initiative emerged. CONNECTINGHEALTH was a two-year (2022-2024) preparatory action designed to establish a joint program among the actors within Europe's digital health ecosystems, and maximise the value of innovation in the digital health sector, which is poised to offer significant future opportunities for growth, increased competitiveness, and enhanced innovation.

CONNECTINGHEALTH was led by a small, agile core team, with ECHAlliance as a key partner due to its extensive European reach with three key digital health actors: Scottish Enterprise, Pannon Business Network, and Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences.

To achieve its objectives, CONNECTINGHEALTH undertook a comprehensive mapping of digital health ecosystems in Europe, identifying various initiatives, projects, resources, and stakeholders. The project developed future scenarios for the digital health sector in Europe up to 2030, and formulated a Multi-Year Action Plan along with policy recommendations. These efforts have culminated in several valuable outputs, including Multi-Year Action Plan: Shaping the Future of Digital Health in Europe, and Policy Brief: Fostering Innovation in the Digital Health Sector, which are intended to drive forward impactful and exploitable results in the realm of digital health across various stakeholder groups.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the project, the consortium produced numerous significant products aimed at enriching the body of knowledge in digital health and its future trajectory. The key are:

• Paper (D2.3) that provided a comprehensive overview of the lessons learned from various health domains, including public, urban, environmental, occupational, and mental health. It achieved the goal of offering a concise and practical guide that highlights numerous growth opportunities and areas ripe for development.

• Report (D3.1) focused on three key areas of digital health and emphasised the critical role of digital health technology in enhancing healthcare systems and contributing to economic growth.

• Paper (D2.2) presenting scenarios for the digital health sector in 2030, examined the trends and megatrends driving the developments in the area of digital health and served as a base for the Multi-Year action
plan.

• Report on funding opportunities (D6.2) An investigation on the potential funding programmes which could aid the continuation and implementation of the proposed policy recommendations.

• Policy Brief: Fostering Innovation in the Digital Health Sector (D6.3) provided recommendations that are designed to drive actionable steps that foster a connected, efficient, and equitable health ecosystem across Europe by addressing critical areas such as funding, interoperability, and education.

• Multi-Year Action Plan: Shaping the Future of Digital Health in Europe (D6.1) outlines a five-year vision for advancing digital health innovation and building sustainable health ecosystems across Europe by integrating insights from diverse stakeholders.

In addition to these papers, the consortium authored four comprehensive reports:

• Data Management Plan (M6, M24)

• Project Impact Plan (M6)

• CONNECTINGHEALTH Impact Plan and Report Part 2 (M24)

Interactive workshops and focus groups were a cornerstone of the project, facilitating cross-sectoral dialogues and yielding practical outcomes. Additionally, a comprehensive mapping of EU and global digital health stakeholders was conducted, revealing existing ecosystems, initiatives, partners, and networks.

In summary, the project delivered several positive outcomes: insightful papers on digital health, strategic and foundational reports, impactful workshops, and an extensive stakeholder map. These accomplishments are being disseminated widely to ensure wide outreach and exploitation of the knowledge to drive the developments of digital health in Europe in the years to come.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The main results of the project were the Multi-Year Action Plan and the proposed Policy Recommendations completed in Q2 of 2024 nearing the end of the project timeline.

The impacts of the project are considered as follows:

1. Interconnected, inclusive and more efficient digital health innovation ecosystems across Europe.
The project has opened the dialogue with the wide range of stakeholders on the vision for the development of the digital health sector in Europe and their role in boosting growth, competitiveness and innovativeness of the digital health companies and organisations. The stakeholders from all
realms of the quadruple helix were involved throughout.

2. Improved competitiveness and innovativeness of the digital health sector.
The project has been able to explore the opportunities for growth, competitiveness and innovativeness of the digital health sector. By bringing the stakeholders from various sectors together and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience, as well as by producing the guiding materials
like scenarios for digital health in Europe 2030 and policy recommendations, the project contributed considerably to the improved competitiveness of the sector. However, more coordinated and funded work is required to fully embrace the potential.

3. Improved health has the potential to improve wealth.
In the long term, through its activities and deliverables, the project supported the uptake, implementation as well as policy and investment frameworks for the better digital health solutions that generate the economic and social benefits to the European regions and countries.