Centre of Excellence in Science and Technology for Healthy Ageing

Project Information

HEALTH-TECH

Grant agreement ID: 664339

DOI

10.3030/664339

Project closed

EC signature date 4 May 2015

Start date 1 June 2015

End date 31 May 2016

Funded under

• Teaming of excellent research institutions and low performing RDI regions

Total cost

€ 465 560,00

EU contribution

€ 465 560,00

Coordinated by

KAUNO TECHNOLOGIJOS UNIVERSITETAS
Lithuania

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HEALTH-TECH (Centre of Excellence in Science and Technology for Healthy Ageing)

Reporting period: 2015-06-01 to 2016-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are the first cause of death in the EU (80% of all deaths - accounting all ages and both sexes), and their prevalence will grow as the European population age. Multi-morbidity (MM) - coexistence of two or more chronic conditions in one patient at a given time - increase overall mortality and require significant financial and human resources. The burden of multi-morbidity has been under-estimated for years due to the fact that statistics on deaths caused by NCDs account only one cause per death. The prevalence of multi-morbidity has been poorly documented for a long time, yet, it is estimated that 50 million people live with multiple chronical conditions. The most prevalent individual chronic conditions are arterial hypertension, lipid metabolism disorders, diabetes mellitus, chronic ischemic heart disease, chronic low back pain, osteoarthritis and they are responsible for almost half of the multi-morbidity.
On the other hand, due to demographic trends and technological developments, healthcare industry is large, varied and growing. The industry includes very diverse public and private sectors, such as the pharmaceutical industry, medical equipment or supply manufacturing and retail, insurance, research and development, education, public health systems, medical care or residential care. The total global expenditure for health in 2010 was estimated by the WHO at 6.5 trillion USD . Europe, with 1.6 trillion USD is ranked second in health expenditure after Northern America (2.6 trillion USD) and before Eastern Asia (1 trillion USD). Global expenditures are forecast to grow significantly, reaching 9.5 trillion USD by 2018. The HEALTH-TECH CoE targets four specific sectors of the healthcare industry: biotechnology, biomedical engineering, health ICT and regenerative medicine.
In this context HEALTH-TECH’s vision is to become a leading Baltic Sea Region CoE of advance knowledge-based innovations for prediction, early diagnostics and personalised management of MM of ageing persons, with the aim to enhance their quality of life and improve the effectiveness of health-care systems. The HEALTH-TECH CoE will have a particular focus on collaboration with global healthy ageing research and innovation networks.
HEALTH-TECH’s mission is 1) to provide international and interdisciplinary leadership, to create and transfer advanced knowledge, technology and integrated solutions for prediction, early diagnostics and personalised management of multi-morbidity of ageing persons; 2) to foster talents of new generation of innovation-oriented researchers and professionals; 3) to promote management of MM among ageing persons, their families and across different levels of the health-care system.
The HEALTH-TECH CoE is a solution to three groups of problems faced by multiple end-users:
• Provides better medical and technological solutions to age-related multi-morbidity health conditions for aging population, medical practitioners and health-care systems in Baltic Sea region, EU and beyond
• Contributes to the competitiveness of Lithuania, Baltic Sea Region and EU through advanced knowledge- and innovative technology-based economic development, for the benefit of the workforce, governments, and businesses.
• Reduces the disparity in scientific excellence and innovation performance between Lithuania and top-performing European countries for the benefit of Lithuanian and Baltic Sea Region universities, industry, researchers and students.

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

The duration of the HEALTH-TECH project Phase 1 is 12 months. The main aim of the HEALTH-TECH project under Phase 1 was to produce an extensive, detailed and robust Business Plan for setting-up the Centre of Excellence in science and technology for healthy ageing (HEALTH-TECH CoE) in Lithuania. HEALTH-TECH deliverables (in total 13 documents that serve as a relevant parts of Business plan) cover:
• D2.1. Teaming Audit, Analysis and Recommendations Report. Project partners developed an Audit of research and innovation potential of the HEALTH-TECH CoE partner institutions, together they provided a thorough analysis of their competence, as well as existing research, innovation capacity and infrastructure. Developed within M1-M4.
• D3.1. Organizational Model and Structure of the HEALTH-TECH CoE. The document reveals the relevant legal status and organisational structure for the HEALTH-TECH CoE, as well as the full autonomy of the decision-making process. Developed within M7-M9.
• D3.2.International Marketing and Public Relations Plan. The document reveals an overview of health technology for healthy ageing market trends, by providing the target segments and customers, and competition analysis. Developed within M7-M9.
• D4.1. Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Regulations. The document reveals the IPR policies and commercialisation strategy and technology transfer model for the new HEALTH-TECH CoE. Developed within M8-M10.
• D4.2. Access Policy, Cooperation Strategy and Human Resources Management and Development. The document reveals the main principles of HR management and development, selection and recruitment procedures of researchers as well as research and innovation management staff, access policy and cooperation strategy, researcher’s career and staff development process. Developed within M8-M10.
• D5.1. Performance Assessment Plan. The document reveals the internal performance assessment by providing a number of key performance indicators and the external performance evaluation based on an international mapping exercise, self-evaluation and evaluation by external experts. Developed within M10-M12.
• D5.2. Financial Plan. The document provides an insight into how the financial plan matches the HEALTH-TECH LTRIS and strategic objectives, a detailed description of the project budget structure, as well as explanations of how the HEALTH-TECH CoE budget will be justified and allocated to the project partners. In Addition, the foreseen financial sources are provided and explained as well. The document includes the Methodology of calculating the expenses part, which is designed to define the main categories of expenditure at the core members of HEALTH-TECH CoE. Developed within M10-M12.
• D1.1. Business Plan. The Business Plan describes the external environment of the HEALTH-TECH, explaining how the HEALTH-TECH CoE matches its challenges, how it meets Lithuanian Smart Specialization and EU societal grand challenges, research and innovation policies; reveals the long-term research and innovation strategy, organisational model for autonomous decision making, performance resources strategy and human resources development. Marketing and public relations plan, operational processes, as well as HEALTH-TECH CoE financial plan for the future 7 years are briefly presented in the document. Risk analysis and a comprehensive description of the societal, economic impacts as well as the impact on science, innovation and education in the Baltic Sea Region and the EU are revealed in the Business Plan. Developed within M1-M12. Four annexes are attached to the Business Plan as leading documents.
o Annex 1: Integrated Long-term Research and Innovation Strategy (LTRIS).This document, on the bases of extensive epidemiological study and market analysis, provides the long term research and innovation aims and objectives, and serves as a basic component for the Business Plan. Developed within M1-M6.
o Annex 2: Epidemiological Study. This document helps to reveal the needs of an ageing society, the main pathologies leading to multi-morbidity – neurodegeneration, vascular & myocardial remodelling, osteoporosis & osteoarthritis, and gastrointestinal dysfunction. Developed within M1-M6.
o Annex 3: Health Technology Market Analysis. The market analysis report is used for identifying the market needs, size and segment corresponding to each thematic research group in the Lithuanian, Baltic Sea Region, EU and USA markets. It also leads to identifying the main market players (beneficiaries of project activities and potential competitors) in respective of the research and business ecosystem. Developed within M4-M8.
o Annex 4: Joint Activity Agreement. The five partners - KTU, LSMU, VU, LUND, VTT, - under JAA agreed on the following activities: a) creation, incorporation and operation of the HEALTH-TECH CoE; b) performance of all Partners’ obligations and implementation of all joint activities defined in the Business Plan and other projects agreed between the Partners; c) execution of other joint activities in the field of healthy ageing, which the Partners agree under JAA. After the 6th year of the HEALTH-TECH CoE development, the legal status of the HEALTH-TECH CoE from JAA will be transferred to a separate legal entity. Developed within M4-M8.
• D8.1. Ethics Report. The HEALTH-TECH project has made a significance effort in order to fulfil the requirements concerning ethical issues under Phase 1. The developed Ethics Report reveals the ethical issues encountered within Phase 1 and contains an outline of the ethical issues to be solved in Phase 2. Developed within M10-M11.
• D7.1. / D7.2. Management Reports. Period 1 (M1-M6) and Period 2 (M7-M12) Managements reports (D7.1 D7.2) were developed. The main task of these reports was to present the work performed in Period 1 and Period 2 and overview the progress under the project’s deliverables performance and results.
• D6.1. Project Data management plan. Developed within M6. The document was renewed during implementation of the project.
• D6.2. HEALTH-TECH project website. Developed within M6 and available under the address http://health-tech-centre.org/

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)

HEALTH-TECH project expected potential impact is clearly described and presented under three domains:
• Impact on science, innovation and education in the Baltic Sea Region and the EU. Health-Tech CoE, seeking to be a key instrument in Lithuania’s science, innovation and high-education improvement, targeted the following issues: need for research excellence, need to reinforce applied research and link with industry, leverage private research and innovation investment; need to increase international collaboration, participation in international networks, and participation in Horizon 2020 of Lithuanian researchers; need to improve research management systems in Lithuania.
• Social impact. By contributing to prediction, early diagnostics and personalised management of multi-morbidity, the following social issues are targeted: inappropriate research approach, too focused on single disease; increased difficulty of clinical decisions regarding multi-morbidity patients; polypharmacy due to multi-morbidity; decrease of quality of life, increased risk of impaired functioning, increased risk of mortality in multi-morbidity patients; high cost burden of multi-morbidity on healthcare systems.
• Economic impact. By engaging the Baltic Sea Region and the EU in innovation-based growth, the following economic issues are targeted: need to foster knowledge and technology-based economic development to remain competitive; need to develop new markets to diversify economy; need to provide job opportunity for high-skilled workers and increase wages; need to encourage private investment by providing opportunities for entrepreneurship.

Research laboratory at KTU Santaka Valley, 2016

Non-invasive intracranial pressure measurement technology, KTU Health Telematics Science Institute

HEALTH-TECH project team. 2nd workshop under Organisational model development, 04/02/2016, LSMU