Collaboration among Aerospace, Biotechnology, ICT, Energy and Medical Devices sectors in generating innovative solutions, business models and work-flows that enhance patient-centered care

Project Information

Cross4Health

Grant agreement ID: 731391

DOI

10.3030/731391

Project closed

EC signature date 25 July 2017

Start date 1 September 2017

End date 30 June 2020

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 5 225 862,35

EU contribution

€ 4 992 207,00

Coordinated by

NORWAY HEALTH TECH
Norway

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Cross4Health (Collaboration among Aerospace, Biotechnology, ICT, Energy and Medical Devices sectors in generating innovative solutions, business models and work-flows that enhance patient-centered care)

Reporting period: 2019-03-01 to 2020-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The Cross4Health project aims at moving beyond the state-of-the-art practice for regional clusters to unlock the collaborative potential of SMEs from Aerospace, Creative Industries and Energy sectors leveraged on Biotechnology, ICT and Medical Devices (ACEBIM) sectors in generating innovative solutions, business models and workflows that enhance patient-centred personalised care for societal challenges in health, delivered through the Medical Devices new emerging industry value chains. To do this, the project has facilitated an intelligent “plug-in” platform (a resourced open innovation space) for stakeholders that effectively have brought together end-user defined needs, innovation ideas and/or prototypes, and prospective cross-border and cross-sectorial value chains.
In this framework, the following strategic objectives defined by the Cross4Health consortium provide the keys to unlocking the potential of SMEs for Patient-Centered Health:

1. Establish and open innovation space i.e. plugin platform which supports the generation of new or adapted cross-sectoral products and services that provide innovative solutions for improving patient-centered healthcare
2. Provide targeted monetary and non-monetary support mechanisms that generate added value, leveraging expert knowledge, new partnerships and market support.
3 Provide access to critical infrastructure, for large-scale demonstrators to fast test and validate their business hypothesis via dedicated voucher scheme
4. Secure additional funding streams to facilitate sustainable cycles of collaborative ACEBIM sectors innovation and acceleration to market

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

To generate momentum around the project objectives the project has progressed in all the strategic fronts including; support SMEs by generate collaborative project ideas and teams, financial support via open calls and Open Innovation Spaces to bring challenge owners and solver under one roof.
The progress towards each of the strategic project objective during first reporting period is summarised below:
1. Cross4Health consortium has successfully implemented the concept of Open Innovation Spaces. This process has included a need identification process that covers gathered data and workshops with end-users (doctors, nurses and other stakeholders in healthcare), experts and SME’s from various sectors. The needs that have been exposed in this process have set the ground for the challenges posed in the two Cross4Health Open Calls for innovative cross-sectorial projects for patient-centred personalized care.
2. To further support European SMEs in fostering cross-sectorial innovation for the benefit of personalised healthcare, Cross4Health have launched 2 Open Calls where SMEs have gotten the opportunity to apply for the Cross4Health Acceleration Programme and receive up to €55.000 per SME in innovation support for their collaborative projects. The two open calls combined have received 84 proposals involving a total of 161 SMEs from 27 different European Countries. In total 60 SMEs have been selected and participated in the two Cross4Health Acceleration programmes, representing 23 different European Countries. The results of the awarded projects are disseminated on the Cross4Health website and through SOME channels. Each project has delivered a video presenting their projects and results. The success of the acceleration programme has also been promoted in a video series presenting success stories and the overall programme.
3. In order to reach the objective of providing access to critical infrastructure for large scale demonstrators for the SMEs receiving support through the Cross4Health project, the consortium has reached out to European networks of test-beds, living labs and other interested end-users to register as an external provider in the Cross4Health catalogue of services. The catalogue consists of 20 providers of these services from across Europe. At the end of the 2nd Acceleration programme, 20/23 projects have performed demonstration activities involving patients or other end-users to validate their idea. 11 of these spent the innovation voucher to finance the service.
4. Public funding leverage as Innovation Support Service - This service is offered to the sub-granted projects with the objective of strengthening the overall knowledge of EU funding instruments. During the two acceleration programmes, 18 projects are benefiting from this service.

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)

In order to strengthen EU’s industrial leadership in medical devices, the Cross4Health project has fostered a total of 282 innovation ideas. This includes:
- 1st European Cross4Health Idea Contest (Toulouse) generated 175 ideas to solve the posed challenges. The SME winning the 1st prize have later been involved in 4 proposals to the two open calls.
- 2nd European Cross4Health Idea Contest Hackathon (Madrid) had a total of 20 SMEs benefiting from the event and 10 SME led teams pitching their Ideas. 2 SMEs applied to the 2nd Open Call.
- 1st Cross4Health Hackathon (Bochum) had 52 attendees and 5 SME led teams (28 team members) pitching their ideas to the jury. 2 SMEs applied to the 2nd Open Call
- 2nd Cross4Health Hackathon (Kongsberg) had 80 attendees and 8 SME led teams (31 team members) pitching their ideas. The winning team is developing and testing their solution with the challenge owner, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust.
- 1st Open Call resulted in 18 proposals. 5 projects with 15 SMEs that were selected for support in the 1st Acceleration Programme
- 2nd Open Call resulted in 66 proposals. 23 projects with 45 SMEs that were selected for support in the 2nd Acceleration Programme.

To support the Regional Smart Specialization Strategies in the cross-sectoral healthcare collaboration, a briefing paper for the 5 S3 contacts representing Cross4Health partner regions has been prepared.

The project has issued a “Crossover value chain and Spill-over Achievements Report". This report has a detailed analysis of the identified barriers, indicators and potential actuators for SMEs in Europe. It also summarizes the results achieved among project participants. This report will have a dedicated section to reporting on the significant spill-over results achieved by the performing projects within and beyond Cross4Health project, side effects and long term Cross4Health impact in host/newly born organizations. It includes the work for M21-M34 and the results from both acceleration programmes.

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