By establishing a broad-based pan-European innovation and collaboration platform for healthcare robotics, the DIH-HERO network made a valuable contribution towards increasing the deployment of robotics in the healthcare application domains by connecting the different stakeholders across the value chain and enabling innovators, and SMEs, to successfully develop and introduce products to the market. Furthermore, SME cross-border certification is facilitated through offering access to industry-led standards, best practices, ELSE knowhow, and a knowledge base accessible via the central European DIH-HERO portal. This way, SMEs are supported and can increase their knowledge of standards and the essential but time-consuming certification processes. Regarding the economic impact of DIH-HERO the platform reduces the time-to-market of new innovations in healthcare robotics significantly. This is achieved by offering various services and accelerating European collaboration. By building up and continuously expanding the DIH-HERO services and standardisation directory as well as constantly developing and integrating different elements in the platform, such as organisation, person, project and services catalogues, a knowledge database and brokerage module, DIH-HERO has nad will continuously create a sustainable "one-stop-shop" platform boosting collaboration, innovation in the sector. In addition, DIH-HERO not only offered financial support to innovative SMEs and slightly larger companies, but also support through innovation coaching to stimulate an entrepreneurial mindset and to create and empower innovative ecosystems to start-up new businesses around the platform. In addition, existing companies were supported in scaling up, which in turn raises the productivity and competitiveness of European companies. Furthermore, market entry barriers for new robotic innovations are reduced through educating both healthcare professionals and patients and building trust and creating clinical connections.
