Virtual Environments for Rehabilitation of Gender Violence Offenders

Project Information

VRespect.Me

Grant agreement ID: 836707

DOI

10.3030/836707

Project closed

EC signature date 14 December 2018

Start date 1 January 2019

End date 30 April 2019

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

VIRTUAL BODYWORKS SL
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - VRespect.Me (Virtual Environments for Rehabilitation of Gender Violence Offenders)

Reporting period: 2019-01-01 to 2019-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Our solution addresses domestic violence and aims to reduce reoffending rates among perpetrators of domestic abuse, by changing their behaviour. This is done using Virtual Reality and a scientific technique called embodiment.
Domestic Violence is a significant problem in society = 8% of women have experience domestic violence and half of offenders reoffend within 12 months. Domestic violence costs the European governments €72bn.
The objective of the study was to understand better the purchasing landscape for our solution, both measuring demand, ability to pay and identifying a route 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

We conducted a large study of stakeholders in the Domestic Violence (DV) offender rehabilitation space. Meetings covered a broad range of topics and were designed to gain an understanding of both appetite for our solution and the purchasing landscape. The final presentation (appended to the report) is a 163-page report covering the DV rehabilitation universe in Spain and in selected European markets, identified by their attractiveness as potential purchasers. We found there to be significant interest in the solution across a wide range of stakeholders, but also that the route to market is relatively slow. Purchasing decisions take time and the ability of governments to allocate funds to offender rehabilitation, rather than to victims, hampers the ultimate market size. Over the course of the project, we have separately begun a feasibility study for our ICORTEX solution around stroke rehabilitation. We have also completed several studies in chronic pain and orthopaedic rehabilitation. Market analyses suggests much larger target markets with significant ability to pay, as well as demand for a unique, non-drug solution. We have therefore decided to focus our business of our healthcare solutions.

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)

With respect to ICORTEX, our stroke, orthopaedic and chronic pain solution, we believe there to be a significant and positive socio-economic impact. Our solution allows stroke sufferers to use limbs that hadn’t recovered with traditional rehabilitation and physiotherapy. Our pain solution provides a non-opioid pain relief solution, which could have strong societal impact as an alternative to harmful opioids. We have designed a go-to-market strategy that incorporate clinical trials and regulation, and fits with a product development strategy which should deliver a market leading solution. For now, VRespect.Me will not be a core focus of the company, despite its benefits to society.

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