HealthEConnect
Connecting healthtech innovation ecosystems for user-centred and business-driven entrepreneurial education propelling next-generation digital health solutions.

Background
Rising costs, resource pressures, an increase in chronic diseases, together with the challenges posed by an ageing population have exerted significant pressure on Europe to improve its healthcare and put forward health related technological advances.
Indeed, unlocking the digital transformation of healthcare has been a strategic EU priority for years due to enormous potential of digital health solutions to make our health systems and services more effective, taking the future healthcare delivery to the next level in the European territory.
While much has been done inside healthcare institutions to stimulate innovation, far less has been done outside the traditional healthcare frameworks to foster the development of innovative health solutions. In fact, there is increasing recognition of the role of less conventional players, like educational establishments and training providers, in developing an entrepreneurial spirit and driving innovation.
Hence, there is a strong need for education offers that can equip future health innovators with particular mind and skill sets and with the capacity to shape tomorrow’s healthcare.


The Project
HealthEConnect´s objective is to strengthen the cooperation between two innovation ecosystems: the healthtech innovation ecosystem of the Lisbon and Vale de Tejo region in Portugal (a moderate innovator region in the EU), and the healthtech innovation ecosystem of Hovedstaden in Denmark (an innovation leader + region in the EU), to support the rise and growth of next-generation healthtech companies through a co-designed, user-centred and entrepreneurial-driven healthtech innovation and entrepreneurship educational offer launched in Lisbon and platforms to sustain long-term collaboration links between ecosystem members.
HealthEConnect will adopt an ecosystem approach, by taking one leading innovation ecosystem (Copenhagen healthtech entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem) as a role model and primary source for transferring well-functioning high impacts practices to the moderate innovation ecosystem (Lisbon healthtech entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem).
The main output of the project is the draft of a new healthtech and entrepreneurialship educational offer to be delivered in Lisbon.

partners

Nova School of Business & Economics is a leading business school in Portugal and one of the best business schools in the world in the areas of Economics, Finance and Management.

Nova Medical School DNA is a Medical School with a relaxed but demanding academic environment that trains doctors and nutritionists, but above all seeks to train complete citizens.

One of the largest institutions of higher education in Denmark and one of the largest business schools in Europe.

Patient Innovation is a nonprofit, international, multilingual, free venue for patients and caregivers of any disease to share their innovations.

A European network of regional stakeholders committed to inspire a culture of start up-friendly regions.

BioInnovation Institute is an international enterprise foundation that supports world-class life science innovation by incubating early-stage startup companies.