Linnaeus University granted becoming a European innovation hub
Through the national collaboration Health Data Sweden, Linnaeus University and eHealth Arena will now become part of a new international EU investment on digital innovation hubs.
The decision was made yesterday when the European Commission appointed a total of 141 digital innovation hubs in Europe. Health Data Sweden, where eHealth Arena and Linnaeus University take part, is the only innovation hub in Sweden with focus solely on health. The new EU investment aims to make companies, citizens and public organisations use digital technology to a greater extent.
During the last few years, Kalmar County has taken big steps to become nationally established as an eHealth region. The Swedish eHealth Agency as well as eHealth companies have moved their operations to the county, eHealth Arena has been established, the eHealth Institute at Linnaeus University conducts research and teaches within eHealth, and recently Region Kalmar County and Linnaeus University signed a declaration of intent to carry out a multimillion SEK investment on eHealth during the upcoming ten-year period.
Thanks to the fact that Health Data Sweden now is one of Europe’s digital innovation hubs, new possibilities open up both nationally and internationally. The hope is that this will lead to improvements for the county’s healthcare as well as for its trade and industry and skills supply.
“Kalmar County has an important role in this European eHealth investment and will contribute with cutting-edge knowledge within two important areas of responsibility. Linnaeus University will contribute with its long experience of development and interdisciplinary research, while eHealth Arena will contribute with its expertise in helping companies find funding opportunities and investors”, says regional development director Helena Nilsson.
Marcelo Milrad, professor at Linnaeus University, agrees with Nilsson.
“This opens up new possibilities to promote innovation in eHealth and to attract young researchers and entrepreneurs to the county, which can create new jobs and support digitalisation in healthcare and social care. In the long term, this development will contribute to improved quality of life for our citizens”, says Marcelo Milrad, professor of media technology and director of the Linnaeus Knowledge Environment Digital Transformations.
What is a hub?
The idea is that the digital innovation hubs will gather and provide technical expertise, new ways of working and test environments, and help companies and the public sector to improve processes, products and services with the help of new digital technologies. The strength of a digital innovation hub is found in the cutting-edge research, the networking and the dissemination of competence and services to the public sector, the trade and industry and the population.
About Health Data Sweden:
Health Data Sweden is a national collaboration between universities, regions, innovation environments, and research institutes. Together, the 18 collaboration partners deliver services for over 800 companies every year: Blekinge Digital Health, Bron Innovation, DigitalWell Arena, eHealth Arena, EIT Digital, EIT Health, Future Position X, Karolinska Institutet KTH, coordinator), Leap for Life, Linnaeus University, Livsmedicin, Region Stockholm, RISE, Stockholm Science City, Stockholm University, STUNS Life Science, Uppsala University.
Related information
https://www.ehealtharena.se/en/