VÄRMLAND EUROPEAN HUB FOR TESTING DIGITAL HEALTH SERVICES
6 June, 2022
DigitalWell Arena/DigitalWell Ventures will be part of the EU's digital innovation hubs - and will play a key role in testing digital health services. The decision means that Värmland will be a European hub for the development of new services, which creates opportunities for both growth and an influx of skills.
The investment in digital innovation hubs is part of the EU program “Digital”. The goal of the program is to increase the utilization of digital technology throughout society. Health Data Sweden, where DigitalWell Arena/DigitalWell Ventures is one of 18 partners, is one of Sweden’s four digital innovation hubs appointed by the European Commission. The only one with a pure focus on health. The partners include Karolinska Institutet, RISE and KTH.
The association’s strength lies in cutting-edge research on health data combined with a capacity to pass on knowledge to the public sector, business and citizens. The aim is to accelerate the use of health data to contribute to more efficient health care.
Can attract new companies
In this work, DigitalWell Arena/DigitalWell Ventures will play a key role in testing digital health and welfare technology, where Värmland will be a hub in Europe. Conditions for the assignment have been created, among other things, through experiences where digital health services have been tested in a real environment in collaboration with Region Värmland.
– This naturally creates growth opportunities for Värmland, where our ability to create attractive test environments can attract both companies and cutting-edge expertise. Our role as a test node for Sweden also means an opportunity for Värmland to take an important role in increasing the use of health data, which may mean that Värmlanders will previously have access to new, digital solutions, says Magnus Bårdén, Managing Director at DigitalWell Arena.
Magnus Bårdén and Jonas Matthing look forward to the new opportunities a place in one of Europe’s digital innovation hubs entails
DigitalWell Arena’s/DigitalWell Venture’s role coincides well with Värmland’s strategy for smart specialization, where digital health innovation is one of seven designated focus areas. The strategic goals of the investment include that innovative companies and the public sector will develop new collaborations to create the digital health services of the future, attract cutting-edge expertise to Värmland and create growth.
– I feel great confidence in the power of DigitalWell Arena/DigitalWell Ventures and have high expectations both of its effect on the development of new companies working with health services, but also for the great importance this can have for the health care sector. Not least in the so important preventive health work, says Eleonore Åkerlund, Regional Development Director at Region Värmland.
Opens new opportunities
The step out into the European arena in combination with the quality review the EU has done in the application process also opens doors for new opportunities and partnerships.
– We will simply be an even more attractive innovation environment, which means that further EU investments can end up in Värmland. Our role as a hub for testing also goes hand in hand with the work already conducted by Nordic Medtest and previous initiatives we have taken to create a national framework for certification of digital health applications, says Jonas Matthing, Innovation Manager at DigitalWell Arena.
Read more about Health Data Sweden and the EU’s innovation hubs
Health Data Sweden’s 18 partners:
Blekinge Digital Health, Bron Innovation, DigitalWell Arena/DigitalWell Ventures, eHealth Arena, EIT Digital, EIT Health, Future Position X, Karolinska Institutet, KTH (coordinator), Leap for Life, Linnaeus University, Livsmedicin, Stockholm Region, RISE, Stockholm Science City, Stockholm University , STUNS Life Science, Uppsala University.