The six partners of EIT Health met earlier this month in Vienna, ahead of the planned launch of Austria’s new EIT Health Regional Innovation Hub in early 2022.

They discussed how the hub is going to operate across Austria and how it is going to be linked into the European network of EIT Health.

WHAT’S THE IMPACT

The six partners who will jointly establish the regional EIT Health network in Austria are:

• The Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT)
• Boehringer Ingelheim RCV
• The startup SanusX of the UNIQA insurance group
• Kapsch BusinessCom
• the Wild Group
• and the Viennese startup service INiTS.

From January 2022, the new hub based in Vienna, together with other network partners, aims to drive forward innovative digital health products and solutions while also supporting startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The EIT Health Regional Innovation Hub is funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Economy, the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection, the Vienna Chamber of Commerce as well as Wirtschaftsagentur Wien.

THE LARGER TREND

With the new Austrian hub, EIT Health intends to capitalise on the opportunities of the region and to strengthen its multidisciplinary network.

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is an independent EU Body that seeks to innovate European sectors by promoting and supporting ideas and entrepreneurial spirit around technology. EIT Health is the designated body for healthcare to this end.

In February 2021, EIT Health funded two startups from Germany and Spain with €1.5 million for a period of two years as part of the Wild Card innovation programme.

In December 2020, EIT Health launched the Catapult Competition and funded nine winning startups from the digital health, biotech and medtech sectors with a total of €1 million.

ON THE RECORD

Dirk Holste, Research Manager and Deputy Head of the AIT Center for Health & Bioresources and Coordinator of EIT Health Austria, commented: “We are excited to be in our new premises today and conduct the first official partner meeting for the new EIT Health Regional Innovation Hub.”

He continued: “Austria has many healthcare innovation strengths including a well-developed healthcare system with widely accepted and implemented electronic health record (ELGA).

“The newly created EIT Health Austria will integrate well into the already vast and vibrant network, and we look forward to addressing the health challenges facing Europe through synergistic and collaborative working with our EIT Health peers.”

Jan-Philipp Beck, CEO of EIT Health, said: “We look forward to fruitful collaborations that can improve the lives of patients and citizens across Europe.”