Medtech4Health: Half Year Report – Spring 2018

During Medtech4Health’s first 2½ years, through calls for funding applications the programme has supported 128 medical technical projects with around SEK 77.2 million. Since starting up the programme has also supported a number of strategic activities, part-financed to a total of SEK 58.6 million. In the following text you can learn what we have prioritised during the spring of 2018. If you want to know more about our activities in the first two years of our existence, see our annual reports for 2016 and 2017.

Evaluation and development of the programme

The finances of Sweden’s 17 Strategic Innovation Programmes (SIPs) are evaluated every three years. Medtech4Health is one of the SIPs and in 2018 is undergoing its first evaluation. The evaluation includes making a self-assessment. This was carried out in the spring.

During the year, we have also started work planning Medtech4Health 2.0. In other words, developing structures, setting goals and planning activities for the next three-year period. Among internal development projects we can also include our work on equality for sustainable development.

Developing medical technology

The greater part of Medtech4Health’s budget is used to support the development and implementation of medical technology. This takes place principally by way of open calls through which medtech projects can apply for financial support.

Since the programme’s start, through calls, 128 medical technical projects have received support to the value of around SEK 77.2 million. So far in 2018 we have provided financing to medtech projects to the value of SEK 18.9 million.

During 2018 we continue to work to best support the ongoing development and implementation of projects in a structured way, and to collect and publish the results.

Open calls for funding applications

During 2018 four calls for funding applications were issued with, to some degree, differing target groups and purposes. Two calls closed during the spring. The four calls are presented below in the order in which they were opened.

Project for Better Health

Project for Better Health is a co-operation with Swelife. In total, 22 projects shared financing to the value of SEK 20.5 million. Of these 22 projects, 9 had to do with medicine and 9 with medical technology. Four were e-health projects.

Competence Enhancement for Smaller Companies

Through Competence Enhancement for Smaller Companies Medtech4Health supports micro, small and medium-sized companies by enabling them to bring in external competence that the company lacks. The call for funding applications opened on 1st February and applications continue to be accepted throughout the year until 30th November. Assessments and decisions are made monthly.

Support for Innovators in Healthcare

Support for Innovators in Healthcare is intended for healthcare employees. The purpose is to give them the chance to free-up time in order to work developing and implementing new technology. Seven projects were financed to a value of SEK 5.4 million.

Co-operative Projects for Medical Technical Innovation

This year’s fourth and financially largest call, Co-operative Projects in Medical Technical Innovation, will close in September. The call is open for co-operative projects involving at least two partners, and a maximum of 50% of the total budget may be sought.

Support and distribution of the medtech portfolio

In order to give medtech projects the best chance of success it is important that we offer additional support. This takes place principally under the direction of our regional nodes.

Oversight of all financed projects

On the programme’s website it is possible to see and search through all the financed projects. (In Swedish)

Project Accelerate

Within Project Accelerate, a selection of funded projects are given the opportunity to meet experienced individuals with relevant medtech industry expertise. These meetings should lead to clear strategies and the identification of appropriate next steps for the individual projects. Furthermore, the expert panels seek to match the needs of the projects or companies with appropriate stakeholders who can help these plans to succeed.

A number of pilot projects have been started together with local branches of Connect Sweden. The project leader is Henrik Mindedal, MedTech West.

Dissemination of results

During the spring, 3 projects were invited to participate in a pilot where we tested making video films to show what medtech can offer. See more under Communication below.

Other activities

Medtech4Health participates in or runs a number of activities to bring together different stakeholders, disseminate knowledge about what medical technology can do for healthcare, and increase the number of innovations that benefit patients and users.

These are called strategic activities and they are sometimes initiated and driven internally, sometimes by an external stakeholder. Here is an introduction in alphabetical order to the larger investments.

AIDA – Analytic Imaging Diagnostics Arena

AIDA is a national arena for research and innovation around artificial intelligence (AI) for medical imaging diagnostics. Although based in Linköping, the arena is national. Here, the academic world, healthcare and the medtech industry gather to transform technical advances in AI to the benefit of patients in the form of clinically useful tools. This involves tailor-made IT systems and associated staff in a clinical environment.

During the spring, the project has been granted additional funds to expand and give the opportunity for participation to more sub-projects and fellowships. In addition, the project was extended for one year and will now run at least until the end of 2020. Medtech4Health has allocated SEK 27.2 million for this project over a four-year period. The project leader is Claes Lundström, who is a researcher at the Centre for Medical Imaging and Visualization, CMIV at Linköping University, and Research Director at Sectra.

Innovation Engines

Innovation Engines are part of Medtech4Health’s work to increase the pace of development in healthcare. The idea is that healthcare itself should act as a motor for the development of innovative care – to the benefit of patients and a competitive medical technology sector. After Västerbotten and Östergötland, Uppsala has become the third region to be identified as an Innovation Engine. To support the Innovation Engines, Medtech4Health set aside SEK 10 million in 2017 and in 2018. An additional SEK 6 million has also been ear-marked each year for 2019 and 2020. Project manager is Lena Svendsen, who is employed at Swedish Medtech.

MAXA Medtech

MAX IV is Sweden’s largest and most ambitious investment in research infrastructure and, unlike its ESS neighbour, a national investment. The purpose of the new MAXA Medtech project is, among other things, to lower the threshold for the medical engineering industry to exploit the opportunities this infrastructure investment entails.

The first meeting of the project was held in Lund in June. The project leader is Ulla Elofsson from RISE.

Medtech4Health Innovation Award

The Medtech4Health Innovation Award highlights and rewards good examples of the implementation of medical technology in healthcare. The winners can be projects that do anything from utilising digital technology in order to provide care near to the patient, to introducing a new technical product.

Of this year’s 40 or so suggestions, the jury nominated three finalists who were invited to attend the annual conference. Each finalist was presented on-line and at the conference through a short film. These finalists and films provide a nice overview of the range and possibilities of medical technology.

The award winner and recipient of the SEK 100,000 prize was the group behind the EASY Diabetes application. The Innovation Award project is run by Kristina Svensson at Medtech4Health.

Procurement and Implementation

Procurement is usually seen as an obstacle to innovative medical technology entering the public sector. In the Procurement and Implementation Project, Medtech4Health works to turn the obstacle into an opportunity. Part focuses on raising awareness among medtech projects that have received funding. Part focuses on the dissemination of information to contracting organisations and authorities.

The project which was planned in the spring will be carried out in co-operation with, among others, the National Agency for Public Procurement (Upphandlingsmyndigheten). The project leader is Monika Lydin from RISE.

Training in Entrepreneurship

To increase the likelihood of more medtech ideas reaching patients, Medtech4Health conducts a course in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Medical Technology. The third edition of the course will take place in the autumn of 2018 in Stockholm and Umeå. The course is fully subscribed.

During the spring, the course was planned and invitations sent out. People involved in projects receiving funding from any of Medtech4Health’s calls have priority. The project leader is Helena Grip of CMTF.

Internationalisation

Medtech4Health is a national programme, but tasked with also having an international outlook and promoting increased international co-operation.

IMPACT – for MedTech in Europe

Project IMPACT has as its goal to influence the creation of calls for funding applications in order to spotlight Swedish strengths in medical technology. A further objective is an increased understanding and interest for Horizon2020 in Sweden. The project also involves monitoring EU calls for funding applications in order, as far as possible, to synchronise them with the calls issued by Medtech4Health.

Project IMPACT is run in co-operation with Swelife and in collaboration with, the EU SME Support Office, Vinnova and the National Reference Group for Health, among others. The project leader from Medtech4Health is Lena Strömberg.

International and national co-operation

During the spring, work has progressed in developing a plan for a major internationalisation project. An application to Vinnova for this purpose is under way.

International conferences and study trips

Another aspect of international work is to identify trends and gain knowledge by participating in international conferences and study trips.

• Innovation for future healthcare: Netherlands study trip (English)
• Trend spotting at the European MedTech Forum 2018 (Swedish)
• Swedish e-Health in Berlin (Swedish)
• A visit to MedTek Norway (Swedish)

Communication

Internal and external communication should support the overall objectives of the programme. The primary target groups are stakeholders involved in Medtech4Health, academia, business and healthcare. Colleagues in the innovation system and financiers are also central. The next stage on the communication front is to raise awareness about the importance of medical technology with patients and their relatives, and decision makers. We are also working continuously for increased collaboration between the industry’s various players.

Own communication channels

Our prioritised channels of communication are our information-rich website, quarterly newsletters and visibility in relevant social media. All writers on the web write under their own names and are free to use language that seems natural to them.

The newsletter currently has 665 subscribers with an opening frequency of 50%. This is still very good even though the opening rate has dropped slightly from our last report.

LinkedIn is our best channel for communicating links to news and information about current events. Our LinkedIn page now has more than 500 followers.

The Swedish Tour: a cross-country information campaign – all spring

In order to establish and maintain networks, as well as communicate with parties around the country, the Swedish Tour remains an important tool. During the spring we visited Malmö, Lund, Halmstad and Örebro.

AI day during Vitalis – April

Soon to be 106 years old, Dagny Carlsson is the world’s oldest blogger. She effectively punctures any possible prejudices that older people are afraid of new technology. We had the privilege of listening to her, leading patients Kim Nordlund and Anders Ekholm, and the cream of Swedish AI researchers and entrepreneurs. They were invited to discuss how independent systems can change a patient’s journey through healthcare under the title “AI – for the patient’s best?”

This whole day at Vitalis was presented by Medtech4Health, Swedish Medtech and MTF.

European MedTech Week – June

European MedTech Week is a European initiative aimed at increasing knowledge about, and encouraging dialogue around, medical technology. Behind the event is the European trade association MedTech Europe. The Swedish co-ordinator is Swedish Medtech.

In 2018 we tested a new, more web-based model with daily activities on the web as well as a seminar in Uppsala.

Almedal week – July

During Almedal Week, Medtech4Health was on the spot to discuss the opportunities of medical technology in various formal and informal groupings. We also monitored the subjects others were talking about. This resulted in daily reports.

Together with Swedish Medtech and the MTF association, on Tuesday evening we organised another popular industry mingle event. The theme was Patient 2025 and we received thought provoking wish-lists from Karin Liljelund of Lungcancerföreningen (the Lung Cancer Association) and Kim Nordlund from Unga Reumatiker (Young Rheumatics).

Together with a number of member companies in Swedish Medtech, we were also one of the co-organisers of a Wednesday packed with seminars.

This report is a translation of the original Swedish text which you can read here.

This report was up-to-date in September 2018. For the latest news, please subscribe to our newsletter.