University hospital launches pitching tool for healthcare solutions

Copenhagen Science City-partner Rigshospitalet is now making it easier for companies and start-ups to pitch innovative health- and care solutions with a new on-line “Pitch –and-match” tool. The aim of the tool is to match innovative ideas and technologies from start-ups to clinics with specific needs.

Highway to co-creation help

Getting hospital clinics to test and co-create a start-up idea is an invaluable first step in getting novel products and services accepted by the Danish health-and care sector. The new pitching tool should make it easier for clinicians and companies to jointly develop new healthcare solutions for the benefit of patients. It is also expected to strengthen Danish health innovation, says the leader of innovation initiatives at the University Hospital.

The purpose of the pitch format is to open up Rigshospitalet and to make the collaboration process more transparent, so that we can hope to get more good ideas from researchers and companies into the hospitals. If the solution does not address a specific clinical need at Rigshospitalet, we will help the companies find relevant partners through our newly established national network of innovative hospitals”: Henning Langberg, Head of Innovation at Rigshospitalet.

One-click-solution

Companies can pitch a project by filling out a simple form at the Rigshospitalet website. The hospital is looking for solutions to unmet needs in the clinical environment so the pitch should explain which specific problem the company hopes to solve. It should also outline which kind of help they need from the Innovation Department at the University Hospital Rigshospitalet.

A much-needed helping hand

The initiative aims especially to assist companies working in digital health, streamlining health solutions and medtech, but also researchers, students and clinicians. The director of the organization Healthcare Denmark, Hans Erik Henriksen, believes that external partners have wanted an easier way into the Danish healthcare system for a long time. The interest organization works to promote international awareness of- and investments in Danish healthcare innovation.

I think it is a fantastic initiative that we have really missed. The tool fills a fundamental need we have in Denmark to promote relevant innovation and new thinking in a practical context, and for tearing down the walls between healthcare systems, researchers and companies”:Hans Erik Henriksen, CEO, Healthcare Denmark.

Healthchcare Denmark’s head elaborates:

There are a lot of talented IT and university people, researchers and start-up companies who have the ability to make breakthrough innovation in Denmark. The match tool creates huge value for teams who have innovative solutions, but may not understand how to sell to the public health service, or does not know of a hospital clinic that might be specifically interested in collaborating on their project. Such actors get added visibility now “: Hans Erik Henriksen, CEO, Healthcare Denmark.