Posts by: Eimear Galvin

New HIHI cross-border report finds common barriers for smaller vendors in healthcare and urges an all-island shift to innovation procurement, enabling SMEs and Start-ups to thrive in domestic health tech markets

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Launched today, the ‘Buying All-Island in Healthcare – North and South’ report publishes the findings and recommendations framework of the All-Island Medtech SMEs (AIMS) initiative, delivered through a 12-month cross-border partnership of HSE and Enterprise Ireland partnership Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) and Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland (HIRANI), supported by InterTradeIreland’s Synergy programme. This all-island collaborative initiative with SMEs and healthcare stakeholders – health sector, health industry, policy, state agency, academia and procurement – identified barriers and experienced by smaller vendors in Irish healthcare and proposed solutions.

38 stakeholder groups from health, industry, policy, state agency, academia and procurement, identified common challenges to SMEs and start-ups within the Irish (North and South) health market.  New and smaller suppliers below certain revenue thresholds are not equally positioned to compete with established vendors for healthcare tenders, unfairly affected by scale and liquidity requirements. Outdated assessments for software products, lack of innovation procurement and funding for its mechanisms, limited use of dynamic purchasing systems and purchasing standards that vary widely across secondary care sites in ROI are also perceived to be prohibitive.

AIMS stakeholder workshops; expert advisory group sessions and European benchmarking informed the proposed solutions contained in the ‘AIMS Framework of recommendations for Innovation Procurement’. The framework focuses on four key areas to deliver system-wide impact that will facilitate the procurement of innovative products across the healthcare sector on the island of Ireland from all vendors, regardless of size –

  1. Budget and Mechanisms – create a protected healthcare budget for the procurement of innovation, implement EU approved mechanism

To boost innovation procurement allocate a portion of the public budget, replicating successful European exemplars. Public Procurement of Innovative solutions (PPI) is one mechanism. The public sector uses its purchasing power to act as early adopter of innovative solutions that are not yet available on large-scale commercial basis. PPI can target specific healthcare challenges by seeking innovative solutions, and through a testing phase, reduce risks commonly associated with smaller vendors

  1. Review and revise procurement thresholds — hardware vs software

Tender requirements often demand high turnovers, a relic of old hardware focussed companies. This excludes smaller, innovative firms. Unlike hardware, software does not rely on costly supply chains; its main costs are licenses and setup. Software procurement should prioritise features, capabilities, and fit with needs over financial size.

  1. Increase use of Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS) in healthcare procurement

A DPS is a digital tool allowing qualified suppliers to join anytime to compete for contracts. In contrast to tender frameworks, which usually last four years. DPS increases small businesses access to public contracts, simplifying the process by cutting out repetitive bids.

  1. Co-develop and publish education tool for SMEs navigating HSC and HSE

Developing an educational tool with HSE procurement for SMEs and start-ups will benefit small entities understanding of a multi-faceted complex process. The online tool will be co-developed, user-friendly, accessible and regularly updated to reflect any changes in regulations or best practice

Currently, there are no Irish innovation procurement policy frameworks driving public buyer engagement with smaller vendors. This is in stark contrast to common European practice. Austria, Belgium, Finland, and the Netherlands have specific action plans for innovation procurement. Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, France and Sweden include specific objectives on innovation procurement in wider national strategies.

Dr Tanya Mulcahy, National Director Health Innovation Hub Ireland said:

 “While the development of innovative healthcare products by Irish and Northern Irish-based companies is something we excel at, the application and procurement of those innovations in Irish healthcare has not been realised. This report identifies some of the barriers and measures that could be implemented immediately with significant effect. The ‘Programme for Government – Our Shared Future’ identified the role public procurement can play as an instrument to support innovation and allow greater access for SMEs to public procurement. The six new Regional Health Authorities also present an opportunity to assess these recommendations and consider suitability per region.”

“The HSE is making changes to its procurement processes and has specifically identified working with HIHI in its Corporate Plan 2022-2024. The recommendations of the ‘Buying Irish in Healthcare – North and South’ report recommend priorities on which we can collaborate.

 Eimear Galvin, HIHI Regional Manager and  AIMS project lead said:

 “We know that for Irish start-ups and SMEs the process of engagement from ‘procurement’ through to ‘use’ can take on average 12-24 months and the AIMS workshops corroborated this. The effects of this lag are multi-layered: healthcare sites endure a wait before the product required meets the identified need; revenue streams for SMEs and start-ups are negatively affected; restricted revenue streams limit ability to create employment; may lead to discontinuation – affecting GDP. Our recommendations are designed to counter this across the board – benefitting healthcare systems, indigenous health tech vendors and economic growth”

Prof Joann Rhodes, CEO HIRANI said:

“Innovation is defined as the process of bringing about new products, services, or solutions for challenges that will have a significant positive impact and value. Challenges within the health systems for both vendors and suppliers are largely mirrored across North and South. This report examined the benefits of working pro-actively together to guide suppliers to develop their products ‘in sync’ with the key priorities of both health systems on the island of Ireland and to create a framework to support procurement.

“The Northern Ireland Executive has already recognised the benefits of local public procurement in 2022, and as they develop their new Programme for Government, this report will be a valuable resource to influence decision makers to better support the benefits of local procurement in Health. Despite the differing policy landscapes, North and South, a joint delivery of recommendations such as an all-island Dynamic Purchasing system to provide a route for local innovation to enhance health and prosperity across the island of Ireland would be highly advantageous”.

 ENDS

Smart D8 Call for pilots Community Health, Health Literacy and Environment – Closes this Friday 29

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Smart D8 Opens New Call for Pilot Projects following three years of success

  • New call for pilot projects in three areas: Community Health, Health Literacy and Environment
  • Up to six pilot projects will be selected from call, following success of 12 projects over three years
  • Smart D8 is led by The Digital Hub, St James’s Hospital, Dublin City Council and Smart Dublin

 Smart D8, an urban health initiative using innovation to improve and sustain community health and wellbeing in Dublin 8, has opened a new call for pilot projects following three years of successful pilot projects.

Smart D8 is set to expand the number of pilot projects selected from this year’s call, with up to six successful pilots to receive support of up to €12,500 in resourcing.

Smart D8 is now seeking applications for pilot projects focused on Community Health, Health Literacy and the Environment to continue developing Dublin 8 as a demonstrator centred on enhancing the health and wellbeing of the 45,000 citizens in the community.

Over the last three years, Smart D8 has engaged with several public organisations and private companies. Through a series of pilot projects as well as ongoing partner collaboration, Dublin 8 has gradually transformed into a demonstrator focused on the health and wellbeing of citizens.

The 2024 pilot call is open to all Enterprise, Academic Institutions, and Public and Private sector organisations who offer innovative and scalable solutions that address unmet needs of the community and can be enabled by collaboration with Smart D8 partners.

Jack Lehane, Smart D8 Ecosystem Manager, said:

“Following the success of our previous pilot projects, which have positively impacted over 6,000 citizens in Dublin 8 by enhancing awareness across various health issues including heart health and mental wellbeing, we are now inviting applicants in the areas of Community Health, Health Literacy and Environmental.  Smart D8 provides an excellent opportunity for businesses and researchers to meaningfully contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of citizens in Dublin 8 and beyond, and we strongly encourage any organisations who have developed innovative products or services in these three areas to apply.”

Giulia Camera, Smart D8 Enterprise and Learning Coordinator, added:

“The community is central to the development and innovation at Smart D8. The latest call for pilot projects provides an excellent opportunity for developments to flourish in three critical areas of local health innovation, which will not only support the health and wellbeing of the local community but will also enable improved education on key areas of everyday wellness. By providing access to new projects and resources on health, we can progress the wellbeing of the Dublin 8 community, and beyond, one step further.”

The success of Smart D8 is evident through various pilot projects over recent years. These initiatives include Menopause and the City which aimed at educating women and their surrounding family and friends about menopause so they can be empowered to manage their symptoms, Heart of Our City which aimed at improving awareness and management of cardiovascular disease in the community, and Civic Dollars which enabled people to earn a digital currency through spending time in local parks and nature.

Smart D8 is led by The Digital Hub, Smart Dublin, Dublin City Council and St. James’s Hospital. They are joined by Tyndall National Institute, St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, Trinity Research & Innovation, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, National College of Art & Design, Guinness Enterprise Centre, Health Innovation Hub Ireland and the HSE in this unique collaborative initiative.

Applications will close on Friday, March 29th at 11pm. For more information on Smart D8 and to find out how to apply for the latest round of pilot projects, please visit https://smartd8.ie

 

HIHI supports Ireland’s first clinically designed digital platform for menopause

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Menopause and the City, one of the four selected Smart D8 pilot projects, held an event at The Digital Hub on Monday 16th of October ahead of World Menopause Day, to share information on menopause and support networks available in the local Dublin 8 area. HIHI is a proud partner of Smart D8 and a champion for InfoMD menopause within the group. (https://informd.ie/menopause)

Founded and driven by Dr Louise Fitzgerald, Menopause and the City is a sub-project of inforMD Menopause, an initiative that is focused on improving menopause health and wellbeing in Dublin 8 and beyond. It will be the first national platform wholly dedicated to providing women with information on menopause and resources where they can access support.

The Menopause and the City pilot project aims to educate women, their family and friends about menopause so they can be empowered to manage their symptoms using self-management strategies but equally know when to seek professional help appropriately. The pilot will provide several free in-person workshops delivered to the community and a free online platform.

The first of those information workshops featured a number of leading expert speakers in healthcare and menopause, including Dr Ciara McKenna and Dr. Aoife Nic Shamhráin, leading Menopause Specialists with Menopause Health, Clare Farrell, Women’s Health Physiotherapist at The Coombe Hospital and Family Physio, and Orna O’Brien, Senior Dietician at the Irish Heart Foundation.

Dr Louise Fitzgerald, the founder of inforMD Menopause, has extensive experience in healthcare and identified the challenges facing women experiencing menopause in accessing treatment and support. With a background in medical practice, Dr Louise runs a successful menopause clinic in Dublin City Centre where she provides equal access, treatment and support for women experiencing menopause.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the pilot project, Dr Louise Fitzgerald, Founder of inforMD Menopause and Menopause and the City, stated:

“Menopause has become an increasingly important conversation in modern society however many women remain unaware of treatment and support networks in their local communities. The impact of hormonal changes on the lead up to menopause can be turbulent, confusing and stressful. It is quite shocking to hear that 82% of women are in some way affected in their work performance by menopause symptoms[1]. While some women require medical intervention for their symptoms, many women only require lifestyle advice, which should be available to all women. It’s important that we raise awareness of menopause symptoms, supports and resources for communities, and I hope that inforMD Menopause does just that. I’m delighted to launch inforMD Menopause and Menopause and the City ahead of World Menopause Day and I’m very grateful for the support from Smart D8 on this important project.”

 

Dublin communities set to benefit from new health and wellness pilots through Smart D8

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Smart D8, one of five Smart Districts of the Smart Dublin programme designed to improve health and wellbeing in an urban population, has today announced the successful applicants from their third call for pilot projects. Smart D8 is led by The Digital Hub, St James’s Hospital, Dublin City Council and Smart Dublin.

A record number of 60 applications from private and public organisations were received following the pilot call in March. Four projects have now been selected which focus on menopause, physical rehabilitation, exercise and sleep apnea and will share a €50,000 fund to advance their existing work:

  • Menopause and the City from Dr Louise Fitzgerald of Grafton Medical Practice/InforMD.ie: This pilot is seeking to create a better educational ecosystem around menopause health for both individuals as well as families and friends. A project with truly scalable potential, Dr Louise Fitzgerald is aiming for Dublin 8 to become the centre of the first city-wide approach to positive menopause education and support.
  • Brace from Conor Motyer: Brace is a community-based recovery app which seeks to assist patients who are undergoing physical rehabilitation. With an added focus on the mental wellness aspect of rehabilitation, Brace uses exercise tracking, gamification and community support to improve both recovery engagement and mental health outcomes arising from research that has found that rehab program completion rates can be as low as 50%.
  • MoveAhead from Dr Jamie McGann and Dr Johann Issartel: MoveAhead is based on years of clinical experience from both founders, as well as practical research carried out with the GAA which has found that children’s movement skills are deteriorating in line with increased use of screens and technology. MoveAhead is the world’s first motion tracking and movement analytics platform built specifically for children, which informs games to assist with improving children’s movement skills.
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Identifier from Dr Brian Kent/St James’s Hospital: OSA Identifier is seeking to reduce the wait time for a sleep apnea diagnosis, which is currently up to two years. OSA Identifier has developed an app to provide at-home data which can be reviewed by clinical specialists and both inform and speed up diagnosis and treatment options for sleep apnea.

The Smart D8 consortium is led by The Digital Hub, St James’s Hospital, Dublin City Council and Smart Dublin, together with the Guinness Enterprise Centre, HSE Digital Transformation, Tyndall National Institute, St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, Trinity College Dublin Research & Innovation, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, National College of Art & Design, and Health Innovation Hub Ireland. 

AIMs project works concludes, as framework of recommendations to support SME innovation procurement is prepared

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The “AIMS for Health Innovation – All-Island MedTech SMEs for Health Innovation”, funded by InterTradeIreland’s SYNERGY programme, is a joint initiative between Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland (HIRANI) and Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI). The overall goal is to identify an improved adoption process within Health and Social Care (HSC) in NI and the HSE in Republic of Ireland (ROI), to support smaller SMEs and start-ups and encourage collaboration between industry and healthcare stakeholders. The partners will now develop a framework of recommendations to support SME innovation procurement in secondary care across the island of Ireland.

The project consisted of two in-person workshops with SMEs from NI and ROI held in March 2023 in Belfast, and May in Dublin. These included discussion around challenges for SMEs in health procurement. Following Workshop 1, a Working Group was established to seek input from healthcare and procurement representatives. The challenges identified were explored further via breakout groups at Workshop 2, held in May 2023 in Dublin. In addition to SME representatives, HSC, HSE procurement, policy and state agency representatives were in attendance for Workshop 2 to make recommendations that aligned with health procurement needs. These recommendations were discussed at the second Working Group meeting on 20th June 2023.

The framework of recommendations is currently being compiled and a full report will be published September 2023.

HSE Health matters covers HIHI national smart health TB study

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Excellent coverage in Health Service Executive summer edition of ‘Health Matters’ of our national TB smartphone study with St James’s Hospital Dublin. Results showed the smart health option would cost the Health Service Executive just 8 per cent (€300) per patient, compared to current system cost of €3,362 per patient, over a six month treatment period. Patient satisfaction increased and nursing time was cut from one hour to one minute per patient. More here: https://bit.ly/3r4n1bm p.24

WE ARE HIRING – Innovation Specialist HIHI Dublin (.8 FTE)

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The Purpose of the Role

HIHI wishes to recruit an Innovation Specialist to manage a portfolio of up to 20 health technology clients to lead the management and governance of pilot, validation and user assessment studies in Irish clinical settings. Central to the role, is working directly with Irish start-ups and SMEs to develop health technology products through testing and development projects. The Innovation Specialist will ensure the successful delivery of multiple, concurrent activities within their client portfolio, monitoring and tracking schedule, cost, quality and outcomes. This is an exceptional opportunity to be part of a leading national health innovation program. You will manage multi-disciplinary project teams of experienced clinical, commercialisation, academic and technical professionals dedicated to developing, scaling and growing Irish healthcare companies while improving the health system by meeting global and national healthcare needs.

The candidate will deliver a diverse range of innovative health tech projects for their clients – both industry and clinical teams and should be experienced in driving project plans forward, managing tight deadlines and remote teams for appositive result. The program requires the post holder to be a  strong communicator and independent worker with a clear focus on healthcare innovation and developments in health technology.

The HIHI Innovation Specialist will be based in the HIHI TCD hub in St James’s Hospital and will lead several projects across multiple site locations. The post holder will report to HIHI TCD Manager. The successful candidate will be an active member of the National HIHI Operations Team led by principal HIHI academic partner UCC. Informal enquiries about this post – HIHI Manager TCD, Eimear Galvin, galvinei@tcd.ie.

Context

The ambition in the 2013 ‘Action Plan for Jobs’ was to establish a world renowned Health Innovation Hub and in doing so Ireland as a leading location for start-ups and growing medtech and healthcare companies. A Cork demonstrator hub provided a scalable and clinically credible environment in which to launch Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) in 2016. A joint government initiative of the Department of Health and the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) is an Enterprise Ireland and HSE partnership. Providing a vital bridge between the health service and Irish innovators – understanding the evolving needs of the health system and the journey to market for enterprise. HIHI entered its second phase of five year funding from Enterprise Ireland in July 2021.

HIHI drives collaboration between the health service and enterprise, leading to the development of new healthcare technologies, products, and services. HIHI enables frontline piloting and testing, resulting in improved design or the validation to take a product to the next stage of development and commercialisation. HIHI also supports the building of an innovation culture within the health service through a suite of knowledge building resources and guidance for healthcare professionals and innovators on the key steps from ideation to adoption.

Operationally, a consortium of four academic institution (led by UCC with partners TCD, NUIG and MTU) runs Health Innovation Hub Ireland. Each PI is the official budget holder. The HIHI Managers report directly to the relevant PI and the local team (a mix of EI funded posts and HSE seconded posts) report to the HIHI manager. The HIHI Manager also reports into the HIHI National Director who leads the national team. The HIHI Innovation Specialists will work closely with HIHI TCD Manager and HSE/HIHI Clinical Liaisons, HIHI Galway, HIHI Cork, individual site clinical teams, Enterprise Ireland Development Advisors, industry partners and start-ups.

Main responsibilities

  • Manages own portfolio of HIHI health technology client companies (up to 20), liaising with Enterprise Ireland HPSU and Development Advisors to ensure commercial value to clients through pilot and validation studies.
  • Act as the lead broker between your companies and the health service (acute, community, primary care and individual clinical leads/teams) to identify appropriate study sites, leading engagement with the clinical teams, assessing feasibility of studies, drafting and securing formal project plans and agreements.
  • Define and implement each individual project plan per client – this includes but is not limited to project scope definition, work break-down, resource planning, schedule development, budgeting and reporting requirements.
  • Responsible for identifying and delivering bespoke study KPIs – outcomes delivered for clinical and company partners – e.g key success indicators: improved patient care and access, savings, site efficiencies.
  • Liaise directly with ethics committees as necessary per client – preparation and submission of applications, study protocol and Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) compliance.
  • Ensure intellectual property assets are managed appropriately – ensuring industry partner confidentiality as needed.
  • Manage project risk and change, and ensure project outcomes are delivered in accordance with the project plan and in line with the overall project objectives
  • Deliver strong and detailed reports on the progress of each project and the key performance indicators and deliverables to be achieved .
  • Manage and prepare HIHI study data (from your client portfolio) for publication.
  • Build and manage key relationships across Irish acute sites with a particular focus on creating a network of contacts in the Dublin area to raise the profile of HIHI.
  • Collaborate with local and national industry groups and representative bodies – Enterprise Ireland, IDA, Knowledge Transfer Ireland, Health Tech Ireland, IPPOSI, Digital Hub, GEC, etc, to support client work on development, funding options, commercialisation and market entry.
  • Build and manage close relationships with TCD Tech Transfer Office and across TCD Research and Innovation to support and advise client portfolio on issues relating to IP, spin out, product development and commercial pathways.
  • Liaise with HIHI colleagues in Cork and Galway and, where appropriate, manage HIHI projects in other HIHI locations.
  • Pro-active content creation, input and management of HIHI Knowledge Network (online toolkit for Irish health innovators).
  • Intelligence gathering and dissemination of trends and opportunities for EU funding.
  • Provides expert guidance on EU proposal development, eligibility and compliance.
  • Leads on writing high quality EU proposals for strategic, high value opportunities
  • Maintenance and regular monitoring of HIHI project notes and reports on internal HIHI Smartsheets and SharePoint systems (full training provided).
  • Represent HIHI at events, conferences and symposia.
  • Carry out other duties as appropriate to the post as may be assigned from time to time by the HIHI TCD Manager.

*The above role profile is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post.

Person Requirements

The role-holder will require the following knowledge, skills and attributes for successful performance in the role.

Qualifications

  • The candidate appointed to this post should have a degree in science, technology, engineering, medtech, health or business.
  • The successful candidate must have a minimum of three years’ project management experience in the health sector, or with industry- focused health technology projects.
  • Professional accreditation(s) in project management methodologies is an advantage.

Knowledge

  • Applicants must have significant (min three years) experience in an area of healthcare – within industry: pharma, med tech, med device, digital health start-ups, or clinical experience (no preferred discipline) in an acute site.
  • Demonstrable knowledge of the digital healthcare system, clinical and health technology landscape in Ireland.
  • Expertise in global research development and innovation technology trends, opportunities and challenges as they affect healthcare businesses.
  • A keen interest, understanding and insight into health technology, medical devices and good clinical practice to deliver effective clinical studies.
  • Clinical research knowledge /interest in clinical research.
  • Comprehensive understanding and knowledge of EU Funding trends and opportunities and EU proposal requirements, standards and criteria.

Experience

  • A record of achieving results independently in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
  • Experience with designing and mobilising the project management process and implementing the entire project lifecycle to meet challenging deadlines.
  • Demonstrable experience of achievements in building networks, stakeholder engagement and relationships across sectors.
  • Demonstrable experience and evidence of client services roles with accountability responsibilities.
  • Extensive experience of portfolio management and ownership – managing multiple projects with competing demands.
  • Experience in managing multi-disciplinary project teams.
  • Experience of grant writing and supporting grant applications – up to date on EU funding trends, priorities and modalities as well as funding eligibility criteria and guidelines.
  • Experience in technology commercialisation, design, testing product development, IP, work with TTO
  • Experience and expertise in social media and digital content creation a bonus.

Skills

  • Ability to communicate, engage and convince at senior level with thought leaders across health and technology sectors.
  • Creative, patient, adaptable, and flexible with a knack for understanding client needs and developing innovative solutions.
  • Excellent written and oral proficiency in English (essential), excellent communication and interpersonal skills both written and verbal.
  • Ability to problem solve, to brainstorm and to generate innovative ideas and solutions.
  • Proven ability to prioritise workload and work to exacting deadlines.
  • Ability to negotiate access to resources in a matrix-type organisation.
  • Should possess excellent computer skills with experience of project management and collaboration tools.
  • Self-motivated, showing strong initiative and accountability for own portfolio of clients.

Personal attributes

  • Strong communicator
  • A leader who pays close attention to project requirements and proactively delivers.
  • Ability to learn quickly and adapt to changing requirements.
  • Client focus – the ability to provide an excellent client service focusing on client needs across project and commercialisation strategies.

Apply through: https://my.corehr.com/pls/trrecruit/erq_search_package.search_form?p_company=1&p_internal_external=E

 

Smart D8 is extending the call for pilots to Friday 05th May 2023 at 23:00

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Following two years of success in engaging Enterprise, Academia and a range of relevant stakeholders, the Smart D8 initiative has delivered 8 impactful and scalable pilots. In 2023 this engagement will continue with a third open call for pilots – deadline now extended to May 5.

Apply here

Continuing to focus on the measured health and wellbeing needs of the 25,000 strong diverse Dublin 8 population, this call will focus on three themes namely:

  • Positive and Healthy Ageing,
  • Connected Patient in the Community, and
  • Population Health.

Smart D8 seek to support the development of impactful, scalable and sustainable pilots involving enterprise, academic and other relevant public and private stakeholders. The pilot proposals should be ready to deploy with end users and should be in a position to measure impacts within a six-month timeframe.

To apply, please submit your proposal here: https://smartdublin.ie/smart-districts/smart-d8/ by Friday, 05th May 2023 at 23:00

Smart D8 Pilot Call Themes

Some examples of the types of pilots which would be relevant to the Dublin 8 population are given here for illustrative purposes. Smart D8 takes a very broad perspective on population health and wellbeing. Balancing preventative approaches with the support for patients in the community and in innovation in the delivery of healthcare, the pilot call is broad in the application areas.

Positive and Healthy Ageing

  • General Preventative Health solutions that can be implemented in a community setting to maintain good health and wellbeing.
  • Support for patients living in the community.
  • Ways to better integrate the ageing population into communities.
  • Providing support for the ageing population making a valuable contribution to communities.
  • Health and wellbeing services focused on an ageing population.

Connected Patient in the Community

  • Connected Patient in the Community
  • Support for patients living in the community.
  • Health and wellbeing services focused on patients living in a community.
  • Chronic Disease Management which will allow people to manage chronic health conditions in the community.
  • Social prescribing and related services.
  • Support for community-based services.
  • Approaches to Health and wellbeing education and learning.

Population Health

  • Chronic Disease Management which will allow people to manage chronic health conditions in the community.
  • General Preventative Health solutions that can be implemented in a community setting to maintain good health and wellbeing.
  • Ways to encourage better exercise and nutrition.
  • Ways to reduce stress in the general population.
  • Approaches to Health and wellbeing education and learning.
  • Health and wellbeing services focused on a general population.

Who Should Apply?

The pilot call is open to all Enterprise, Academy, Public and Private sector organisations, who:

  • Offer innovative and scalable solutions (products, services or devices).
  • Provides new practices/solutions/perspectives that address an unmet need in the community.
  • Have a solution that is ready for end user deployment within six months.
  • Can be enabled by a co creation and collaboration with the Smart D8 partners and beyond.

Why Apply?

  • Opportunity to pilot and demonstrate the impact and scalability of your offering in a real-world community setting.
  • Access to a unique collaborative ecosystem with established clinical, academic, public and private sector engagement
  • Funding support available for selected pilots.
  • Project management support
  • Marketing and promotion support
  • Access to free workspace in Dublin 8 during the pilot period.

Application Process and Timelines

  • Process : Applicants must submit a completed application form through the Smart D8 website. Applicants can apply for more than one call.
  • Call opens : Monday, 27th March 2023
  • Call closes : on Friday, 05th May 2023 at 23:00
  • Evaluation of proposals :
    Your submission will be reviewed by expert panel drawn from the Smart D8 partners.  A shortlist of applicants will be selected and will be asked to make a presentation to the evaluation panel. An update on the call outcome will be provided to all applicants on Monday 22nd May 2023.   
  • Projects start : June 2023
  • Projects present results/interim results : December 2023

New circular to assist SMEs in Public Procurement

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“As part of the Public Service Reform Plan, the Government established the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) to drive a new consolidated and integrated approach to public procurement. In the context of its ongoing commitment to ensure that Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) are fully engaged with public procurement and the opportunities presenting, the OGP has undertaken a review of Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Circular 10/2014. The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future identified the role public procurement can play as an instrument to support innovation and allow greater access for SMEs to public procurement. SMEs, as defined in EU Recommendation 2003/361 , are enterprises which employ less than 250 persons with an annual turnover not exceeding €50 million, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million.
This Circular is designed to further enable SMEs in competing for public contracts and replaces Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 10/
2014. This Circular should be read in conjunction with the Public Procurement Guidelines for Goods and Services and the Capital Works Management Framework as appropriate. This Circular applies to all public sector bodies.” Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular
More here:

bit.ly/3U2snhM

Smart D8 Opens New Call for Pilots for Health and Wellbeing Demonstrator – Population Health, Positive and Healthy Ageing, and Connected Patients in the Community

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‘Smart D8’ is an urban demonstrator providing opportunities for indigenous and international innovators to investigate how smart technology and innovative approaches can be used to improve health and wellbeing in an urban population.

Today, Smart D8 announces the launch of a new call for pilots.

Smart D8 is looking to engage and collaborate with private companies, academics, healthcare providers and public organisations who want to demonstrate their innovative solutions with the local community.

The initial work of Smart D8 focused on significant community research to measure unmet population health and wellness needs.

Following on from this research, a number of pilot projects were actioned to directly respond to this community feedback. A range of innovations have already been rolled out with positive impacts on population health and wellbeing – reaching over 5,000 citizens in and around the Dublin 8 district, before scaling nationally. These initiatives include Heart of Our City which aimed at improving awareness around and management of cardiovascular disease in the community, Civic Dollars which enabled people to earn digital currency through spending time in local parks, and Ways To Wellbeing which boosted the wellbeing and mental health of elderly people by giving them the chance to connect with young people in their community in a meaningful way.

Smart D8 is now seeking applications for a new round of pilot projects focused on Population Health, Positive and Healthy Ageing, and Connected Patients in the Community to continue health and wellbeing innovation in Dublin 8 and beyond. 

Stephen Brennan, Head of Strategy and Partnerships at The Digital Hub and Chair of Smart D8, said:

“Smart D8 opens our third round of pilot project calls and is responding to real health and wellbeing needs of citizens in Dublin 8 and beyond – and looking for the best solutions to challenges in Population Health, Positive and Healthy Ageing, and Connected Patients in the Community. We are especially interested in working with those who want to demonstrate their products, services and research in real-world conditions.”

Jack Lehane, Smart D8 Ecosystem Manager, said:

“Community outreach has been at the heart of Smart D8 since its inception. This new call provides a great opportunity to expand this forward-looking approach to healthcare innovation. By providing access to communities and local infrastructures, we will provide a platform for innovation to thrive and taking a health and wellness approach will help reduce the number of people who get sick in the first place.”

The lead partners are joined in the Smart D8 consortium by the Guinness Enterprise Centre, HSE Digital Transformation, Tyndall National Institute, St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, Trinity College Dublin Research & Innovation, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, National College of Art & Design, and Health Innovation Hub Ireland.

Applicants can apply here at https://smartdublin.ie/smart-districts/smart-d8/