Digital Health network cooperation continues – internationality first

The sector is achieving its goal of co-operation and pioneering in Finland and globally as the Digital Health network continues co-operation as part of the growth programme for the health and wellbeing sector.

New digital health solutions and international success stories require continued cooperation between public and private sectors and research. Such a cooperation structure has not existed in Finland before.

For the past couple of years, the InnoCity Leadership project has been working on the concept of the network. The network collected the perspectives of wellbeing services counties, companies, and research to develop new solutions and improve cooperation. As expected, the needs of different groups were different, but many common factors also surfaced.

Digital health sector companies would benefit from regulatory expertise, partnerships, and support for internationalisation, among other things. The wellbeing services counties considered easily accessible information about existing digital solutions, development and research partners as well as opportunities to be essential. Researchers, on the other hand, would benefit from support in networking and launching large projects.

‘In addition to this triad, authorities also play an important role in making cooperation possible. Complex regulations complicate the development and commercialisation of solutions. There are still challenges in the utilisation of health data and testing of medical devices,’ says Project Manager Veera Virta from the University of Oulu.

Higher education and urban development operators in Oulu, Tampere, Turku, Kuopio, and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area report the results of the preparatory project to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

Finnish competence for international markets

The start of the year brought good news to the networking project: the finished project would continue by a decision of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health as part of the national growth programme for the health and wellbeing sector.

DigiFinland Oy and the University of Oulu are responsible for its implementation under the leadership of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health with Business Finland and Healthtech Finland involved in the project group.

Firstly, the new form of cooperation will address the need for internationalisation with the aim of developing the export of Finnish expertise in particular.

‘The follow-up project will focus on, among other things, the promotion of international cooperation and export opportunities for the use of technology-assisted services and solutions for older people as well as the utilisation of data and artificial intelligence,’ says Professor Jarmo Reponen from the University of Oulu.

The aim is also to jointly build a framework for offering Finnish expertise to international partners, visitors, and delegations.

‘We have not forgotten about other needs and tasks that have emerged during the project either, and we are also currently examining the possibilities of promoting them,’ Veera Virta says.

At the moment, funding for network coordination has been allocated until the end of the government term, but the strategic intent and plans are aiming towards a more permanent network.  

More information:

The final project report– Digitaalisen terveyden ja hyvinvointiteknologian kansallinen osaamisverkosto: Innokaupunkien digitaalisen terveyden teemavetovastuuhanke 2023–2024 – Valto (in Finnish)

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on the topic: Finland pools its digital health expertise to break into international markets

Digital health is one of the lead themes of InnoCities. Thematic cooperation brings together the resources of different cities and promotes the sharing of good practices as well as international cooperation and investments. The aim is to expedite the reform of business and the implementation of sustainable solutions in cities. InnoCities support innovation and engage in the practical application of research and experiment.

This article is the third and final part about the Digital Health project.

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