ChallengEIT will help innovators become executors

A new international programme for piloting innovative working solutions.

EIT Hub in Israel joined forces with Novartis, a leading medicines company, through its BIOME network of innovation hubs,  and EIT Health InnoStars, specialising in innovation development in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe to identify, support, and pilot new solutions to improve healthcare delivery across Europe, Israel and beyond. ChallengEIT is an excellent example of how the agreement, signed in 2021 and associating Israel with Horizon Europe, works in practice, enabling cooperation between innovators, researchers, and entrepreneurs and helping innovators make the next step.

ChallengEIT is a new programme scouting for start-ups, spin-offs, or small and medium enterprises with an innovative working solution, that are keen on testing them across European markets, where Novartis runs its operations.

“This is the first of this kind of project in healthcare innovation between Israel and Central, Eastern, and Southern European regions. Using the open-innovation formula, we will work to select and validate solutions that can improve patient care. The great ideas are everywhere; no matter if they were born in Prague, Warsaw, Athens, or Tel Aviv, we have the right tools to find and introduce them to the market so people can have equal access to innovations”, says Adi Barel, Director of the EIT Hub in Israel.

Applicants to submit their solutions by August 15th should respond to one of four challenges:

1. Peer-to-peer medical exchange in a digital space: how to carry “corridor conversations” online amongst practising clinicians from different countries, how to intensify peer-based learning and practical insights sharing, and how to enable seamless communications and exchange of approaches, experiences, and cases amongst healthcare professionals to improve patient care.
2. Patient navigation throughout the patient journey: how can we support patients to navigate through the complexity of their disease and treatment procedures, and how to improve outcomes of self-managed care pathways without reference to “Dr Google.”
3. Precision Medicine and Personalised care: how can we better predict the treatment response, assess patients’ risk profiles, and match them with personalised, effective care.
4. EUnite Movement Challenge-Access to healthcare: solidarity in health is a cornerstone of EU health policy. How can we improve access to healthcare services, and how can we support the migration challenge by providing efficient access to the best available care, especially in times of crisis.

“ChallengEIT is a tribute to the ever-closer cooperation within the EIT Community in CEE and Israel made possible by Horizon Europe. This programme demonstrates how collaboration between EIT Regional Innovation Scheme regions, and the Israeli ecosystem can respond to healthcare challenges and scout for talent in our regions and facilitate their cooperation with world-leading organisations”– said Monika Tóth, Director of EIT Regional Innovation Scheme.

Selected applicants will receive tailored value-added service, including matchmaking with the EIT and Novartis mentors, access to the EIT Alumni network, and data, which helps validate and improve their business concept, product, or solution. In addition, the winning team will have the chance to get funding and work with BIOME to pilot their solution on the market.

Application closes soon, apply now.