EIT Health welcomes the Hungarian Innovation Agency to the network

The National Innovation Agency (NIÜ), which aims to strengthen Hungary’s innovation ecosystem, has partnered with EIT Health to promote a healthier future for European citizens through the support of health innovation. The collaboration is an important milestone for Hungarian healthcare innovation companies, as access to EIT Health InnoStars’ extensive network will open a gateway to European partners and through them to European and international markets.

The Hungarian innovation strategy is at the core of the NIÜ’s mission, as highlighted in the John von Neumann Programme. The programme, which guides the agency’s work, identifies health as one of its four focus areas. Recognising the country’s capabilities, competences, growth potential, and social importance, NIÜ is committed to driving innovation in healthcare, aligning with the objectives of EIT Health InnoStars.

“For Hungarian innovative companies, it is of key importance to have extensive partnerships in European markets, as these can help them to successfully enter foreign markets, thus expanding the export capacity of the Hungarian economy. This is where EIT Health InnoStars can help, and this is why NIÜ decided to join the network,” said László Bódis, CEO of the National Innovation Agency. He added: “Our strategic goal is to help as many innovative Hungarian companies as possible to participate successfully in direct EU funding. EIT Health’s programmes, services and expertise offer a great opportunity not only to strengthen and share our innovation support capacities and open new perspectives for our partners, but also to strengthen Hungarian participation in directly EU programmes.”

The Agency actively contributes to fostering innovation ecosystems and maintains extensive connections across the three key segments of the knowledge triangle: business, education, and research. A key initiative of NIÜ, the Hungarian Startup University Programme, aims to foster innovation among students by equipping them with the skills needed to start and run innovative businesses. As of the 2022/2023 academic year, it has engaged 32 higher education institutions and over 10,000 students. A recent success story is HoloSapiens, a Hungarian start-up developing an interactive application for medical and health science university students, enabling them to study human anatomy in 3D.

“The partnership between EIT Health InnoStars and the Hungarian Innovation Agency (NIÜ) is a significant step forward in our collective efforts to drive healthcare innovation and incubate more success stories in Hungary. This is especially fitting since increasing competitiveness is a key priority of Hungary’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union,” said Ferenc Pongracz, Regional Director at EIT Health InnoStars. “We believe that our joint efforts will not only provide opportunities for talented Hungarian innovators but also contribute to advancing healthcare solutions across Europe, addressing critical challenges and improving patient outcomes beyond borders.”

Partnership with EIT Health InnoStars offers tangible benefits for various organisations. Meetings with EIT Health partners provide valuable networking opportunities, while visibility on the EIT Health website and Intranet elevate the organisation’s profile at the European level across the entire innovation ecosystem. Furthermore, NIÜ can leverage EIT Health’s support for information dissemination and communication in Europe, along with the use of EIT Health & EU flag logos for their communications.