First partner meeting ahead of Austrian hub launch

Today, the partners of the newly created EIT Health Regional Innovation Hub in Austria met for the first time in their new Vienna-based location, to advance decisions ahead of its official opening in January 2022.

During the meeting, the group will complete formalities associated with the hub opening and discuss how the Austrian hub should operate across the region as well as link into the wider EIT Health European network.

“We are excited to be in our new premises today and conduct the first official partner meeting for the new EIT Health Regional Innovation Hub. Austria has many healthcare innovation strengths including a well-developed healthcare system with widely accepted and implemented electronic health record (ELGA), an efficient industry with several big players and in particular strong SMEs, the talent base, well-functioning life science clusters, and the ambition including the political strategy to drive innovation in fields where our healthcare systems can be strengthened. The newly created EIT Health Austria will integrate well into the already vast and vibrant network, and we look forward to addressing the health challenges facing Europe through synergistic and collaborative working with our EIT Health peers,” said Dirk Holste, Research Manager and Deputy Head of the AIT Center for Health & Bioresources, who currently coordinates EIT Health Austria.

Founded by six partners – AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV, SanusX (Corporate Start-up of UNIQA Insurance Group), Kapsch BusinessCom, the Wild Group and the Viennese start-up service INiTS – EIT Health Austria will open its doors in January 2022, with a physical office space in Kundmanngasse 21, Wien, Austria, in co-location with two partners.

With a total 12 core and associate partners to date, as well as several network partners regionally associated with the hub, work will begin in 2022 to advance solutions such as innovative new products and services, accelerator activities to support start-ups and SMEs, and education in line with EIT Health’s overall mission and goals. The hub also has the backing of key stakeholders such as the Federal Ministry of Digital & Economic Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care & Consumer Protection and the Vienna Business Agency as well as the Vienna Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re proud to accelerate the momentum around the EIT Health Austrian Regional Innovation Hub so that we can capitalise on the clear opportunities that lie in the region. The new partnerships there will bring a breath of fresh air to EIT Health, as well as further strengthening our dynamic and multidisciplinary network. We look forward to fruitful collaborations that can improve the lives of patients and citizens across Europe,” said Jan-Philipp Beck, CEO, EIT Health.

For more information about the upcoming EIT Health Austria hub, please contact austria.hub@eithealth.eu.