In cooperation with Tekes (now Business Finland), Vinnova, Innovation Norway and Rannis, Nordic Innovation invited consortia of organisations to submit proposals for Nordic projects in the field of health innovation in June 2014. The total budget for the call was NOK 25 million.
After hosting a matchmaking meeting in Stockholm in August, we received 26 project applications with a total budget of NOK 190 million before the October deadline.
In December 2014, after a careful evaluation process, Nordic Innovation chose seven projects to be funded under the call (see the list below).
Aim of the call
The aim of the call was to unite and strengthen efforts across the Nordics in order to develop a Nordic ecosystem for health innovation. A strong Nordic ecosystem can create opportunities for Nordic businesses through a closer connection between developers, demanders and test environments in a larger region.
Providing developers in the region with the most relevant partners irrespective of country, chances are that they will get further faster. The ambition is to foster scalable solutions that through interaction with the needs of users and the Nordic healthcare sector are well positioned for export to a growing world market for innovative healthcare solutions. Employee-driven innovation and the development of solutions that are needed by the healthcare sector are integrated aspects of this initiative.
Background for the call
The challenge of an aging population, more lifestyle diseases and chronic patients, and the ever-increasing expectations of the population as to what the health system should treat and solve, has placed health and welfare on the innovation policy agenda in every Nordic country. All the Nordic countries see opportunities for innovation and market shares in the global economy in this field.
The call was part of the lighthouse project Innovative Nordic Welfare Solutions initiated by the five Nordic ministries of business through the Nordic Co-operation Programme for Business and Innovation Policy 2014-2017, contributing to the aim of making the Nordics a leading region in developing and exporting innovative health and welfare solutions.
