"How digital disrupt Medical Diagnostics & Personalised Medicine"

Submitted by Tanvir Singh Badwal on 21 February 2020

Organised by the Infopole cluster within the framework of the DIGI-B-CUBE project, the second cross-sectoral workshop was held on January 22nd, 2019 in Charleroi, Belgium. The event involving 16 participants (SMEs, RTOs, hospitals, clusters, and a non-profit health organisation) consisted of four main parts - presentation of participants; introduction of DIGIBCUBE and workshop methodology used; Mapping exercise of technological challenges and technological solutions of participants; 2 rounds of discussions at each table of participants on the innovation challenges and brainstorming on technological ideas, solutions, required and missing competencies; and networking.

Four specific challenges were selected and the discussions revolved around them. A round table session with impressions, comments, and questions from the participants followed regarding the challenges, the DIGI-B-Cube project, its voucher program, and upcoming opportunities. The list of challenges includes:

  1. How can digital technologies help de-compartmentalize healthcare companies by optimizing data flows, compatibility and consistency?
  2. How can digital technologies help to minimize human-induced errors and how can digital technologies help to decentralise diagnostics to allow collection and analysis of millions of data sets for more precise forecasts?
  3. How can digital technologies help to lead to more mobile diagnostic products/processes directly on the patient (easier handling, smaller devices, low power batteries)?
  4. How can digital technologies help to reach real-time monitoring approach?

The list of outcomes of the workshop includes the identification of obstacles and corresponding solutions for each challenge. In addition, existing and missing competencies were elaborated. The participants had the opportunity to better understand the expectations and needs of actors in the health sector. The workshop helped to initiate partnerships and find complementarities. It is also expected to work as an information hub for upcoming cross-sector workshops and other opportunities to meet and network with international companies. The importance of being "inspired" and being in touch with new ideas was stressed.

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