EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The AAL is focusing more and more on ensuring its funded projects are delivering products and solutions to market. How can this be achieved faster and how are you approaching this in Flanders? For products and solutions to be accepted by the end user, cooperation and co-creation between entrepreneurs and care actors is crucial. It’s important that entrepreneurs develop innovative solutions based on real needs to ensure the added value to the market.
In Flanders, Flanders’ Care is the platform that combines knowledge, innovation and business to facilitate different stakeholders in their development and market introduction. On the one hand, we have developed several online support instruments; such as the user-centered roadmap, the evidence based toolbox and the export readiness scan. On the other handwe have established the Flanders’ Care network, through which the policy domains of science and innovation, economy and welfare collaborate to match needs with relevant support and coaching. Activating the entire relevant value chain and working together accelerates the total process.
The Forum seems to be full of brilliant ideas. How can we ensure these ideas in Europe are scalable and can provide products and solutions that meet a social and commercial need in what is often a fragmented market? The key word in this is cooperation. In Flanders we are striving to build new cooperation and business models. By bringing together the care and the entrepreneurial sector, we can come to a sustainable balance between societal and commercial valorisation. We are organising test projects in which care organisations and companies work together to build new value chains to develop integrated solutions for generic care needs. Those new cooperation/business models influence both organisations
“It’s important that entrepreneurs
develop innovative
solutions based on real needs”
and stimulate system innovation and, of course, globalisation.
How are you working to ensure that entrepreneurs working in Flanders remain in Flanders? We stimulate our entrepreneurs to internationalise, to collaborate with European companies and to participate in European and international projects. Flanders should be the spot where the core of the business is anchored. It is a centre where entrepreneurs can rely on good, educated employees and a stimulating, innovative and creative open policy approach.
Are you optimistic that older people in Europe will be able to stay healthy and active for longer - and what role should technology play in that? Of course, we have a lot of expertise. We have EU programmes, EU/ regional cooperation platforms and good working organisations in Europe to ensure this. Technology can be a catalyst and offers a backbone for faster introduction and implementation.
The challenge lies in a good and efficient use of the opportunities technology offers. Technology alone cannot assure longevity. Of equal importance is the quality of life assured by a holistic approach of care and cure. New technologies such as mobile health applications are important ways to improve wellbeing and health.
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