Pané announces the creation of an innovation hub on social and healthcare services

The Minister of Health of the Government of Catalonia, Olga Pané, has announced the creation of iBé, an innovation hub that will aim to promote, evaluate and scale solutions and innovations in the fields of wellbeing, improved autonomy and social and healthcare integration in response to ageing and demographic challenges.

At Thursday’s presentation event, Pané said that this research and innovation instrument will make it possible to “bring down to earth” tools that are already or will be available, but still need to be transferred to real life and adapted to each local context.

The event was attended by the hub’s director and former Minister of Health, Manel Balcells; the Director General for Health Research, Antoni Plasència; and the president of the Joan Costa Roma Foundation of the Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa (CST), Ramon Olivé, as well as the Secretary General for Social Rights and Inclusion, Raúl Moreno.

The starting point of the initiative is longevity, low birth rates and social changes, with more people wanting to continue living at home, including dependent individuals or those with chronic conditions requiring closer monitoring: “The future is at home,” said Balcells.

iBé will serve to select, promote, support and evaluate —but not fund— projects in the social and healthcare field, which may later reach the market and be integrated into the service portfolio of the relevant ministry or government agency, including the future Agency for Integrated Social and Healthcare Care of Catalonia (Agaiss-Cat).

SILVERCAT

Within the framework of iBé, Silvercat will be promoted as a “meeting point” for Catalonia’s silver economy, both public and private —similar to what Biocat represents for the biomedical sector and inspired by comparable international experiences— and will aim to generate economic growth and employment in this field.

The driving group behind Silvercat includes CST, Barceló CG, Tech Barcelona, Amics de la Gent Gran, Suara Cooperativa, the Health and Social Consortium of Catalonia, the Chair in Ageing and Health, the Salut Empordà Foundation, the University of Girona, Ship2B Foundation and Fira Barcelona.

EXISTING INITIATIVES

iBé will also integrate several existing public initiatives promoted and funded by departments of the Generalitat, such as Health and Social Rights and Inclusion, as well as entities like the Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (Aquas) and the TIC Salut i Social Foundation.

This includes the Social and Healthcare Innovation Hub (HISS), the Centre for the Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technologies (CIMTI), and the Social Innovation Services for Care (SISCU), which will continue their projects under the new umbrella.

Among others, initiatives already launched include a new colorectal cancer screening system, a low-cost exoskeleton to maintain mobility, and a “virtual community centre” to combat unwanted loneliness.

LOCATED IN TERRASSA

The hub originates from the Joan Costa Roma Foundation; it has the support of the Government of Catalonia and the departments of Health and Social Rights and Inclusion, and plans to seek both public and private funding, although it does not yet have an initial budget.

It is also supported by the City Council of Terrassa (Barcelona), which plans to refurbish a former industrial building in the city to house the hub’s new offices.

Source: Europapress