eCare

CAPTAIN COACH – an Innovative eCare Solution

INI-Novation GmbH invests in a Greek startup company

INI-Novation GmbH in Mühltal (Germany) decided to invest in the foundation of a startup company with technologies that transform the living and living environment of older adults into a “digital coach”. The aim of the Greek start-up “CAPTAIN COACH” is to support an independent life for older people in their home environment by motivating them to use innovative technologies for new ways of care and support. A positive impact for the health systems is that nursing staff and medical specialists are empowered to anonymously collect and use medical as well as emotion and behaviour-related data using such technologies.

The management and innovation consultancy company INI-Novation GmbH, which specializes in innovation management, is a consortium partner in the “CAPTAIN” project (https://www.captain-eu.org) funded by the EU program Horizon 2020, in which approaches for the simplified use of innovative care technologies were developed. For the successful operation of these so-called eCare systems, the startup CAPTAIN COACH uses state-of-the-art technologies that were developed as ubiquitous assistants for older adults to compensate for physical impairments and memory disorders during their everyday activities. For this purpose, CAPTAIN COACH offers systems consisting of micro projectors and sensors for detecting the presence and activities of the user. The user sets so-called “smart goals” through speech or gesture. An example of such an intelligent target formulation is: “I would like to call relatives”. In a defined period of time (e.g. once a day or per week), the user can then carry out his own activities, monitor them himself and, if necessary, improve or redefine his goals. The system intelligently regulates the sequence of motivating coaching goals and messages. CAPTAIN COACH transforms users’ living environments into an empowering space that offers interaction, care and support for an independent life with mental and social wellbeing. 

Demographic change and social relevance of the startup

Demographic change has reached Europe. The prospect of an elderlies grows from year to year. The population is aging increasingly due to falling birth rates and increasing life expectancy. This advancing aging of society means that the number of patients with chronic diseases, multi-morbidity and the resulting functional restrictions will continue to increase. This changes the qualitative need for medical support and care. In rural areas in particular, it can be observed that an ever-smaller number of doctors is confronted with a steadily growing number of (older) patients. In addition, there is a drastic shortage of nursing staff.

This opening pair of scissors can be countered by using innovative technologies in order to be able to care for the carers and carers in their home environment by trained assistants. “With our investment we want to contribute to closing the gap between the medical care needed and the caretakers in order to significantly increase the quality of life and life expectancy of older adults”, explains Dr. Wolfgang Kniejski, the Managing Director of INI-Novation GmbH. 

CAPTAIN COACH addresses many different target groups in the population

Angela Ivanova (INI-Novation GmbH)
Angela Ivanova (INI-Novation GmbH)

Angela Ivanova is responsible for the business development of INI-Novation GmbH and also for the start-up CAPTAIN COACH: “The combination of innovative technologies and personal care in the home environment makes it possible for older adults to live independently in a familiar home over a longer period of time, the hospitalization rate is reduced, and the quality of life can be maintained or even improved.”

Furthermore, so called “family carers”, the care organisations and the insurance companies are relieved, since in many cases only one-off support and no full care is required.

“This is positively impacting our society; CAPTAIN COACH brings less stress to the family, increases support in care, saves time, effort and costs.”

Invest and continue a successful collaboration

With a view to real sustainability, the ambitious goal is to establish this technology as a leading innovative method in home care. For this purpose, it is also planned that INI-Novation GmbH will not only invest, but also develop national and international partnerships to promote the spread and use of coaching technologies.

Synergies are achieved through appropriate cooperation with important networks, associations and institutions in relevant areas. These measures aim at the long-term sustainability of the partnership and at mechanisms to attract new interest groups and to bind key actors to the initiative.

The CAPTAIN product offers personalized coaching through new forms of accessible interaction and SMART target solutions that are seamlessly integrated into existing daily activities in the fastest and most efficient way.

Background information


Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

INI-Novation GmbH offers leading expertise in supporting innovative business developments and innovation management. INI-Novation is a specialist in technology transfer with practical experience in the areas of innovation financing, innovation procurement for SMEs and in the development and implementation of relevant training events.

Contact: info@ini-novation.com

CAPTAIN Project: INI-Novation GmbH established liaisons with the Knowledge Innovation Centers of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology

IMG_4084INI-Novation GmbH as work package leader for commercial exploitation of CAPTAIN services established liaisons with the so-called Knowledge Innovation Centers (“KICs”) of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (“EIT”), namely with EIT Digital and EIT Health.

The core collaborative activities targeted meetings with decision makers of public health funds and insurance companies to receive feed-back on market positioning for the innovative service to be offered by CAPTAIN. Pathways to market access for care innovations are depending on acceptance for reimbursement by payers. Early interaction, engagement and building of networks with payers are important key success innovation management factors to positioning high-quality innovation portfolios.

Due to the importance of payers it was also considered worthwhile by INI-Novation, EIT Digital and EIT Health to extend and increase the grade of involving stakeholders from the reimbursement institutions in a specially organised matchmaking event, where innovative care solutions were introduced to representative stakeholders from reimbursement institutions at the location of the University of Heidelberg on October 22nd, 2019.

Heidelberg Event 1
It was addressed in the event that nowadays health insurers are just payers of healthcare expenditures. Thanks to innovative technologies, such as CAPTAIN’s elderly coaching solutions, they have an now opportunity to become partners for their customers, partners in maintaining their customers’ living circumstances. For insurers’ business this means that they may get closer to customers and offer more values. This leads to values that CAPTAIN will add: usefulness and effectiveness of personalized recommendations, combined with the validation of non-obtrusive technology for physical, cognitive, social and mental well-being.

INI-Novation visits the eHealth Europe Congress on 24 and 25 May in Freiburg: Where are Digital Technologies in Healthcare?

ehealth_Forum 5_19At eHealth Europe 2019, the extension of the successful eHealth Forum Freiburg with an emphasis on research, IT, development, hospitals, start-ups at Messe Freiburg, a medical congress will present new developments in the digital world in health and care.

Mrs. Angela Ivanova, Business Development Director INI-Novation GmbH

Mrs. Angela Ivanova, Business Development Director INI-Novation GmbH

For the 9th year now, numerous visitors and exhibitors from the healthcare and health industries from Germany, Switzerland and France will attend the congress for two days to find out about new digital technologies in the healthcare sector. INI-Novation GmbH will be presented by its Business Development Director, Angela Ivanova. INI-Novation’s Managing Director, Wolfgang Kniejski, is a member of the Programme Committee of the Congress.

The digital transformation in the healthcare sector is an ongoing process. Mr. Manfred Lucha, Minister for Social Affairs and Integration, sheds light on the fact that it is already very intensive and profound.

Advanced trainings for physicians

Advanced trainings for physicians will be organized during the congress events, which will put highlight on innovations in healthcare and their benefits for the patients and stakeholders of health and care. The welcome address will be given over by Prof. Wenz, who, as senior medical director at the University of Freiburg, has a firm eye on digitization.

Artificial Intelligence and other digital solutions Healthcare

One of the hot topics on the Congress is the Artificial Intelligence (AI). What is AI and where is it already used in the medical field? The German Research Center for AI (DFKI GmbH) provides an insight into this topic. Furthermore, the use of AI in neurology and neurosurgery and how robotics can assist people in need of care in every day’s life will be demonstrated.

The congress targets to illustrate, how digitization is changing the content and application of existing guidelines and value chains. For instance, the specialised company Checkpoint Cardio will present a pan-European telemedicine system for monitoring patients with heart problems, which saved many lives since it was taken into the markets. Insights into latest eCare technologies will be provided by Giuliana Ucelli, Ph.D, Directeur Général Nively, France, showcasing the fall protection solution “MentorAge”, as well as by Assoc. Prof. Panagiotis Bamidis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki SA, School of Medicine,  who is introducing „CAPTAIN“, an eCare solution coaching the seniors automatically and interactively at home.

CAPTAIN H2020

PANAGIOTIS BAMIDIS Associate Professor, Lab of Medical Physics, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

PANAGIOTIS BAMIDIS
Associate Professor, Lab of Medical Physics, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

 

Digital solutions in medical care are future focus in the healthcare sector. Peter Albiez, CEO of Pfizer Deutschland GmbH, will highlight this development in the keynote address of the evening event.

The format offers many opportunities for exchange and networking between physicians, clinicians, scientists, health insurers, start-ups and companies.

For more information on the program and to register, visit eHealth Europe: http://ehealth-europe.de.

 

INI-Novation presents CAPTAIN at DMEA 2019 in Berlin

Europe’s most important digital health event “DMEA 2019 – Connecting Digital Health” Berlin from April 9 to 11, 2019. Attended by some 10,800 visitors, 570 exhibitors and 350 speakers, after three days DMEA, Europe’s leading event for digital health, came to a successful conclusion. Featuring new interactive formats with a wider range of topics and targeting a larger audience, the successor to conhIT was able to reposition itself as the platform for digital healthcare.

As a highly innovative project in eHealth and eCare, CAPTAIN was presented by Wolfgang Kniejski (INI-Novation GmbH) raising the interest of many stakeholders on the event.

press pictures

(Pictures: www.dmea.de )

 

Innovativer Fortschritt durch Digitalisierung von Pflegeaktivitäten: Erfolgsfaktor digitaler Coach

Angela Ivanova (INI-Novation GmbH), die Studenten Lea Reitz, Christiane Zinnitsch, Vanessa Schellhorn, Noma Adams, Prof. Dr. Carsten Reuter (Hochschule Aschaffenburg). Auf dem Bild fehlen die Teammitglieder Viola Streun und Tristan Frank

Angela Ivanova (INI-Novation GmbH), die Studenten Christiane Zinnitsch, Vanessa Schellhorn, Noma Adams, Prof. Dr. Carsten Reuter (Hochschule Aschaffenburg). Auf dem Bild fehlen die Teammitglieder Lea Reitz, Viola Streun und Tristan Frank

Welche Methoden und Technologien sind geeignet, um das Wohn- und Lebesumfeld älterer Erwachener in einen “digitalen Coach” zu verwandeln? Wie können zu Pflegende motiviert werden, neue Technologien zur anonymen Erhebung von medizinischen, emotionalen und verhaltensbezogenen Daten zu nutzen? Und wie können mittels solcher Technologien neue Formen der Pfegeunterstützung genutzt werden? Im Kontext dieser Fragestellungen befassten sich unter Leitung von Prof. Dr. Carsten Reuter zwei dreiköpfige studentische Projektgruppen der Hochschule Aschaffenburg drei Monate lang mit Fragen zu regulatorischen und gesetzlichen Rahmenbedingungen und mit den Auswirkungen beim Einsatz innovativer Pfelgeunterstützung.

 

Praxispartner im Projekt war die INI-Novation GmbH in Mühltal bei Darmstadt. Mit der auf Innovationsmanagement spezialisierten Unternehmensberatung hat die Hochschule Aschaffenburg bereits mehrere studentische Projekte erfolgreich durchgeführt. Anlass für das aktuelle Projekt war, dass INI-Novation für das vom EU-Programm Horizon 2020 geförderte Projekt CAPTAIN Ansätze für eine vereinfachte Beschaffung und Nutzung innovativer Pfelegetechnologien entwickeln möchte, um einen nachhaltigen Einsatz in der pflegeunterstützung auch nach Auslaufen der Förderphase zu gewährleisten. Die Studentengruppen wertete hierzu zahlreiche Befragungen unteereschiedlicher Interessengruppen aus und setzte auch Methoden der Literaturrcherche ein.

Erfolgreiche Zusammenarbeit fortgesetzt

„Die Studierenden konnten eindrucksvoll belegen, dass unser bisheriger Weg, uns an der eigentlichen Wertschöpfungskette von der Technologie bis zum zu Pflegenden zu orientieren, in den Vordergrund zu stellen ist, um dabei mögliche Hindernisse für den letztendlichen Kauf und Einsatz dieser Technologien herauszuarbeiten. Mindestens genauso wichtig ist für den erfolgreichen Betrieb dieser sogenannten eCare-Systeme ist die Analyse der letztendlichen Vor- und Nachteile für den Nutzer. Der unverfälschte Blick der Studierenden auf die Thematik hat unsere Perspektive erweitert “, schwärmt Dr. Wolfgang Kniejski von INI-Novation. Seine Kollegin und Projektleiterin Angela Ivanova ergänzt: „Die vielen analysierten Rahmenbedingungen im Beschaffungsprozess öffentlicher und privater Nutzer helfen uns, Mehrwerte für die Nutzer besser zu erkennen, zu verstehen und auf das CAPTAIN-Projekt zu übertragen. Dies führt mittelfristig zu einer Entlastung dringend benötigter Fachkräfte in der Pflege und unterstützt die digital Transformation beim praktischen Einsatz dieser Systeme.“

Feierliche Zertifikatübergabe

Die Vertreterin der INI-Novation GmbH betonten, dass die erarbeiteten Ansätze das Projekt sicher weiter bringen werden. Als Dankeschön für die geleistete Arbeit überreichte Frau Ivanova daher am 15. März ein Zertifikat an die Studentengruppen.

 

Hintergrund Informationen

Das Information Management Institut (IMI) wurde zu Beginn des Jahres 2011 gegründet und ist eine wissenschaftlich-akademische Einrichtung der Fakultät Wirtschaft und Recht an der Hochschule Aschaffenburg. Das IMI betreibt Arbeiten und Projekte der Angewandten Forschung und des Wissenstransfers auf dem Gebiet der Wirtschaftsinformatik (engl.: Information Management). Die im IMI vertretenen akademischen Themen entsprechen weitgehend den Lehrgebieten der im Institut tätigen Professoren. Weiter sind die Veröffentlichung wissenschaftlicher Schriften, die Veranstaltung von Vortragsreihen und Tagungen sowie die generelle Förderung des Offenen Akademischen Diskurses Aufgaben des IMI. Für weitere Informationen siehe http://www.imi.bayern.

 

Die INI-Novation GmbH bietet führende Expertise bei der Unterstützung innovativer Geschäftsentwicklungen und starke Expertise im Innovationsmanagement. INI-Novation ist ein Spezialist für Technologietransfer mit praktischen Erfahrungen in den Bereichen Innovationsfinanzierung sowie Innovationsbeschaffung für KMU sowie bei der Entwicklung und Durchführung dafür relevanter Schulungsveranstaltungen.

 

 

 

 

 

INI-Novation on CAPTAIN plenary meeting: setting the next steps of the project in Lausanne

DSC06644 - CopyThe CAPTAIN project consortium gets together on 4-7 March 2019 in Lausanne, Switzerland for a 4-day technical and progress plenary meeting among all partners. The meeting is hosted by NVISO partner in the EPLF Innovation Park and coordinated by AUTH.

Τhe first two days are devoted to the technical project partners (AUTH, NVISO, DigiFlak, Nively, Vicomtech), who meet together to discuss on the architecture and the design of the components of the CAPTAIN e-coach system, the smart assistant for older adults.

The technical meeting is followed by the plenary, on the 6th-7th of March, with the active participation of all the consortium partners, who will set on the table the latest developments of all the Working Packages of the project, also setting the next steps and responsibilities for the coming period.

INI-Novation a work package leader of the dissemination and exploitation activities, economic impact analysis, business modeling and business planning for the futures innovative eCare technology.

Follow the CAPTAIN EU H2020 project in the social media and remain informed about the latest news from the meeting: FB: Captain Project, Twitter: @captain_eu.

Leading Living Labs share know-how and expertise in AHA domain and agile development

niceWorkshop 1Thessaloniki Active and Healthy Ageing Living Lab (Thess-AHALL), PAsteur Innovative Living Lab Of Nice (PAILLON 2020), LicaLab and ICT Usage Lab (Inria) participated in a workshop on “The impacts of living labs in agile development in the Active and Healthy Ageing domain”, organized by CAPTAIN H2020 project, France/Francophonie Living Labs, EnoLL(Health Expert Group) and hosted by Nively SAS and 27 Delvalle, held on Friday, 8 February 2018 in Nice.

The main objective of the workshop was to present core living lab projects, as well as, to promote the exchange of knowledge and experience among participants –stakeholders, living lab managers, and other interested parts- on agile methodologies, which are applied on concrete living labs, in their daily operational tasks from the requirements elicitation to product/service development. In an open discussion, all attendants had the opportunity to describe the impacts of the living labs in fulfilling the needs of companies for agile development in general but mainly in Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA) domain, except for sharing their own experiences in any of the methods used in a Living Lab project.

It is known that many traditional project teams and companies run into trouble when they try to define all of the requirements up front. Agile development enables the practitioners to elicit detailed requirements up front, while then they can also do the same when they actually need the information. It is particularly true for project and products in the healthcare domain, which investigate new ICT approaches aiming at a proof of concept or MVP (Minimum Viable Product), investment in detailed requirements documents early in the project which could be wasted when the requirements inevitably change (pivot), should be avoided. Therefore, the methodologies used in living labs based on user engagement, continuous feedback or continuous data collection, etc. throughout the project’s or product’s life-cycle seem to efficiently support agile development.

After the completion of the presentations, the participating Living Lab representatives had the opportunity to run an effective discussion on the future actions and roadmap on agile development and the relevant living lab project methodologies. All participants expressed their satisfaction for the useful outcomes that emerged from the workshop, regarding the crucial role of living labs on the AHA domain and renewed their appointment for a “follow-up” meeting in the future,which will bring even more ideas and new perspectives for further development, new partnerships and exchange of know-how.

Source: http://captain-eu.org/blog/leading-living-labs-share-know-how-and-expertise-aha-domain-and-agile-development 

 

CAPTAIN on board!

CAPTAIN H2020In December 2017, 14 European organizations from nine countries joined together in Captain, an H2020 PM-15 project operating in the eCare area (http://captain-eu.org/).

The CAPTAIN vision is to turn the homes of old adults into a gentle coach within an empowering space, providing interaction, guidance and help for independent live leading to physical, cognitive, mental and social well-being. CAPTAIN proposes a “transparent” technology designed as ubiquitous assistant for elderly compensating their physical and memory impairments during their activities of daily living.

To do so, CAPTAIN leverages on a few state of the art technologies such as “projected augmented reality”, real-time 3D sensing technologies, speech analysis, non-invasive physiological and emotional data analysis, and intelligent comprehension of the user’s behaviour and actions. The CAPTAIN project result will provide innovation on the eCare market related not only on technological but as well on a social level of the society.

INI-Novation GmbH is the business partner in the consortium, responsible for the exploitation strategy and activities of the project partners.

 

INI-Novation drives the strategy of UNCAP’s commercialization

UNCAP in ThessalonikiThe next UNCAP project meeting was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, from the 26th to the 27th of June 2017.

25 partners get together in this beautiful summer city to discuss the wrap up the UNCAP activities and to look beyond into the future.

The project is entering its final phase, in which the most important goals фор the partners are to complete the commercialization strategy of  of the new technology and to approve the first steps of its market entry.

INI-Novation as the business partner of the UNCAP project, presented the main important points from the  business plan for discussion and as well the possible innovation transfer models that can pave the way for future exploitation activities.

 

 

UNCAP @ OGC Health Summit in Dublin

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UNCAP partners and business development experts in Dublin

The UNCAP project has attended the OGC Health Summit in Dublin on the 21st of June, 2016, with presentations and a showcase, which has been held after the summit, presenting the various UNCAP technologies.

Also, the annual UNCAP Challenge has been held, and this year it has been awarded to the Italian startup company Chino.io.

Someone had said that the goal of real healthcare reform must be high-quality, universal coverage in a cost-effective way. The UNCAP consortium is driving the project success into exactly this direction. Short before the finalization of the UNCAP Box prototype, the IPR issues together with standardization are coming into the UNCAP’s agenda.

Wolfgang Kniejski (EIT Digital) presenting service delivery models on the OGS eHealth Summit

Wolfgang Kniejski (EIT Digital) presenting service delivery models on the OGS eHealth Summit

The European countries strive to provide economical health care to an increasingly aging population; and people want to stay active and healthy in their own homes as long as possible. Therefore, the market potential of UNCAP is huge, keeping in mind that the UNCAP technologies shall satisfy that social needs. Together with these opportunities, there are also obstacles in front of our success. One of the main obstacle for market take-up of the UNCAP results is the standardization. Therefore, the participation in the OGC eHealth Summit with presentations displaying the various UNCAP technologies as well as service delivery models and interoperability requirements was an important step for UNCAP to start serious dialog with representatives of standardization bodies and organizations.

INI-Novation is the responsible partner for the market take-up of the project’s results but also for providing solutions in the area of IPR and standardization. Wolfgang Kniejski present the vision for the business development of eCare technologies, and the important impact that standardization has for the future project’s sustainability. The UNCAP partners participated in the OGC Health Domain Working Group. The group enables OGC to identify and work with a representative group of market participants in the identification and prioritization of use cases, business and technical requirements that will provide the most significant value, or mitigate the most significant risks in this arena. Through efforts to identify requirements, gaps in standards and opportunities for demonstration, the Health Domain Working Group contributes to development of open mapping standards in support of health marketplace requirements.