Call: Setting up a European Smart Health Innovation Hub

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Programme

Horizon Europe - Cluster 1 - Destination 6: Maintaining an innovative, sustainable and globally competitive health industry

Acronym

HORIZON-HLTH-IND

Type of Fund

Direct Management

Description of programme
"Horizon Europe - Cluster 1 - Destination 6: Maintaining an innovative, sustainable and globally competitive health industry"

Calls for proposals under this destination are directed towards the Key Strategic Orientation KSO-A ‘Promoting an open strategic autonomy by leading the development of key digital, enabling and emerging technologies, sectors and value chains’ of Horizon Europe’s Strategic Plan 2021-2024. Research and innovation supported under this destination should contribute to the impact area ‘A competitive and secure data-economy’ and in particular to the following expected impact, set out in the Strategic Plan for the health cluster: ‘EU health industry is innovative, sustainable and globally competitive thanks to improved up-take of breakthrough technologies and innovations, which makes the EU with its Member States more resilient and less dependent from imports with regard to the access to and supply of critical health technologies’. In addition, research and innovation supported under this destination could also contribute to the following impact areas: ‘Industrial leadership in key and emerging technologies that work for people’, ‘High quality digital services for all’, and ‘Good health and high-quality accessible health care’.

The health industry is a key driver for growth and has the capacity to provide health technologies to the benefit of patients and providers of health care services. The relevant value chains involve a broad variety of key players from supply, demand and regulatory sides. In addition, the path of innovation in health is long and complex. The development of novel health technologies is generally associated with uncertainties and market barriers due to expensive and risky development (e.g. attrition rate in pharmaceutical development), high quality and security requirements (e.g. clinical performance, safety, data privacy and cybersecurity) and market specificities (e.g. strong regulation, pricing and reimbursement issues). In addition, the growing concern about environmental issues is putting more pressure on this industry. Therefore, there is a need for research and innovation integrating various stakeholders to facilitate market access of innovative health technologies (medical technologies, pharmaceuticals, biotechnologies, digital health technologies).

In order to address these challenges, in particular green and digital transitions and proper supply of health technologies and products, destination 6 will focus on research and innovation activities that aim at:

Production of pharmaceuticals in compliance with the objectives of the European Green Deal.
Methodologies, guidelines and standards, assessment studies, and structuring activities adapted to digital solutions and interventions for GDPR compliant translation into health care practice, including inter-operability, cyber-security and data confidentiality.
Public authorities supported with better methodologies and interdisciplinary approaches to assess and value new health technologies and interventions.
Development of pharmaceutical products meeting unmet medical needs in the context of market failures.

In view of increasing the impact of EU investments under Horizon Europe, the European Commission welcomes and supports cooperation between EU-funded projects to enable cross-fertilisation and other synergies. This could range from networking to joint activities such as the participation in joint workshops, the exchange of knowledge, the development and adoption of best practices, or joint communication activities. Opportunities for potential synergies exist between projects funded under the same topic but also between other projects funded under another topic, cluster or pillar of Horizon Europe (but also with ongoing projects funded under Horizon 2020). In particular, this could involve projects related to European health research infrastructures (under pillar I of Horizon Europe), the EIC strategic challenges on health and EIT-KIC Health (under pillar III of Horizon Europe), or in areas cutting across the health and other clusters (under pillar II of Horizon Europe). For instance, with cluster 4 “Digital, Industry and Space” such as on industrial research and innovation infrastructures (pilot plants, testing and simulation facilities, open innovation hubs); additive manufacturing (3D/4D printing) and other production technologies (incl. bio manufacturing); safe, smart and sustainable materials.

Expected Impacts:

Proposals for topics under this destination should set out a credible pathway to contributing to maintaining an innovative, sustainable and globally competitive health industry, and more specifically to one or several of the following expected impacts:

Health industry in the EU is more competitive and sustainable, assuring European leadership in breakthrough health technologies and strategic autonomy in essential medical supplies and digital technologies, contributing to job creation and economic growth, in particular with small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Health industry is working more efficiently along the value chain from the identification of needs to the scale-up and take-up of solutions at national, regional or local level, including through early engagement with patients, health care providers, health authorities and regulators ensuring suitability and acceptance of solutions.
European standards, including for operations involving health data, ensure patient safety and quality of healthcare services as well as effectiveness and interoperability of health innovation and productivity of innovators.
Citizens, health care providers and health systems benefit from a swift uptake of innovative health technologies and services offering significant improvements in health outcomes, while health industry in the EU benefits from decreased time-to-market.
Health security in the EU benefits from reliable access to key manufacturing capacity, including timely provision of essential medical supplies of particularly complex or critical supply and distribution chains, such as regards vaccines or medical radioisotopes.

Link

Link to Programme

Call

Setting up a European Smart Health Innovation Hub

Description of call
"Setting up a European Smart Health Innovation Hub"

Expected Outcome

Empowered patients and citizens of all ages, gender, social and economic background adopt and use digital tools to monitor their health status independently.
A strong European ecosystem is created by innovators in the health domain, including, but not limited to SMEs, Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs), accelerators, incubators, (European) Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH), European Reference Sites of the EIP-AHA and Knowledge Hubs, involving end-users.
Public and private entities adopt the innovations of European digital health companies, especially SMEs and mid-caps, enhancing their sustainability and resilience.
Citizens, patients, health practitioners and facilities, public and private actors access and make use of sustainable EU-wide reference repository of digitally-enabled innovative solutions addressing all health related sectors, areas and segments, with particular focus on self-management and prevention.

Scope:

The EU has supported innovation of digital tools for better and more personalised treatments and self-monitoring of citizens and patients throughout Europe. However, adoption and deployment of digital health solutions in practice, both in the public health system and by private players remains low.

Building on the recommendations from the report of the Strategic Forum for Important Projects of Common European Interest, coordination and support is needed to: i) create a pan-European operational network as a mechanism (a European Smart Health Innovation Hub) that can assess and promote Smart Health initiatives; ii) stimulate the demand-side and the uptake of Smart Health products and services; and iii) support the development of Smart Health products and services.

Applicants should propose activities addressing the need to bring together different actors, working on innovative digital health solutions and to reinforce their collaboration, exchange and efforts on scaling-up digital health solutions across Europe. Proposals should encourage a people-centred approach that empowers citizens and patients, promotes a culture of dialogue and openness between citizens, patients, health practitioners and providers, and other public and private actors, and unleashes the potential of social innovation.

Applicants should link various existing repositories of digital health solutions, which are already deployable as part of different EU projects and initiatives. It is necessary to integrate them into a European Digital Health Smart Innovation Hub, which will serve as a European reference platform for scalable digital health solutions, both for public organisations and private actors, connecting supply and demand side.

Applicants should propose activities in several of the following areas:

Promote transfer and exchange of knowledge and best practices (such as twinnings) between different actors, such as SMEs, mid-caps, accelerators, incubators, RTOs, EDIHs, Reference Sites of the EIP-AHA and Knowledge Hubs, such as EIT KIC Health, eHealth Hub or mHealth Hub – working on innovation of digital health solutions, including training to end-users, e.g. citizens, patients, health care providers, and deployment strategies.
Promote scalability of digital innovation solutions by organising market places and pitching events to public health organisations and private entities and by involving industry and Member States representatives.
Integrating existing repositories into a sustainable European repository, serving as a reference of ready to market solutions (supply side) and public and private organisations adopting them (demand side), as well as best practices.
Reinforce the European Digital Health ecosystem by enhancing collaboration and networking between the different actors working on digital health innovation across Europe. Synergies with other relevant initiatives, like the Digital Transformation Accelerator that will manage the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs are encouraged, as well as with relevant initiatives in AI, Data and Robotics in Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, Digital Europe and other programmes.
The Digital Health solutions that would be part of the European Smart Health Innovation Hub should match the needs of all citizens and patients, regardless of their age, gender, social or economic background.

Link

Link to Call

Thematic Focus

Clustering, Development Cooperation, Economic Cooperation, Research & Innovation, Technology Transfer & Exchange, Health, Social Affairs, Sports, Capacity Building, Cooperation Networks, Institutional Cooperation, Digitisation, ICT, Telecommunication, Community Integration, European Citizenship, Shared Services

Funding area

EU Member States
Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs)
United States of America

Origin of Applicant

EU Member States
Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs)
United States of America

Eligible applicants

Education and Training Centres, Federal State / Region / City / Municipality / Local Authority, Research Institution, Lobby Group / Professional Association / Trade Union, International Organization, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, SMEs (between 10 and 249 employees), Microenterprises (fewer than 10 employees), NGO / NPO, Public Services, National Government, Other, Start Up Company, University, Enterprise (more than 250 employees or not defined), Association

Applicant details

eligible non-EU countries:

countries associated to Horizon Europe

At the date of the publication of the work programme, there are no countries associated to Horizon Europe. Considering the Union’s interest to retain, in principle, relations with the countries associated to Horizon 2020, most third countries associated to Horizon 2020 are expected to be associated to Horizon Europe with an intention to secure uninterrupted continuity between Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. In addition, other third countries can also become associated to Horizon Europe during the programme. For the purposes of the eligibility conditions, applicants established in Horizon 2020 Associated Countries or in other third countries negotiating association to Horizon Europe will be treated as entities established in an Associated Country, if the Horizon Europe association agreement with the third country concerned applies at the time of signature of the grant agreement.

low-and middle-income countries

Legal entities which are established in countries not listed above will be eligible for funding if provided for in the specific call conditions, or if their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.

Specific cases:

Affiliated entities - Affiliated entities are eligible for funding if they are established in one of the countries listed above.
EU bodies - Legal entities created under EU law may also be eligible to receive funding, unless their basic act states otherwise.
International organisations - International European research organisations are eligible to receive funding. Unless their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority, other international organisations are not eligible to receive funding. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are eligible to receive funding for ‘Training and mobility’actions and when provided for in the specific call conditions.

Project Partner

Yes

Project Partner Details

Unless otherwise provided for in the specific call conditions , legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes:

at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State;and
at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.

In recognition of the opening of the US National Institutes of Health’s programmes to European researchers, any legal entity established in the United States of America is eligible to receive Union funding to support its participation in projects funded under the Health cluster.

Further info

Proposal page limits and layout:

The application form will have two parts:

Part A to be filled in directly online (administrative information, summarised budget, call-specific questions, etc.)
Part B to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system

Page limit - Part B: 30 pages

Type of Funding

Grants

Financial details

Expected EU contribution per project	The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of around EUR 2.00 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal requesting different amounts.
Indicative budget	The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 2.00 million.
Typ of Action	Coordination and Support Actions (CSA)
Funding rate	100%

Submission

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Paper submissions are NOTpossible.