The AIT CentER for Health and Bioresources hosted the latest working meeting of the EARTO working group ‘Emerging Technologies for Healthcare’ in Vienna. The exchange focused on the positioning of research and technology organisations (RTOs) with regard to ‘Health’ in the next EU research and innovation programme (FP10) as well as the development of common positions for innovation intensity in pioneering technologies in the fields of biotechnology, MedTech, health data and artificial intelligence (AI). A lab tour rounded off the meeting and provided insights into the centre's current research topics.
Dirk Holste, the host and leader of the EARTO working group, Deputy Head of Center for Health and Bioresources at AIT, welcomed around 40 participants from leading European research and technology organisations (RTOs) on site and online: “Close alignment on research policy agendas and collaboration between leading research organisations is key to successfully positioning RTOs alongside innovating industry and clinical partners to jointly tackle the challenges facing healthcare systems. At the meeting of the EARTO working group at the AIT, we looked closely at what instruments are needed to bring innovative health technologies to higher levels of technology maturity in order to bring them to market more quickly. Our shared vision is to actively shape the framework conditions for EU research projects and innovation for tomorrow's healthcare today.”
Biosensors, health data and AI: key technologies for healthcare
The two days of the event focussed on pioneering topics in healthcare research and technology. A central focus was the discussion on the upcoming EU Framework Programme FP10. Participants discussed how RTOs can strengthen their position and ensure that the specific needs for value creation through research and progress along the entire innovation chain in the healthcare sector are taken into account. The close integration of applied research, industry and healthcare providers, improved technology transfer and the creation of sustainably operated research infrastructures for efficient testing and validation of AI-based technologies in particular with access to clinical data were emphasised as key success factors for closing gaps in the innovation chain up to market launch.
Another focus was on the Special Interest Groups (SIGs), which deal with highly innovative areas such as biosensors, health data and AI. These technologies will play a central role in future healthcare technologies, and the working groups developed joint positions to drive these innovations forward and bring them to market more quickly.
The discussions were rounded off by the current status of modern rehabilitation technologies, where the participants analysed the current state of research and agreed on the next steps for a report. The strategic direction and tasks of the working group up to 2025 and the importance of the JU chip for the healthcare sector were also discussed in depth, particularly with regard to the opportunities opened up by new technologies in the field of microelectronics.
The future of healthcare research and technological integration
The meeting of the EARTO working group made it clear that the transformation of the healthcare system in the coming years will depend heavily on digitalisation, the integration of new technologies and technology transfer as well as the permeability of the innovation chain by means of research and technology infrastructures for testing and validation. In particular, the use of AI with access to and use of health data, the development of advanced biosensors and new biotechnological processes will set the course for patient-centred and more predictive and preventive healthcare. The AIT, together with other RTOs, will continue to play a leading role in the research and implementation of these key technologies and further expand its collaboration with its European partners to drive these innovations forward. With a clear focus on the strategic preparation for FP10 and the targeted expansion of the technological infrastructure, the AIT is committed to making a significant contribution to the future of healthcare in Europe.
More about the EARTO Healthcare Working Group: https://www.earto.eu/working-group-public/wg-emerging-technologies-for-healthcare/