OPI – Companies get direct access to crucial new knowledge

The public sector needs to work with companies to develop health solutions of the future – neither party can do it alone. In a new PPI project, two companies have gained necessary access to data and knowledge – and the clinic has gained important knowledge of new opportunities.

Collaboration with research and clinic is crucial for companies to develop solutions that are adapted to the demand in the Danish healthcare sector. This is the opinion of two companies that are currently part of a public-private collaboration consortium under Lighthouse Life Science.

“We need to have a direct entry point into the health sector. Otherwise, we will not have access to the right knowledge about the needs and challenges of patients and employees. Therefore, our collaboration with healthcare professionals and researchers is important for the development of our solution, CEO of the company Sens Innovation, Kasper Lykkegaard, says.

Kasper Lykkegaard, CEO i Sens Innovation.

Frederiksberg Hospital has built a unique database of comprehensive clinical measurements and monitoring of diet, movement and blood sugar levels of up to 3,000 Danes. The database will form the basis for predicting which citizens are at risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes.

See the Danish video about ’Healthy movement for Healthy Weight’ here:

Companies need input from the healthcare system

The project ‘Healthy movement for Healthy Weight’ is a subproject in the initiative Lighthouse Life Science. Here, a collection of public and private actors in the Capital Region of Denmark have joined forces to develop new solutions within healthy weight. ‘Healthy Movement for Healthy Weight’ will develop an AI-based model for risk assessments for the development of diabetes and obesity.

And it is of great value that companies, research and the healthcare system work together on a solution, CEO of the AI company Brevetti AI, Michael Sass Hansen, who is developing the AI part for the project, says.

“The project is a good way to bring together several disciplines that all have the same goal – to create a workable solution for the healthcare system. In AI, it is customary for companies to work closely with research to gain access to the data that will train the companies’ AI models. We urgently need employees from the health sector who can tell what needs they have and give their input to create user-friendly solutions, Michael Sass Hansen, says.

Benefits of OPI for businesses

Kasper Lykkegaard and Michael Sass Hansen have gathered a number of benefits that companies get by developing solutions together with the public sector:

  1. Direct access to knowledge from healthcare professionals that would otherwise take a long time to find
  2. Access to relevant and structured data
  3. Input from clinicians ensures that our solution becomes useful and valuable to users
  4. Knowledge of opportunities for scaling already in the early stages.

Benefits for public parties

According to Mette Aadahl, senior researcher, Center for Clinical Research and Prevention (CKFF) at Frederiksberg Hospital, PPI is the right working method for a solution like the upcoming model for risk assessment for obesity and diabetes.

Mette Aadahl, Senior Researcher, Center for Clinical Research and Prevention (CKFF) at Frederiksberg Hospital

“It is super important to have a platform where representatives from the private and public sectors can get to know each other. We learn about opportunities and limitations, and we get the opportunity to discuss our needs directly with companies. This will ensure that we get solutions that provide value and are scalable to other areas, Mette Aadahl believes.

Here are a number of benefits that the public partners in the ‘Healthy Movement for Healthy Weight’ have gathered:

  1. We gain new knowledge about what technology can do and how we can benefit from technological solutions.
  2. We have an ongoing dialogue with the companies and can explain specific needs.
  3. We can adapt our wishes if we discover new opportunities in the process.

OPI is the core area of Danish Life Science Cluster

The interaction between the business community and the health sector is a core focus of Danish Life Science Cluster, which is part of the main consortium behind Lighthouse Life Science. In Denmark’s national health cluster, a number of projects, networks and events are gathered under a broad programme entitled OPI.

“We know that neither the healthcare system nor companies can solve today’s resource challenges alone. Cross-sectoral collaborations are indispensable, and Danish Life Science Cluster is established to create networks and relationships that can lead to innovation. Therefore, it is a pleasure to see how the collaborations in Lighthouse Life Science unfold, project manager in Danish Life Science Cluster, Julie Justi Andreasen, says.

For more information

Project Manager

Julie Justi

Danish Life Science Cluster
HUB Capital of Denmark
+45 2620 7656