MedTech
What is the Medtech initiative?
Lehendakaritza and the Department of Health of the Basque Government, through its Innovation Fund, are promoting the MedTech initiative, whose objective is to support the Basque public health system, through the Health Research Institutes (IIS) of the Basque Autonomous Community -in its role as a test bench or “living lab” in a real environment- of studies of demonstration, validation and / or cost effectiveness of medical devices and health application technologies, developed or co-developed by companies, that serve for the improvement of health outcomes and also for the generation of value.
Among the participants there are companies from various fields, from biotechnology companies whose activity is very focused on the health field, to companies whose original specialty is high precision mechanics or electrical appliances, among others, and which have subsequently opened lines to the health field.
Medtech initiative framework
The Euskadi 2030 Science, Technology and Innovation Plan (PCTI Euskadi 2030) reflects and represents the commitment of Basque society in search of a better future, through the promotion of science, technology and innovation, to accelerate the transition towards a more digital, greener and more inclusive Euskadi (social and health). In this context, personalised health has been identified as one of the three strategic priorities in which the Basque Country must prioritise its research and development objectives, together with cleaner energies and smart industry.
Aligned with the PCTI Euskadi 2030, the new Health Research and Innovation Strategy 2022-2025 (EIIS 2022-2025) represents the Basque Country's strategic commitment to research and innovation in health. The EIIS 2022-2025 aims to promote the development of health technologies through collaboration between the health system, the scientific and technological system of which it is also a part, and the business sector, so that not only is care for people in the health system improved, but Basque companies are more competitive, providing society with new advances and solutions to health challenges, once tested and validated in our environment. To meet this objective, it is necessary to promote the collaboration of the Health System with the Basque business and scientific-technological ecosystem in the field of R&D&I, seeking the tools that allow these collaborations to be articulated. The Medtech initiative, created in 2018, has become one of the main tools to achieve this objective and change the paradigm of the client/supplier relationship between the health system and Basque companies.
Due to its structure and capabilities, the Basque Health System has the ideal characteristics to become the preferred partner of the Basque business and scientific-technological ecosystem for its R&D&I activities. Osakidetza–Basque Health Service is the research core of the Basque Health System, and develops its research and innovation activity throughout its extensive healthcare network. It has promoted four Research Institutes within itself as the main executors of health R&D&i: three Health Research Institutes (IIS), one per TTHH (Bioaraba, Biobizkaia and Biogipuzkoa), in accordance with the model of the Carlos III Health Institute – ISCIII, and the Institute for Health Services Research, Biosistemak, at a community level. The research activity of the health system, in its different phases, has the support in management and general coordination of the Basque Foundation for Health Innovation and Research (BIOEF), which facilitates networking and the synergy and optimization of capacities of all R&D&i entities.
BIOEF, as the corporate head and collaborating entity of the Department of Health in the management of aid and subsidies, and the Institutes are the entities through which collaboration is articulated with the Basque business and scientific-technological system in its role as a partner for the development of third-party innovation. This activity responds to Objective 3 of the EIIS 2022-2025 to strengthen the collaboration of Health Research Institutes with the business and technology ecosystem.
In its role as a preferred partner, the Basque healthcare system seeks to facilitate collaboration between companies and scientific-technological agents with the healthcare system for the development of their products/services: advice and guidance on new products, contrasting ideas, identifying new clinical challenges and carrying out clinical studies for the validation and testing of healthcare technologies in patients.
The activity of developing and validating healthcare technologies, especially linked to medical devices, contributes to the development of a strategic sector that is supported by the RIS3 Euskadi smart specialisation strategy, as it offers an excellent opportunity for diversification for the traditional Basque industry towards fast-growing global markets.
In order to help and accelerate the development process of products/technologies/services of companies, mainly facilitating their validation and/or testing in the Basque Healthcare System, the Medtech Initiative was created. The aim is to facilitate initiatives for interaction between companies and healthcare professionals and to promote the demonstrated capacity of the Healthcare System to function as a test bench or living lab for the business environment, preventing Basque companies from necessarily having to resort to other Healthcare Systems outside the Basque Country.
Eligible projects and beneficiary entities
The Medtech initiative is proposed as a pilot experience during 2018. It will be able to finance up to 50% of the costs executed in 2018 by the IIS in activities of testing, validation, demonstration of medical devices and technologies developed by companies, which have been requested within the Innosasun Program.
The projects may be in different phases: initial projects in the protocol design phase or projects in the execution phase with the pertinent authorizations, signed execution contract and in the testing phase with patients.
The beneficiary entities of the MedTech initiative are the Health Research Institutes of the Autonomous Community of Euskadi: Biocruces Bizkaia, Biodonostia and Bioaraba.
Activities to be developed within the framework of the Medtech Initiative, fiscal year 2024
The activities to be developed, which involve the entire Health System and, consequently, the aforementioned R&D&I entities of the Basque Health System, are grouped into 4 categories:
- Technological-health exploration.
- Development, validation and/or demonstration (TRLs 1 to 5).
- Acquisition of basic equipment and facilities.
- Organization, coordination and dissemination.
