The FinnWell programme — making healthcare healthier and
wealthier
21 December 2005
For many
years Finland has built up a healthcare system to be proud of. Nonetheless,
no society can rest on its laurels. The older, better informed and more
demanding population is forcing big changes in Finnish healthcare as in the
rest of the world. And one of the ways Finland will be able to deal with
these changes is through activities such as FinnWell, one of Tekes´ biggest
ever technology programmes.
Tekes, the
National Technology Agency is the main public financing and expert
organisation for research and technological development in Finland. Tekes
finances industrial R&D projects as well as projects in universities and
research institutes. Tekes especially promotes innovative, risk-intensive
projects.
Tekes
funds come from the state budget via the Ministry of Trade and Industry. It's budget
is 400 million euros, which
funds for 2000 projects annually.
“Technology
programme FinnWell concentrates on healthcare and well-being,” says Kalevi
Virta, Programme Manager of Navicre Oy. “We have two major tasks. One is to
promote Finnish business and research related to healthcare technology. The
other, more complicated task is to help develop the Finnish healthcare
system and make it one of the best in Europe.”
Opportunities
for companies
The
technology programmes consist of research projects by companies,
universities and research institutes, plus services that support companies’
business operations, such as shared visions, seminars, training programmes
and international visits.
The
technology programmes provide opportunities for companies to network and
develop business expertise and skills in international operations. In the
programmes they receive Tekes financing for developing products, production,
service concepts and business expertise and also the very latest information
about different areas of technology and business.
There are
some 1,800 instances of corporate participation in the technology programmes
every year and about 500 instances of participation by research units.
In 2005,
a total of 25 extensive national technology programmes are under way.
FinnWell
focus areas
In the FinnWell
technology programme there are three areas of focus. The first area is
Technologies for diagnostics and care. The object is to maintain and
strengthen cooperation and create new business activity in the field through
research.
Some strong
examples of Finnish expertise include imaging and calculation procedures,
neuro imaging, cardiological expertise, procedures related to light, bio
signals, non-invasive surgical procedures, mastering clinical-chemical and
bio-analytical measuring technologies, and expertise in chemistry.
“It is vital
that we keep our know-how at the highest level and that Finland retains the
right atmosphere for development. A number of Finnish companies are being
bought up by international corporations and we want them to continue doing
their research and development here,” says Virta.
Healthcare IT
related products and services are the second area. This includes software in
the health area, service and resource management systems and wireless
solutions.
“Mobile
technology and IT go very well together with the production of healthcare
services. For example, this will allow new ways of using laboratory service,
taking diagnostics right where the patient is located with a small device
and getting quick feedback. We need to be able to connect the patient with
the hospital or healthcare centre and help them in their care related
processes, including self care in their own homes.”
The third area
is about developing new procedures enabled by new technologies. The object
is to create new business activities, promote cost efficiency of healthcare
and improve its quality by developing cooperation between the public and
private sectors.
“The tradition
of taking care of the patient as a person is a good thing, but in the future
more efficiency will become necessary. As the population ages, there will be
more and more consumers and less and less care providers. You can’t just
keep adding new hands to take care of the ever-growing number of consumers.
We need new ways to handle the flow of patients, more efforts to use
technology and industrial control methods to find out, for example, what
causes bottlenecks in the system. There is nothing negative about being
effective. The patient shouldn’t have to queue and or wait when he wants
healthcare, and the caregivers shouldn’t have to work harder either, it’s
the system that must get better,” explains Virta.
One unique thing
about FinnWell compared to the earlier healthcare programmes is the
inclusion of the public sector, which is the largest healthcare producer.
Doctors, nurses and management will give their input to companies and
research institutes. “This will generate new and interesting products, and
is sure to generate real business ideas,” says Virta.
Links
Tekes: www.tekes.fi/
The
FinnWell programme
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