In the Arnhem-Nijmegen region, too, we face major societal challenges: an ageing population, rising healthcare costs and a shortage of healthcare staff. The Digital Health Challenge Lab (DHCL) addresses these challenges by using technology to drive innovation in the social sector: healthcare, wellbeing and housing.
The DHCL is an initiative under the ‘Healthy Living’ programme strand of the Regional Deal. Within this framework, public authorities, businesses and research institutions collaborate on innovative solutions for the care and wellbeing of residents. The DHCL addresses three main areas: healthcare, wellbeing and housing.
DHCL is an open innovation programme that focuses on developing technologies and services which bring care closer to home whilst improving quality of life. In doing so, it tackles specific problems and works with residents, care professionals and businesses to create solutions that make a real impact.
It tackles bottlenecks in the neighbourhood and in healthcare practice by testing innovative solutions directly with the target groups concerned. All this is driven by the ambition to enable residents to live independently at home for longer, in better health and with greater happiness – through improvements that are both feasible and affordable.
How do the challenges come about?
The DHCL operates according to a unique demand-driven approach. Rather than ‘pushing’ solutions onto the healthcare sector, the challenges are first identified at the grassroots level. This is done through interactive workshops and collaborative sessions, in which residents, healthcare professionals, housing associations and other stakeholders share their needs and frustrations. This input forms the basis for the challenges that companies can then tackle.
Floor van de Watering, Programme Manager at the DHCL and Briskr, explains: “The aim is to identify specific problems and find innovative solutions that genuinely make a difference to people in the region. This is done in collaboration with companies that can adapt to the needs of the healthcare, welfare and housing sectors.”
Partners, such as Briskr, the Arnhem and Nijmegen University of Applied Sciences (OostNL), Radboudumc and various housing associations, such as Talis and Vivare, are actively involved in the development and implementation of these challenges. This structure of the lab makes it possible to tackle the issue from an integrated perspective.
Take up the challenge as an entrepreneur
The DHCL has already developed several key challenges. One of the first is the 100@Home challenge, which focuses on technologies that help older people continue to live independently and happily in their own homes for longer.
Floor explains: “With the open call, we wanted to invite companies from the region and beyond to submit their solutions. The DHCL was launched with great fanfare on 7 November 2024, and the first discussions with entrepreneurs arising from the open call are now underway. And there were already some brilliant ideas among them!”
There are now three other challenges live on the DHCL website. Time to take up the challenge as an entrepreneur!
The road to innovation
How exactly do you tackle this challenge? By submitting a pitch, start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs that sign up for a challenge can reach 15 influential organisations in the fields of cure, care, housing, government and education in one go. Companies test their innovations in a real-world environment with users and stakeholders. This gives them the opportunity to optimise their products, explore the market and strengthen their competitive position.
If there is a match between a company’s innovation and a client’s problem statement, companies are also supported in developing and scaling up their ideas. Participation in the DHCL provides access to a network of healthcare professionals, housing associations and other key stakeholders in the region. The lab facilitates collaboration between these various parties, enabling companies to work closely with experts to further develop their innovations.
In addition, the DHCL and the commissioning organisations offer companies financial support. Floor emphasises: “This enables companies to refine their product and validate it in a real healthcare setting, which is essential for the successful upscaling of their solutions.”
The future of the Digital Health Challenge Lab
The future of the DHCL looks promising. The DHCL’s aim is to scale up its proven methods over the next three years and further embed its approach in the region. Floor explains: “We want to successfully resolve at least 15 challenges and continue this process as a sustainable, structural approach. Our aim is to roll out the lab not only in Arnhem-Nijmegen, but also in other regions across the Netherlands. To achieve this, we must continue to listen to the needs of residents and healthcare professionals. Only through this collaboration can we successfully integrate technology and deliver solutions that genuinely improve healthcare.”
“Do you have a challenge in your neighbourhood or within your residential or care organisation? Get in touch with us,” Floor concludes. “Together, we’ll look for solutions.”
Are you an entrepreneur with a smart solution to one of these challenges?
Sign up via digitalhealthchallengelab.nl.
