Innovation in healthcare is much needed, but difficult to achieve in practice. HealthValley 's Wings programme tries to fill exactly that gap: preparing entrepreneurs and healthcare organisations to jointly make innovation possible. We talked to Pim van der Hoorn, programme manager, about how and why.
Pim, who is Wings actually aimed at?
“Wings focuses on two target groups: entrepreneurs with a healthcare innovation and healthcare organisations that want to get started with innovation. These two groups desperately need each other, but often find it difficult to connect. That’s where Wings comes in.”
Why is such a programme needed?
“There is a gap between what healthcare organisations need and what entrepreneurs offer. Healthcare organisations are very keen to innovate, but sometimes find it difficult to engage with businesses. It can feel too commercial, or they don’t have the time, or the entrepreneur doesn’t fully understand their context.”
On the other hand, entrepreneurs have no idea how a healthcare organisation really runs. They don't know the processes, the privacy legislation, the reimbursement structures. As a result, well-intentioned innovations regularly fail to get off the ground. Wings helps both sides to step into such talks better prepared."
What does that preparation look like in practice?
“Wings actually consists of two separate programmes. One is specifically for entrepreneurs. It focuses much more on aspects such as business models, value propositions, legislation and regulations, financing and practical knowledge of the healthcare sector. The other programme is specifically for healthcare organisations. They learn how to identify, select and implement innovations.”
The great thing is that these pathways meet along the way. Then we bring entrepreneurs and healthcare professionals together at relevant moments. So that the conversation immediately goes somewhere."
Healthcare organisations are already so busy. How do you even get them on board?
“That is indeed a challenge. A healthcare organisation can’t attend a masterclass every week; staff are often out on the front line. But that’s precisely why we make the programme practical and relevant. We identify real-world issues within the organisations, so that their participation delivers immediate benefits. What’s more, healthcare organisations appreciate the opportunity to meet fellow organisations: to exchange ideas on how others are approaching innovation. We also offer online meetings.”
And entrepreneurs
“For them, it’s very simple: contact with potential clients is the most valuable thing we offer. Entrepreneurs often have a huge need to meet with healthcare organisations. They want to know: how do you make decisions? What do you consider important? How do I even get a foot in the door?”
But we also offer them something else: an honest mirror. We do not shoot down ideas, but we do tell them honestly when a business model is not right or when the calculations never work out. Many entrepreneurs hear enthusiasm in their environment. It is precisely our job to ask the critical questions that will help them."
Do you select which innovations are allowed to take part?
“In principle, no. Anyone can take part, even with just a rough idea. We believe that Wings should be a place where you’re still allowed to tinker. Sometimes it becomes clear during the process that an idea doesn’t fit what the healthcare sector actually needs. But at least you’ve discovered that early on. The only thing that is essential is that there is sufficient interest on both sides. If an entrepreneur is developing something for disability care, providers from that sector must also take part. Otherwise, the programme has no value for that entrepreneur.”
Can you give some examples of what participants learn?
“Certainly. One popular masterclass covers reimbursement streams in healthcare: the Wmo, Wlz and health insurers. In just two hours, you’ll suddenly understand where your innovation might find its place.”
We also work with an impact analysis by Windesheim University of Applied Sciences. This allows entrepreneurs to test which parts of a healthcare organisation they affect: saving time is often not the only thing that counts. Healthcare organisations value many more aspects. With that model, entrepreneurs learn how to really substantiate their value."
What do healthcare organisations learn themselves?
“We run sessions on innovation scouting — how do you find the right solution amongst such a vast range of options? — and on the practical application of AI. When healthcare institutions discuss these topics with one another, there’s a great deal of mutual understanding. We then connect them with entrepreneurs, so that both sides can learn from real-world examples. For instance, we’ll soon be hosting an online masterclass by Radboudumc, which will share 15 years of innovation lessons with any healthcare organisations that are keen to learn.”
Have any promising collaborations already emerged through Wings?
“The programme has only been running since last year, but we’ve already come across some very promising initiatives. One example is Helpsoq, a tool for compression stockings. During a Wings event, they came into contact with the care organisation Vilente. There, both parties realised they might be a perfect match. That sort of encounter is exactly what Wings is designed for.”
Sometimes an innovation turns out to work differently in practice than expected. Do you discuss that as well?
“Yes, we certainly do. A good example from the field is a tool that predicted how long someone had left to live. Technically impressive, but in practice doctors ultimately didn’t want to use it: what do you do with that information, what conversations does it lead to, and how desirable is that? That shows how important it is to take the human aspect of innovation into account. We also share insights like that in Wings.”
How accessible is it to take part?
“Very accessible. You can take part on a per-masterclass basis. The first session is even free, so you can get a taste of whether Wings is right for you. If you’d like to take part more often, you can become a HealthValley partner. For start-up entrepreneurs, this costs €950 per year. After that, you can follow the entire programme.”
We also organise webinars to save people travel time, making it easier – particularly for healthcare professionals – to attend a Wings session.
For example, on 5 February: ‘15 years of innovation lessons’
The programme focuses on the eastern Netherlands, but you’re not strictly regional, are you?
“We prefer to work with organisations from Gelderland and Overijssel, because we want to make an impact on healthcare in these regions. But in principle, Wings isn’t geographically bound. We also have participants from The Hague or Limburg. If an idea from Zeeland is of great value to people in Gelderland, then we’re naturally open to it. It’s all about impact, not postcodes.”
Why do you think Wings works?
“Because we build the bridge that’s often missing in practice. There are plenty of entrepreneurial networks, and there are plenty of healthcare networks. But almost no one brings those worlds together in a way that really works — by first preparing both sides, by identifying genuine needs and by creating meaningful connections that go beyond mere formalities.
That’s exactly what Wings does. And that’s where the future of healthcare innovation begins.”
More information
If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact Pim van der Hoorn, innovation manager at Health Valley, tel +31 6 29 59 42 41 or email p.vanderhoorn@healthvalley.nl
View Wings 2026 dates for entrepreneurs and healthcare institutions
