Madrid, September 18, 2024

The Science and Innovation Link Office (SILO), together with eight other European partners, led the launch on September 18th of the European-funded Horizon project “Supporting Innovation in Healthcare Public Procurement” (InnoHSupport).

This in-person meeting brought together research organizations and multistakeholder associations from six different countries committed to improving the integration of healthcare innovation into public procurement processes across Europe.

During the meeting, representatives from all partner organizations, including universities, health services, and innovation networks, gathered to lay the groundwork for the project’s goals. InnoHSupport aims to address the existing barriers that hinder the procurement of innovative healthcare solutions and foster collaboration between public procurers and suppliers of cutting-edge technologies.

Over the next two years, InnoHSupport will work towards enhancing the capacity of healthcare procurers to adopt innovative solutions, particularly in addressing the rising costs of healthcare, the aging population, and the need for environmentally sustainable practices. The project will create an open innovation space, the Innovation Procurement Agora, where public and private stakeholders can collaborate, share best practices, and drive forward the adoption of innovative technologies.

Esther Martinez Alvarez, Project Coordinator from SILO, remarked:

“The InnoHSupport project is willing to be a game-changer for healthcare procurement in Europe. By bringing together public buyers, SMEs, startups, and investors, we aim to create a vibrant ecosystem where innovation can thrive and be implemented at scale. This project will ultimately support healthcare systems and will act as the intermediary between the different actors, ensuring an ecosystem of exchange, learning and adoption among them while fostering sustainability and technological progress.”

The InnoHSupport project is built on a collaborative vision, leveraging the expertise of 9 partners. Together, these organizations will develop tailored advisory services, training programs, and procurement tools to guide healthcare procurers and suppliers through every stage of the innovation procurement process.

Key objectives of the project include:

• Creating a robust network of public and private actors to facilitate procurement innovation.
• Delivering capacity-building programs and executive education to equip healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge to manage innovation procurement.
• Establishing the Innovation Procurement Agora as a central hub for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and best practice sharing.
• Promoting sustainable procurement strategies that align with environmental goals.