Call for ideas for health technology development opens

As of 1 April, AIRE’s demo project service will also be extended to the field of health technology to support the digitalisation of health service providers through artificial intelligence and robotics solutions. The call for applications closes on 30 April 2024.

“While in the past, demo projects have been targeted at industrial companies to test AI and robotics solutions in manufacturing, we are now piloting a demo project service for the development of health technologies. In our work, we saw that there is a strong demand for testing new technologies in the health sector, so we decided to test ourselves how demo projects are received in the health sector. Demo projects are a necessary test phase before making major investments in digital technologies,” said Katre Eljas, Head of the AIRE Demonstration Project Service.

Applications are open to small and medium sized enterprises and applicants can be either health service providers or technology companies. The demonstration project will be carried out in collaboration between the company, the applicant, and AIRE’s partner, the development team. The development team may include researchers and experts from TalTech, the University of Tartu, the Estonian University of Life Sciences, IMECC, Tartu Science Park or Tehnopol.

“It is a good opportunity for companies to test, experiment and validate new technologies in-house with experts. The period of implementation of the demo project should preferably be between 4 and 9 months, and by the end of the project the company should have a clear idea of whether and how to invest in AI technology.” explained Eljas. “One of the objectives of AIRE is to support knowledge transfer from research institutions to companies. This model, where the company is the applicant and the owner of the challenge, and the development team is an AIRE partner, has proven itself,” he acknowledged.

To take part in the ideas competition, a company must submit an application. The application form can be downloaded from the AIRE website. The application is prepared by the applicant in collaboration with the development team. The application must be submitted no later than 30.04.24 to the following e-mail address: demonstration-projects@aire-edih.eu.

Health technology includes software, technologies and systems to support health. This includes, for example, robotics, where the technology development of a demonstration project focuses on an artificial intelligence component.