The Arkathon Program, co-organized by Swiss Digital Health and The Ark Foundation, ended on Friday, March 26 at 7:00 pm. We are now going to take stock of these three intensive days during which the five competing teams were able to confront their health innovation projects with professionals in the field and other specialists from the business world.
As you know, this year due to the pandemic situation, the Bootcamp was held entirely online. We had the pleasure to virtually welcome a rich panel of experts in the fields of medical, IP & legal, finance, business, digitization and finally project development. We also had the pleasure to welcome the five winning teams ready to defend their innovation project.
A 360° assessment thanks to mentoring sessions
The Bootcamp started with an opening session during which all teams and mentors had the opportunity to briefly introduce themselves. The program, rules and challenges were explained.
Following this, the mentoring sessions could start. The principle was simple: during three days, each of the five teams had to go through the six workshops that were proposed to them. Each workshop dealt with a different area of expertise, consisting to evaluate, challenge and guide teams on the best fit for their solution. Thus, the teams could benefit from the advice of the best experts in the field, and positioning their innovation project in the Swiss ecosystem.
The mentoring sessions were complemented by plenary sessions that allowed the teams to get familiar with the Swiss healthcare system, regional ecosystems, current regulations and funding opportunities.
This process allows fruitful discussions between experts and innovators. It also highlights the different strengths and weaknesses of the projects and the needs of the field to initiate potential future collaborations.
What’s next?
A personalized immersion program will be proposed to the winning teams based on the outcomes and discussions during the Bootcamp. The idea is to welcome these project leaders in Valais to integrate them into the S.M.A.R.T. Confluence ecosystem (the health innovation community in Valais). They will be able to develop partnerships and extend their market to Switzerland. They will also benefit from co-development and validation of their solution by clinical and technological partners. Personalized business support and coaching will be offered.
The immersion program will last from 3 to 6 months, from June to November 2021.
The objective is threefold: master digital technologies through collaborations, understand health issues through fields observations and interactions and, finally, find new and innovative business models.
To rediscover the innovation projects that participated in the Bootcamp, feel free to read the interviews of the participants on the website: Swiss Digital Health