As part of the Accelere’Health cross-border program, six innovative Swiss project leaders went to Besançon, in neighbouring France, for a unique immersion program. This immersion follows a first expedition that took place last fall, in Switzerland, in Sion. The capital of the Valais region welcomed French entrepreneurs to discover the rich health innovation ecosystem: S.M.A.R.T. Confluence. It is now time for Besançon to welcome promising projects from French-speaking part of Switzerland.
Accelere’Health, a real innovation booster
Accelere’Health brings together 2 countries and three partner ecosystems: Sion, Lyon and Besançon. This program was set up in order to develop interconnections between health innovation basins, to boost the development of rising projects, to benefit from the best expertise, to realize market opportunities and to enhance the entrepreneurial activities of both countries, Switzerland and France.
During the second call for projects, the Accelere’Health organizing teams selected six Swiss projects from Valais, Vaud and Geneva to discover the richness of the Bisontin’s ecosystem.
From health to biotechnology
A very dynamic sector in Switzerland, health and life sciences offer a fertile ground for innovation. Among the new talents that have emerged in this fertile ground, some have naturally been selected for this second batch departing to Besançon. Three projects focused on health stood out:
- Allimb, an augmented reality application for physiotherapy exercises which, thanks to artificial intelligence, detects the movements of patients and accompanies them using the voice and visual guidance in the correction of their movements, ensuring the correct execution of these exercises. This application accessible on all media (mobile, tablets, computers, connected TV) allows:
- for patients: to receive a personalized follow-up and a precise exercise program
- for caregivers: to obtain real-time monitoring of their patients’ exercises and progress while respecting medical confidentiality
- Consulto is the world’s first virtual team-based care clinic where independent physicians, general practitioners and specialists, partner to provide holistic care to their patients. With Consulto’s virtual team-based care, each independent physician can provide better care and medical advice to their patients. Consulto’s vision: that independent physicians are connected to each other without organizational hierarchy to facilitate the exchange and sharing of diagnoses.
- Sensemodi offers a device in the form of smart, multi-sensor wearables, combined with artificial intelligence-based technology. With their solution, they aim to better detect and characterize knee disorders such as osteoarthritis, which affects millions of people and considerably limits their mobility and autonomy.
The proposed solution: “Inmodi” will allow doctors to prescribe appropriate medical interventions and promote adapted therapies to stop/slow down the progression of the disease, and eventually reverse this disabling condition.
In biotechnology, also one of the key area of strength in Switzerland, three start-ups have shown significant potential:
- Swiss Biotech Center supports entrepreneurs in the development of biopharmaceutical products by accelerating the development of their innovative products towards clinical use. In this, Swiss Biotech Center accompanies entrepreneurs in the process of compliance with regulatory standards in the best possible conditions, from the idea to the final product.
- Gadia develops rapid tests to diagnose nosocomial infections: hospital-related infections that develop during hospitalization. These infections affect 10% of hospitalized patients and increase mortality by a factor. Their objective is to detect a possible infection of this type as quickly as possible (directly from the patient’s bed, without having to go to the laboratory) in order to provide an adapted solution, improve treatment and save lives.
- Ceidos responds to the ever-growing needs regarding the use and control of cell culture since the emergence of ATMPs (Advanced Therapy Medical Products). Their C-NETICS project optimizes the cell culture process by automating it. This technology allows an acceleration of this process but also a reduction of the costs related to it. This laboratory device allows automated and aseptic cell counting and viability measurement during cell expansion.