BOOSTING HEALTHCARE INNOVATION PROCUREMENT
The external Twinnings implemented in Procure4Health serve as a vital mechanism for fostering knowledge exchange in the field of innovation procurement. By connecting experienced actors with less experienced counterparts, these structured collaborations focus on shared themes and goals. Recipients receive funding to conduct activities such as study visits, workshops, training sessions, and internships, enabling effective knowledge transfer from originators to adopters. Following two open calls, several awarded Twinning partnerships have achieved notable progress in advancing healthcare innovation procurement.
Driving Innovation in Healthcare: The InnoPro4CODE Partnership
In an ambitious push to enhance healthcare innovation procurement, the InnoPro4CODE partnership unites four dynamic organizations across Europe: IRCCS Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) and Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico (MAGGIORE) from Italy as adopters, alongside Lithuanian Santaros Klinikos (VULSK) and Portuguese UBImedical (UBI) as originators. Supported by the Procure4Health project, this collaboration aims to bridge gaps between research, technology transfer, and healthcare procurement to meet evolving clinical needs.
Key Achievements and Lessons Learned
- Strengthening Collaboration: Multidisciplinary webinars fostered connections across regions, enhancing knowledge-sharing among technology transfer offices, innovation procurement experts, and healthcare professionals.
- Developing Best Practices: Workshops explored innovative procurement methods, such as PCP (Pre-Commercial Procurement), offering insights into cost-effective, patient-focused approaches.
- Expanding Awareness: Over 197 participants from 15 countries engaged in the partnership’s events, emphasizing the need for clear procurement specifications and fostering global interest in innovation procurement.
The partnership aims to secure long-term impact by promoting proof-of-concept (PoC) initiatives and aligning regional strategies with European frameworks. Upcoming steps include scaling best practices, refining procurement processes, and leveraging networks like ASTP for further outreach.
With collaboration at its core, InnoPro4CODE sets a benchmark for leveraging innovation procurement to transform healthcare delivery across Europe.
Revolutionizing Emergency Ultrasound in Navarra: A Twinning Partnership
The Fundación Pública Miguel Servet – Navarrabiomed (FMS), representing the Navarra Health System (SNS-O), has joined forces with the Fundació Privada Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (HSP) in Barcelona to transform healthcare access through a Procure4Health-funded twinning project.
HSP, with its expertise in public procurement of innovation (PPI), is guiding FMS in adopting PPI processes. The focus is on addressing the shortage of emergency radiology professionals in Navarra by implementing a tele-ultrasound project. This initiative aims to enable urgent remote diagnoses, reduce unnecessary patient transfers, and improve efficiency in rural hospitals.
Key milestones
- Training and team building: FMS received in-depth guidance on PPI processes from HSP.
- Preliminary Market Consultation (PMC): Launching early 2024, inviting regional and international solution providers to shape the project.
- Implementation: The tele-ultrasound program is set to begin in early 2025, establishing Navarra as a leader in emergency tele-sonography.
This project ensures equitable healthcare access, harnessing innovation to meet patient needs effectively and setting a benchmark for PPI in healthcare.
Join2Procure: Driving Innovation and Sustainability in Healthcare
The Join2Procure twinning project, led by IDIVAL and the FISABIO Foundation, focuses on adopting Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) to address environmental sustainability challenges in healthcare.
Key Achievements
- Knowledge Sharing: Reports on PPI processes and best practices were developed from shared experiences.
- Unmet Needs Identified: Five sustainability challenges were prioritized, including reducing pharmaceutical waste, integrating green procurement, and improving hospital food management.
- Joint Statement: A shared roadmap was created to align goals and prepare for future PPI processes.
The partnership will refine these unmet needs, explore Green Public Procurement, and deepen expertise in PPI, ensuring greener, more efficient healthcare systems.
This collaboration sets a strong foundation for innovation in European healthcare.
Creating an Interoperable Medical Device Ecosystem in Sweden
The twinning partnership between Region Stockholm (Karolinska University Hospital) and Västra Götalandsregionen (VGR) is developing a flexible, interoperable ecosystem for medical devices. Based on IHE Devices and ISO/IEEE 11073 standards, the project aims to enable seamless data sharing and improve patient care.
Key Highlights
- Target Architecture: A draft was ready in March 2024, with the final blueprint published in May 2024, adaptable to each region’s needs.
- Future Collaboration: Engaging with organizations like the Swedish eHealth Agency to push for market-wide standardization.
- Procurement and Sustainability: Exploring innovative procurement models and long-term partnerships to maintain and expand the ecosystem.
The project sets the stage for a more interconnected and efficient healthcare system across Sweden.
Innovating Healthcare through Co-Creation and Pre-Commercial Procurement
Vestre Viken Hospital Trust and Bioef (Basque Foundation for Health Innovation and Research) are collaborating to innovate healthcare services through Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) and co-creation processes. Their goal is to improve digital healthcare workflows by leveraging the competitive market to generate creative solutions.
Key Outcomes
- Improved Workflow Understanding: Participants are learning to identify essential healthcare functionalities, fostering true innovation in service integration.
- Testing & Development: In six months, the project aims to test and design advanced healthcare solutions.
The collaboration, through workshops and virtual meetings, is paving the way for effective healthcare solutions that address both national needs and regulatory challenges. Future efforts will focus on identifying commercialization opportunities for new solutions.
Empowering Healthcare Innovation Through Twinning: Fundación Cuidar y Curar & Fundación SAMU
The Twinning partnership between Fundación Cuidar y Curar and Fundación SAMU is making significant strides in innovative public procurement (PPI) in healthcare.
Progress & Results
- Leadership & Coordination: A leadership team has been formed, ensuring effective decision-making and communication.
- Training: 85% of the Innovative Public Procurement training is completed, with over 80 participants enrolled. The final face-to-face sessions are scheduled for September 2024.
- Stakeholder Engagement: The project has expanded to multiple regions, with involvement from various organizations like SAMU Tech and University of Seville. Dissemination efforts will continue through webinars and congresses.
The foundations are committed to ensuring long-term sustainability through continued collaboration, internal training, and participation in future PPI projects.
This partnership is successfully driving healthcare innovation, ensuring long-lasting benefits for the sector.
Strengthening Procurement in Healthcare: Purch and HLA Moncloa University Hospital Partnership
The Twinning partnership between Purch, a Swedish Group Purchasing Organisation (GPO), and HLA Moncloa University Hospital in Spain has successfully enhanced healthcare procurement through early market engagement (EME) strategies.
The partnership aimed to help HLA integrate EME into its procurement strategy, improving supplier relations, access to innovation, and cross-department collaboration.
Key outcomes
- Consolidation of Market Engagement: Developing internal guides to sustain EME practices.
- Market Communication: Establishing regular supplier meetings and exploring digital portals for ongoing collaboration.
- Cross-functional Engagement: Involving various hospital departments to ensure comprehensive procurement strategies.
The project has fostered a long-lasting relationship, with both partners planning to collaborate on future tenders, like those in cardiology, to improve clinical outcomes and operational efficiency. This partnership showcases the value of knowledge-sharing in transforming healthcare procurement.
Streamlining Procurement in Vlaams-Brabant: A Collaborative Success
Thirteen non-profit organizations in eastern Vlaams-Brabant, led by Ons Tehuis Brabant and Terbank, joined forces to enhance their procurement processes and master Belgium’s e-procurement platform.
Key Achievements
- Affiliation with Koopkoepel and AZO: Gained access to joint purchasing frameworks, reducing costs and effort.
- Collaborative Tendering: Jointly organized tenders for payroll and prevention services, with plans for further joint projects.
- Increased E-Procurement Use: Regularly publishing tenders over €30,000, with plans to expand further.
By pooling resources and expertise, the organizations achieved efficiency, ensured regulatory compliance, and built a strong foundation for ongoing collaboration. A dedicated intervision group continues to foster knowledge sharing, ensuring the sustainability of this initiative.
This partnership proves that teamwork can simplify complex procurement challenges and deliver tangible benefits for all involved.
Conclusion
The Twinning initiatives under Procure4Health exemplify the power of collaboration in driving healthcare innovation and procurement excellence. By connecting experienced and emerging stakeholders across Europe, these partnerships have successfully fostered knowledge exchange, advanced sustainable practices, and improved patient care. From revolutionizing tele-ultrasound services to enhancing procurement efficiency and building interoperable medical device ecosystems, these projects showcase the potential of structured collaborations to address pressing healthcare challenges. As partnerships continue to scale their impact, they set a benchmark for leveraging innovation procurement to create a more connected, efficient, and sustainable healthcare system across Europe.
