On the last 19th and 20th June, the Intermunicipal Community of Ave participated in the “eHealth & ecosystem seminar, at the Biomolecular Technology Centre of the Torino University. The purpose of this meeting was to understand how innovation in health can act as a solution or part of a solution, to the extremely important health care problems that are emerging along the whole of Europe.
At the same time, the seminar, developed within the frame of EcoRIS3 Interreg Europe project, also tried to recognise the role of implementing regional Smart Specialisation Strategies (RIS3) by involving public authorities, innovation actors and companies on the search for solutions for health and environmental problems, thus also helping the economic development of territories particularly through the creation of innovative start-ups and businesses.
The event was an exceptional opportunity to focus on different aspects of the European approach to the Smart Specialisation Strategies (RIS3) allowing also interesting occasions for knowledge exchange.
Portugal was represented by CIM do Ave and the National Innovation Agency, this last one through Alexandre Almeida. Alexandre Almeida participated in the second Round Table, under the theme “Innovation for Health Challenges and Opportunities. The Portuguese speaker brought a central subject to the discussion, by calling the attention to fact that around 90% of innovation strategies in Europe are aiming health issues, because it is a popular theme, and seems to be an area where European RIS3 strategies, think they will have an advantage, but also pointing out that coordination between national strategies is very peripherical, based on weak connections and lacking scale, while competitors worldwide, in China, India or in the U.S. are very focused and have strong common goals.
