Pilot Regions

In Spain, the health sector is mainly public since private insurances only exist on a marginal level. Since early 2000s, the competences for healthcare and subsequent budget have been transferred to the territories, leaving the national ministry with a coordinating role.

The innovation support system in Murcia is headed by the Regional Development Agency (INFO) and includes incubators that support innovation projects such as the Business Innovation Centres of Murcia (CEEIM) and Cartagena (CEEIC) - the certified EU|BICs in the region - and the Scientific Park of Murcia. In recent years, health innovation sector in Murcia established a successful health ICT ecosystem in collaboration between business sector and the public health sector, which is driven by the TBM cluster and the Murcian Health Service (SMS).

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In Sweden, responsibility for health and medical care is divided between the national government, territories and municipalities. The foundation of Swedish health and medical care is public, but private alternatives do exist. Most private caregivers have agreements with territories. The Örebro County is the healthcare provider running 28 healthcare centres, three hospitals with 8000 employees. The publicly funded innovation system of the Örebro County is compact and focused on three main activities; tech-transfer, incubation and business development. The main territorial support actors are Inkubera, Alfred Nobel Science Park, Örebro University Innovation Office and the Almi Invest. In CHERRIES the existing cooperation between the public healthcare sector and CSOs with a focus on the Western health care district of Örebro county will be accelerated. The main actors in this regard are the Activa foundation, an organisation supporting ill and disabled people, and Möckelnföreningarna, a civil society organisation that works as an umbrella for over 100 civil society actors providing care.

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The calibre of health care in the Republic of Cyprus is improving in leaps and bounds with new specialized medical services and research, as well as the long-anticipated implementation of a comprehensive national health care system, which is set to make the sector more streamlined and cost effective. Most medical professionals in Cyprus are educated at universities in Greece, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Western Europe – an influential factor in the strong development of the country’s private sector which boasts an impressive 75 private hospitals and clinics. Cyprus is considered as an ideal destination for both medical research and new venture development due to Mediterranean Climate conditions, accessibility - in the cross sector of three continents, the low tax and IPR incentives as well as the top-tier medical centres.

The main territorial support actors of the business and innovation ecosystem are a privately-owned R&D centre CyRIC, the certified EU|BIC of Cyprus and its incubator Gravity Ventures. Recently the government has appointed a Chief Scientist who will be the Executive authority for managing all activities including Policies, Incentives and Funding to Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. 

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