EVOLVE2CARE at the Digital Public Health Conference 2025

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Archives: July 2025

On July 24–25, 2025, EVOLVE2CARE was represented at the International Digital Public Health Conference (DPH25) in Madeira by Ecem Özdemir from Sploro. The conference brought together experts from across the digital and public health sectors, offering a dynamic platform for sharing insights and exploring innovative collaboration.

Ecem introduced the EVOLVE2CARE Open Call to more than 60 innovators, highlighting the opportunity for them to access Living Labs services and infrastructures across Europe. Through the Open Call, selected innovators will receive experimentation services support to test and co-develop their HealthTech solutions in real-world environments.

The presence of EVOLVE2CARE at DPH25 helped raise awareness of the project’s role in fostering inclusive, human-centric healthcare innovation. By bridging innovators with a dynamic network of Living Labs, EVOLVE2CARE contributes to building a collaborative ecosystem for the co-creation and validation of impactful solutions that address the challenges of Transitional Care; a critical area where patients move between care settings such as hospital to home, or from specialised care to long-term support.

From protection to strategy: How HealthTech innovators can leverage IP

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Archives: July 2025

The fourth session of the EVOLVE2CARE Training Series for HealthTech Innovators and Researchers took place on 24 July 2025, bringing sharp focus to one of the most essential, and often overlooked, aspects of innovation: intellectual property (IP).

The session, titled “Unlocking IP Value – Protection, Collaboration & AI Innovations,” was led by Yannis Skoulikaris, Founder and Managing Director of PatentMind Netherlands BV, and former Director at the European Patent Office (EPO). PatentMind offers expert guidance based on deep knowledge of software patents, AI innovation, and international patent law.

What is Intellectual Property, and what does it protect?

The session outlined the four types of IP and what they protect:

1. Patents – Protect technical inventions and unique processes or products

Patentable examples include:

  • Algorithms, software methods, if embedded in a technical solution to a technical problem

2. Copyright – Protects code, content, and creative works

Patentable examples include:

  • Source code
  • Manuals
  • Graphics

3. Trademarks – Protect brands, logos and names

Used for:

  • Product names
  • Company logos

4. Trade secrets – Protect confidential information, algorithms and know-how

Includes:

  • Source more
  • Formulas
  • Client lists

The instructor highlighted that Intellectual Property is the secret weapon of innovators for protecting, managing, and unlocking value from their innovation.

Why does it matter?
  • Competitive advantage
  • Company Valuation & Investment
  • Licensing Opportunities
  • Legal defence & Risk mitigation

In the fast-evolving world of tech and AI, strong IP protection is crucial for staying ahead, attracting investors, and safeguarding innovation.

Patents in focus

Patents are one of the most powerful tools to protect and commercialize innovation—especially in HealthTech and AI-driven environments.

What can be patented?

To receive a patent, an idea must be novel and solve a real problem. The specific requirements vary slightly by region:

  • In Europe, the invention must provide a technical solution to a technical problem.
  • In the US, it must offer a useful solution to a practical problem.
Why do patents matter—particularly in tech and AI?
  • They protect your innovations from being copied by competitors.
  • They increase your company’s valuation and attractiveness to investors.
  • They create new licensing and collaboration opportunities.
  • Importantly, patent rights are granted to the applicant, not necessarily the inventor—making early filing and clear agreements essential.
How does the patenting process work?

The pathway from idea to protection follows a clear structure:

  • Search: First, check if your invention is new.
  • Application: File with the relevant patent office.
  • Search/Examination: Patent office reviews your application in an interactive process, involving the applicant.
  • Patent Granted
The power and peril of collaboration in IP

Collaboration is a cornerstone of innovation—but when it comes to Intellectual Property, shared ownership must be managed with clarity and care. Navigating shared IP ownership—whether with co-founders, collaborators, or licensees—requires balancing benefits and risks.

Why collaboration pays

Working with co-founders, collaborators, or licensees can accelerate development and expand your market reach. Benefits include:

  • Shared expertise and resources, fostering deeper innovation
  • Faster time-to-market through increased development capacity
  • Broader visibility via partner distribution and co-marketing channels

The risks without IP agreements

  • Ownership disputes – unclear title can derail projects
  • Usage conflicts – unauthorized use or overlapping commercialization
  • Enforcement issues or gridlock – difficult to license or defend jointly

Key takeaways

  • IP is a critical asset: Proactively identify, protect, and manage your intellectual property
  • Testing Innovation: Know which aspects of your work are eligible for protection
  • Collaboration: Always set clear IP agreements at the start of any partnership
  • AI’s unique IP challenge: Data, algorithms, and AI-generated works require tailored IP strategies
What’s next?

The next session in the EVOLVE2CARE Training Series for HealthTech Innovators and Researchers is titled “Fundraising & Pitching Strategies – An Investor’s Guide for Innovators.” It will feature Adriane Thrash, Managing Partner at Anthology Ventures, as the special speaker.

The session is scheduled to take place on 4 September 2025 at 15:00 CEST and will offer expert insights on how to craft compelling pitches and navigate the fundraising process with confidence. Designed for innovators looking to connect with investors and elevate their ventures, this event is a key opportunity to gain strategic guidance from an industry leader.

Stay tuned as we continue to bridge the gap between innovation and market with practical knowledge for real-world success.

Register here

Founder’s lens: Building sustainable HealthTech solutions

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Archives: July 2025

The third online session of the EVOLVE2CARE Training Series for Innovators and Researchers took place on 17 July 2025, offering a grounded and insightful look into the entrepreneurial path of a HealthTech founder. Titled “Building a Sustainable HealthTech Business – A Founder’s Journey,” the session was led by Panagiotis Katsaounis, Medical Geneticist and CEO of Metabio, a company pioneering IT solutions for biobanks. 

The session formed part of the six-part EVOLVE2CARE series From User to Market – Faster Validation and Commercialisation for HealthTech Innovators and Researchers, which supports HealthTech innovators working in Transitional Care and Clinical Pathways to accelerate their journey from research to real-world impact.

Why biosamples matter — and Why managing them is hard

Biosamples are a cornerstone of biomedical research and power medical R&D excellence, supporting advancements in diagnostics, drug discovery, genetics and environment.

However, IT systems to manage biosamples and associated data are often inadequate and problematic for researchers; unreliable, leading to poor data harmonization across sources; and limited, failing to capture the historical dimension of biosample usage. As a result, valuable data remains underutilized or inaccessible. 

This challenge laid the groundwork for the creation of Metabio, a next-generation IT platform designed to modernize and integrate the full spectrum of biosample data. By offering real-time access, harmonized metadata, and GDPR/HIPAA-compliant tools, Metabio enables biobanks, researchers and the entire research ecosystem to unlock the true potential of the biosample collections.

Key highlights

Identifying the real value

The instructor described how Metabio emerged from direct experience in the lab, where data quality gaps and outdated biobank IT systems conflicted with cost and time constraints.

Building the business model

Participants were guided through Metabio’s evolution from an idea to a revenue-generating SaaS platform. 

A breakdown of real startup costs revealed a balanced allocation:

  • 35% for team and operations
  • 30% for R&D and clinical validation
  • 20% for sales and marketing
  • 15% for regulatory compliance

This financial transparency highlighted the importance of lean spending, focused prioritization, and resource-efficient scaling.

Practical advice for HealthTech founders

Panagiotis Katsaounis shared several turning points, including a major shift from offering physical infrastructure to delivering modular, interoperable software. He emphasized that being responsive to market feedback and recognizing internal limitations were critical to navigating early-stage uncertainty.

The session closed with a set of key takeaways aimed at helping other innovators design more viable and resilient ventures:

  • Prioritize Speed and Iteration: Avoid over-engineering early on. Launch MVPs quickly rather than chasing perfection.
  • Cultivate deep customer and patient empathy: True innovation starts with understanding. Invest time in interviews, shadowing, and co-creation.
  • Build resilience and a supportive network: Surround yourself with a core team that shares the long-term vision. Replace doubt with determination.

What’s next

The upcoming session “Unlocking IP Value: Protection, Collaboration & AI” on Thursday 24 July, 2025, at 15:00 CEST, will explore how to protect intellectual assets, manage innovation in collaborative environments, and navigate new IP challenges in the age of artificial intelligence.

Stay with us as we continue to equip innovators with the tools to build, scale, and sustain meaningful healthtech solutions—from user to market.

Register here

Applying Service Design in Living Labs: Webinar highlights

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Archives: July 2025

The second session, titled “Designing Tailored Living Lab Services for Innovators”, which is part of the Living Labs Training Series, took place on 9 July 2025. It focused on designing structured, user-oriented services that enable Living Labs to better support innovators, accelerate experimentation, and ensure sustainable operations.

This six part training program is specifically crafted for Living Lab managers, researchers, and innovation professionals. It brings together top experts in service design and real-world practitioners from across Europe. The last webinar featured contributions from:

What is Service Design?

Francesca Sperandio opened the session by introducing the central question: “What is Service Design?” She explained that Service Design is about intentionally planning and organizing all the different touchpoints and interactions—from users and staff to platforms and operations—that collectively make up a service. 

  • Service Design is human-centered, evidence-based, and follows an iterative, collaborative process.
  • Living Labs, likewise, emphasize active user involvement, real-life experimentation, and co-creation.

Case Studies from the Thessaloniki Action for Health & Wellbeing Living Lab

In her turn, Despoina Petsani shared two concrete case studies from the Thessaloniki Action for Health & Wellbeing Living Lab, developed within the framework of the VITALISE project. VITALISE enables researchers from various disciplines to access European Living Lab infrastructures through Transnational Access.

These examples highlighted not only the innovative services developed—such as ASSURE, an AI tool for dysphagia detection, and HESTIA, a thermal monitoring system to support informal caregiving—but also the concrete resource needs involved in delivering them.

For each pilot, she presented a side-by-side comparison of time and personnel dedicated by internal and external teams. Internal refers to the Living Lab’s own staff, who are familiar with lab protocols, logistics, and stakeholder engagement, while external refers to visiting researchers granted access through the project.

The data showed needs for 170h/30d internal vs. 52h external for ASSURE project, and 121/28d internal vs. 14d external for HESTIA—demonstrating that effective Living Lab services require considerable coordination and time investment.

Structuring and Pricing Living Lab Services

Marta I. De Los Ríos White guided participants through a practical methodology for turning Living Lab activities into repeatable, well-defined services. 

The structured 5-step Servive Design Process included:

  1. Discover: the phase of immersion, where tools like interviews, observations, and self-documentation help capture real user needs and contextual insights.
  2. Define: a period of analysis—making sense of the findings, spotting patterns, and setting a clear design challenge.
  3. Develop: the creative core of the process, where ideas are generated, sketched, and prototyped through both visual and tactile methods.
  4. Deliver: this stage transforms ideas into action—pitching, role-playing, testing, gathering feedback, and capturing learnings.
  5. Evolve: a forward-looking stage focused on scaling, building partnerships, tracking impact, and celebrating even subtle change.

Do you know how to price your services?

To close, Marta I. De Los Ríos White presented three guiding steps for Living Labs ready to define the value of what they offer. First, she encouraged participants to assess the value their services provide to innovators, including the time saved, risk reduced, and unique benefits delivered. Next, she stressed the importance of understanding internal costs—factoring in people’s time and expertise, specialized tools, resources, and overhead. Finally, she highlighted the need to align pricing strategies with the Living Lab’s broader mission and funding model, ensuring financial sustainability while staying true to core objectives.

What’s next?

The next session for Living Labs, “Navigating Legal, Ethical & Regulatory Frameworks,” will take place on August 27, 2025, at 15:00 CEST, and will approach the ethical, legal and regulatory frameworks, explores the sector-specific compliance and engages with regulatory bodies.

Register here