The journey from a promising research concept to a tangible healthcare solution is often complex and uncertain. To shed light on how to accelerate this process, Francesca Sperandio, representing the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), recently attended the International Conference on Education and New Developments (END 2026), held from June 20 to 22 in Madeira Island, Portugal. During the event’s engaging poster session, She showcased the collaborative paper “EVOLVE2CARE Training Series: Building Capacity for Innovators and Living Labs”. The research was co-authored by Marta De Los Ríos White, and AV partners, Metaxas Gamvrelis, Konstantinos Baliouskas, and Adriane Thrash. Furthermore, the abstract of the poster has been officially published and is available in the conference’s proceedings.
The Challenge in HealthTech Innovation
Despite massive investments in healthcare research, many brilliant technological concepts never make it to real-world application. Transforming early-stage ideas into practical solutions requires seamless collaboration among researchers, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, and investors. However, these vital interactions are frequently fragmented, which severely slows down the transition from clinical experimentation to practical implementation. Innovators and Living Labs often experience different, yet complementary, capacity gaps that hinder effective partnership.
The EVOLVE2CARE Dual-Track Solution
To address these capacity gaps, the EVOLVE2CARE initiative launched two aligned, six-part training programs designed to create a coherent innovation pathway. Developed collaboratively by the European Network of Living Labs and Anthology Ventures, this learner-centred curriculum provides a shared methodology.
The dual-track approach includes:
- Training for Innovators: Led by Anthology Ventures, this track equips researchers and entrepreneurs with a comprehensive innovation toolkit. The curriculum covers design thinking, rapid prototyping, business modelling, and investor preparedness. Participants successfully generated a Product Requirements Document and a use-case prototype focused on hospital discharge management.
- Training for Living Labs: Spearheaded by ENoLL, this track empowers Living Labs to facilitate a smoother transition from research to the market. Training focuses heavily on user validation, operational methodologies, and stakeholder engagement. Attendees received a service design blueprint and a comprehensive ethics checklist to guide research with end users.
Tangible Results and Real-World Impact
Sperandio’s presentation at END 2026 highlighted the immense success of this educational methodology. The interactive poster sessions allowed global attendees to visualize the project’s milestones and discuss the findings directly with the presenters.
The program has already driven significant action:
- High Satisfaction: The dual-track training received highly positive feedback, with overall session quality rated between 3 and 5 out of 5.
- Immediate Action: An impressive 43% of participants are already applying what they learned to real-world projects.
- Future Planning: Another 29% plan to implement these strategies within the next three to six months.
- Reusable Resources: All generated tools remain freely accessible via the ENoLL Living Labbers Academy, promoting continuous, long-term learning.
Conclusion
Francesca Sperandio’s presentation of the EVOLVE2CARE framework at END 2026 underscores the critical importance of aligning skills across the healthtech ecosystem. By equipping both innovators and Living Labs with actionable, complementary tools, the program ensures that tomorrow’s healthcare solutions do not remain stuck in the lab, but rapidly reach the patients who need them most.
