Connecting healthtech innovation ecosystems for user-centred and business-driven entrepreneurial education propelling next-generation digital health solutions

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Rising costs, resource pressures, and an increase in chronic diseases, together with the challenges posed by an ageing population have exerted significant pressure on Europe to improve its healthcare and put forward health-related technological advances. While much has been done inside healthcare institutions (hospitals and clinics) to stimulate innovation, far less has been done outside the traditional healthcare frameworks to foster the development of innovative health solutions. In this context less conventional players, like educational establishments and training providers, have proven to play an increasingly important role in developing an entrepreneurial spirit and driving innovation. Nevertheless, the typical science education curriculum (including the medical curriculum) does not integrate any instruction on innovation or entrepreneurship which leaves a gap. Hence, there is a strong need for education offers that can equip future health innovators with particular mind- and skillsets and with the capacity to shape tomorrow´s healthcare. To respond to the unmet need, several health care innovation and entrepreneurship education and training offers with novel, real-life approaches involving ecosystem members, have emerged in the past years both in (e.g. in Denmark) and outside Europe. In order to close the innovation gap across Europe, it is critical to foster the best practices and innovation resource flows between ecosystems at different development levels. HealthEConnect will strengthen the cooperation between two innovation ecosystems: the healthtech innovation ecosystem of the Lisbon region (PT) and the one of Hovedstaden (DK), to support the rise and growth of next-generation healthtech companies through a co-designed, user-centered and entrepreneurial-driven healthtech innovation and entrepreneurship educational offer launched in Lisbon capitalising on best practises and platforms to sustain collaboration and resource flows between ecosystem members.