What is Health~Holland in short and what does your organisation stand for?
'Health~Holland is the brand name of Top Sector Life Sciences & Health. The ambition of the Top Sector is to significantly contribute to vital functioning citizens in a healthy economy by stimulating interdisciplinary R&D in public-private partnerships. By attracting funding, sharing best practices, taking a connective role and communicating as one voice we want to represent the innovative Life Sciences & Health sector on both a national and international level. Recently Health~Holland is assigned by the Dutch government to form a coalition on one of our societal challenges, namely health and care. To tackle this enormous societal challenge we want to join forces on both technological and societal innovations to transform our healthcare system. The central mission we are aiming for in 2040 is that the Dutch citizens will live five years longer in good health in comparison to the current life expectancy.'
What does Health~Holland hope to get out of the partnership with the DCVA?
'Health~Holland stimulates partnerships in many ways. This large collaboration of the DCVA within multidisciplinary cardiovasculair research is a great example of how the Dutch are frontrunners in partnerships with many stakeholders including researchers, entrepreneurs and citizens/patients. With special focus on prevention and valorisation the DCVA can bring us new solutions that help to prevent the onset of cardiovasculair diseases and bring these solutions to the end user. It is both our main interest not just performing interesting research, but to have impact on the health of patients and their surroundings.'
What does Health~Holland add to the DCVA, why should we be happy that Health~Holland is participating? Who ultimately benefits the most?
'Health~Holland has a link to many organisations and stakeholders active in the life sciences and health sector, both in the Netherlands and abroad. We can help the DCVA to find new partners and to attract funding for innovative R&D in public-private partnerships. By this means we both want to strengthen the network of the DCVA and bundle resources to bring solutions that matter. So we can jointly build a sustainable and world leading life sciences and health sector, have impact and improve the health of patients.'
Question from WCN
Reading the internet, The Top Sector LSH entails a broad scope of disciplines. From pharmaceuticals to medtech, from healthcare infrastructure to vaccination. In order to realise its mission –vital functioning citizens in a healthy economy- Top Sector LSH builds on the strengths of the Dutch Life Sciences & Health sector to address the biggest societal challenges in prevention, cure and care.
Although this is indeed a broad scope of disciplines, it seems that Health~Holland is specialised in private and governmental collaboration. Is that correct?
As for example in Drug Rediscovery, it is important to have a proper registration with a clear indication for our patients. We need a system of socially responsible prices, combined with protection for the investors to enable them to earn back their investments. This is essential to develop and maintain this cost-effective way of drug development in a sustainable way, complementary to innovative drug design. How could Health~Holland be a partner in DCVA to support issues like these?
'In the last years we focused indeed on stimulating public-private partnerships in the so-called triple helix (knowledge institutes, industry and government). We now moved towards the quadruple helix, adding the opinions and interest of patients and citizens to the mix as well, and enabling both technological and social innovation. The Top Sector LSH can connect this network to the DCVA and their partners in order to jointly work on a cost effective and sustainable way of drug development. Bringing all key players to the table helps us to start the conversation and to look for investment models for innovation and prevention.'
'In the field of medical technology we already join forces within, for example, the Eindhoven MedTech Innovation Center (e/MTIC). e/MTIC drives value-based healthcare by growing an ecosystem that creates a fast track in research, development and implementation of sustainable innovations in clinical practice. We want to welcome everybody at e/MTIC symposium ‘Technology meets value-based healthcare’ on October 11th which specially focusses on cardiovasculair topics.'