Innovation in Brussels healthcare

Brussels has been a world leader in healthcare innovation for several years, as demonstrated by the launch of the Hospital Innovation Centre. This innovative project, supported by our lifetech.brussels cluster, aims to bridge the gap between hospitals and medical innovations capable of improving the patient experience. Two years after its launch, it is time to look back and celebrate what has been achieved!

In 2022, lifetech.brussels, the hub.brussels medtech sector hub, launched an open call to all Brussels hospitals. The objective was to find partners to launch innovative healthcare pilot projects with Brussels-based entrepreneurs.

Collaboration works

“During Covid-19, it became clear that contractors and hospitals needed to work more closely together. Hospitals were overwhelmed, while companies had potential solutions… but there was no way of connecting them,” explains Sophie Liénart, Project Coordinator at lifetech.brussels.

The – the hospital network comprising the Erasmus Hospital, the Jules Bordet Institute and the Queen Fabiola Children’s University Hospital – answered the call. The result of this collaboration was the Hospital Innovation Centre, financially supported by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund), where innovative solutions are tested directly in the field to meet the specific needs of both healthcare professionals and patients.

Everyday innovation

The project has two main objectives:

1. To cultivate a spirit of innovation in hospitals.
2. To develop a sustainable innovation process that can be easily adopted by other establishments.

The pilot project set up to test this new innovation process involved replacing the traditional cables used to monitor patients with a wireless system to improve post-operative care for chest and oesophageal surgery patients. The RDS solution was tested on 25 patients from the H.U.B. unit concerned. The approach has given patients greater mobility, improved post-operative care and optimised nursing time.

This success underlines the potential of strong links between hospital staff and technology developers. Sacha Gougnard, Head of Transformation and Innovation at H.U.B., is convinced of this, “We want innovation to be part of the hospital’s DNA.”

Brussels, the beating heart of healthcare innovation

The Brussels healthcare sector has long been recognised for its dynamism. “This sector is one of the biggest employers in our Region, so it is only natural that we should continue to support it. By stimulating close collaboration between caregivers and healthcare entrepreneurs, we also guarantee high-quality, accessible care,” says Isabelle Grippa, CEO of hub.brussels.

This initiative means that not only is Brussels building a better healthcare system for its residents, it is also positioning itself as an example of innovation in healthcare – a centre of excellence that can inspire similar projects across Europe and beyond.

What about the future?

The future looks bright. A vision for 2035 has been developed, outlining long-term objectives for hospital innovation, as well as a best practice guide and a series of inspirational videos, to encourage other hospitals to follow H.U.B.’s example.

“We want to inspire healthcare professionals and help them develop their own innovative projects,” says Sophie Liénart. “Interested caregivers and entrepreneurs can read a white paper on innovation in healthcare or attend the innovation cafés and speed-meetings organised by hub.brussels.”