On June 10, 2021 there was launched the Warsaw Health Innovation Hub (WHIH). This, first in the Eastern (and Central) Europe, initiative between public and business sectors will bring together leading global medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. According to the funders’ intention, it should be a beginning of the Polish Medical Valley which was created concurrently with the WHIH. The WHIH is intended to be just a first step of this huge, innovative enterprise.

WHAT IS THE WARSAW HEALTH INNOVATION HUB?

The Polish WHIH is the first business initiative in the Central Europe that brings together co-working between public sector with business entities in order to create innovative medical, technological and legal solutions for patients’ health improvement and for enhancement the capability of Polish health- care system. This unique conception (co-working conception) will allow to provide the conditions for rapid transformation of ideas into products, processes and services, taking into account the development interests of the Polish biomedical sector and Poland’s need to be independent in terms of drug and medical products safety. It is also an opportunity to invest in Polish technologies and the best research teams in the country, according to the Medical Research Agency.[1]

This is a joint initiative between the Medical Research Agency (Agencja Badań Medycznych)[2] EIT Health[3] and global medical industries players: AstraZeneca, Microsoft, Polpharma, Roche. The launching ceremony was held at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland with his patronage.

AstraZeneca: https://www.astrazeneca.pl/aktualnosci/2021/Inauguracja_Warsaw_Health_Innovation_Hub.html

Microsoft: https://news.microsoft.com/pl-pl/2021/06/10/pod-patronatem-premiera-mateusza-morawieckiego-powolano-warsaw-health-innovation-hub-przy-agencji-badan-medycznych/

Polpharma: https://polpharma.pl/polpharma-czlonkiem-warsaw-health-innovation-hub/

During the event, companies representatives signed a cooperation agreement. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss the most important issues, common expectations and tasks for the near future.

The operator of the strategic partners who will be responsible for the cooperation platform between the companies is EIT Health.

WARSAW HEALTH INNOVATION HUB MEMBERS’ OPINIONS

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki: Our responsibility is to build strategic partnerships in the field of health in the public and private sectors. This is a lesson we have learnt from the pandemic. WHIH is the first platform of this type not only in Poland, but also in Central Europe.[4]

Polish Minister of Health, Adam Niedzielski: No field is developing as dynamically as medicine. There are new treatment options, new molecules, medical devices, and diagnostic tests that make it possible for us to more effectively treat patients. We believe that cooperation with the business sector under WHIH will accelerate the implementation of many solutions in the health care sector in Poland, and that the potential of our researchers and young start-ups will be noticed and properly implemented for the benefit of patients.[5]

CEO of EIT Health, Jan-Philipp Beck: Warsaw Health Innovation Hub is an example of how, thanks to the open innovation formula, we can respond to key health challenges common to all of Europe, especially in the post-pandemic period. So far, EIT Health, together with over 150 partners, has implemented 118 innovative projects. Therefore, we see great value in projects where business works hand in hand with the government to strengthen the healthcare system.[6]

CEO of Microsoft in Poland, Mark Loughran: The establishment of Warsaw Healthcare Innovation Hub is a new, innovative approach to the development of healthcare in Poland. It is a combination of technology and human ingenuity that will result in innovation that serves us all.[7]

The list of participants at the WHIH launching ceremony:

• Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki
• Polish Minister of Health Adam Niedzielski
• President of the Medical Research Agency Radosław Sierpiński
• Iskra Reic (AstraZeneca)
• Mark Loughran (Microsoft)
• Markus Sieger (Polpharma)
• Irma Veberič (Roche)
• Jan-Philipp Beck (EIT Health)

Photo sources:

https://whih.abm.gov.pl/whi/aktualnosci/974,Pod-patronatem-Premiera-Mateusza-Morawieckiego-powolano-Warsaw-Health-Innovation.html

https://eithealth.eu/who-we-are/

https://eithealth.eu/

https://whih.abm.gov.pl/

[1] https://abm.gov.pl/pl/aktualnosci/975,Pod-patronatem-Premiera-Mateusza-Morawieckiego-Prezes-ABM-powolal-Warsaw-Health-.html, (access date: 17^th August, 2021). 

[2] See the website: https://abm.gov.pl/, (access date: 17^th August, 2021).  

[3] See the website: https://eithealth.eu/, , (access date: 17^th August, 2021).  

[4] https://eithealth.eu/news-article/eit-health-warsaw-innovation-hub-in-poland/,  (access date: 17^th August, 2021).

[5] https://eithealth.eu/news-article/eit-health-warsaw-innovation-hub-in-poland/,  (access date: 17^th August, 2021).

[6] https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/central-europes-first-medical-valley-opens-for-business-in-warsaw-22605, (access date: 17^th August, 2021).

[7] https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/central-europes-first-medical-valley-opens-for-business-in-warsaw-22605, (access date: 17^th August, 2021).

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