EIT Health, a network of best-in-class health innovators supported by the European Union’s European Institute of Innovation and Technology, is expanding into Ireland.
The network, which includes approximately 150 partners, collaborates across borders to deliver new solutions that can enable European citizens to live longer, healthier lives. EIT Health is strengthening its existing base with the new hub in Ireland and Bluemetrix, a Cork-based full-service data solutions company, will be joining the network.
Growth in partners from the UK is also planned following the announcement of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement on 24 December, 2020. While the terms remain to be negotiated and ratified, the Draft Protocol of the ‘Joint Declaration on Participation in Union Programmes and Access to Programme Services’ indicates the UK’s continued association with Horizon Europe.
Health innovation
According to Christina Petris, Managing Director of EIT Health Ireland-UK, the move will support current partners and attract a new cohort of organisations in business, research, education, and healthcare delivery to drive innovation.
Petris said: “This increase in locations will bring a wealth of advantages to the network and Ireland’s ecosystem alike.
“As we look to expand and grow in both regions, our local team can support partners, connecting them with other innovators across Europe to drive collaboration on projects that have the potential to transform healthcare and deliver real value for patients.”
“We are delighted to be joining EIT Health at this exciting time as it expands in Ireland. We are currently supplying innovative data lake solutions to the NHS on their COVID-19 data, with a particular focus on making this data available to researchers who are investigating solutions to the pandemic,” says Liam English, CEO of Bluematrix.
“We are looking forward to working with the existing network of EIT Health partners in Europe, to further drive innovation in this area and help bring advanced data solutions to the healthcare space.”
Graham Armitage, UK Partnership Development Lead for EIT Health Ireland-UK, added: “We continue to be committed to growing and supporting current and new UK partners, who play an instrumental role in developing innovations that have societal impact and improve lives.”
