For the first time, the Bellvitge Hospital (HUB) is one of the stops of the Innobus, a programme of the Innovation and Knowledge Agency of Baix Llobregat and Hospitalet (Innobaix) and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. For fifteen days, the bus visits leading companies and institutions of the area with the aim of delivering fresh ideas to innovation challenges. On Monday 3 October, the Innobaixers visited the HUB facilities to propose solutions that could have an impact on the citizens’ health.
“At Bellvitge Hospital we are excellent in our areas of expertise, but we are working to achieve a friendlier hospital for users, patients and companions, but also for professionals”, stated Dr Encarna Grifell. The Deputy Manager and Director of Innovation of the ICS’s Southern Metropolitan Territorial Management, has introduced the innovation challenges - which have to do with the human side of the hospital - to the participants.
Thus, based on needs detected from real patient stories, the innobusers team will solve the questions raised by the HUB team by using a fresh perspective. If the proposals are viable, they could even become a reality.
The youngsters taking part in this year's Innobus are hoping that this will be the first step in a motivating professional career. After two weeks on the road, there will be a period of three more weeks of teamwork at Citilab Cornellà. This is when ideas will be defined and challenges will be accelerated, with mentoring and expert support in innovation and project management. Work teams will be created from the different university specialities, so that they are complementary, not only in terms of training but also in terms of working methods.
The finalised proposals will be presented at a Final Event on 4 November in front of the companies and a specialised jury. The team that presents the most appropriate or disruptive proposal will win a trip to a major European capital, where they will visit companies and institutions that stand out for their capacity for innovation.
The HUB joins 20 innovative companies and institutions
Innobus 2022 travels around the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona visiting companies and institutions from different sectors committed to innovation and young talent. All of them open their facilities to these young people with entrepreneurial inquisitiveness so that they can explore the viability of ideas with the aim of achieving social impact.
Bellvitge University Hospital is part of a route that includes large companies such as Damm, Telefónica, Almirall and Alliance Healthcare, institutions such as the Barcelona Port, the Once Foundation, the UGT trade union and the Barcelona Science Park, as well as companies in the technology sector such as Carpel and ETS Tech.
In addition, innobusers will have the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in digital manufacturing at Barcelona New Economy Week, BNEW 2022, organised by the Barcelona Metropolitan Area Economic Development Agency. There will also be training sessions by ProCornellà and the EADA business school, and inspiring talks by representatives of Estoko and Adtel on the route. Finally, the route will travel through the industrial history of the country, with a stop at the Sedó Colony Museum in Esparreguera.