January 28th, 2020
Challenge for a Nice Life, the health innovation contest led by the City of Nice and the European City of Health Innovation.
The context:
Over the last decade, the French Riviera has gained international recognition in launching new promising initiatives in the field of healthcare. This is the meaning of the vast program “Nice, European City of Health Innovation”, supported by the City of Nice and the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis. Thanks to the emulation of local actors, Nice now hosts places dedicated to the community of solution providers. They can appreciate, in vivo, the impact of their innovations on citizens, residents, and patients. These innovations can be tested in a dynamic ecosystem including care and nursing homes, within the University Hospital or in Alzheimer special care units and even at the “27Delvalle’ connected healthcare building.
The concept:
The City of Nice has launched the Challenge for a Nice Life, a contest to promote innovative health solutions, facilitating meetings between solution providers on the one hand (startups, associations, laboratories) and sponsors on the other hand (companies, foundations). The former will benefit from the sponsorship of the latter in the development of their project, by a financial and / or technological support for one year. This contest is structured around challenges, meeting the priorities of the territory in the field of health.
The first edition focused on the six following challenges:
- « Cancer », sponsored by the « Région SUD », the « CRES PACA » and the « Canceropôle PACA».
- « Ageing », sponsored by Berger Levrault.
- « Artificial Intelligence and Precision Medicine », sponsored by Microsoft.
- « Caregivers », sponsored by AG2R La Mondiale.
- « Fall risk prevention », sponsored by the EIT Health consortium.
- « Mental health and post-trauma », sponsored by the « Fondation de France ».
As part of AgeingFit:
As part of the AgeingFit event, Eurasanté and the City of Nice join forces to organise the final stage of the Challenge for a Nice Life: the restitution event on Tuesday afternoon, January 28.
This closing sequence will complete an unprecedented work cycle between sponsors and winners, during which each pair will be able to present the fruit of their collaboration in an original, entertaining and interactive way. On this occasion, it will also be an opportunity to present the prospects for the development and deployment of these innovative solutions in the region, and to answer questions from the public on the expected benefits for the citizen.
This event, which is aimed at citizens, representatives of the local ecosystem and health professionals, will feature the following solutions:
- ExactCure and its Digital Twin: a personalized health solution that helps to fight against inappropriate medications. The Digital Twin simulates the effectiveness and interactions of drugs in an individual’s body based on personal characteristics (age, weight, kidney status, etc.). The patient gains autonomy to avoid underdoses, overdoses and drug interactions, in close collaboration with his health professionals. After winning the challenge, ExactCure joined the Microsoft for startups program.
- Manureva Respite: As a social innovation startup, Manureva wishes to offer a turnkey solution for respite stays for carers and their vulnerable loved ones. It has made access to respite its priority, relying on a network of senior residences and tourism, while allowing carers and their families to leave together. This is made possible by the concierge service, administrative assistance and homelessness of care at the place of stay. Testimonials from caregivers will complete this restitution.
- Cottos Medical and its Cycléo Mob solution: after refining its strategy thanks to its sponsorship, the Cottos Medical team will present its product to the general public: a bicycle ride simulator for seniors and people with reduced mobility, mainly for the establishments that host them. Cycléo allows users to escape, maintain their physical capacities and social ties, as well as their self-esteem, all in an ergonomic and secure environment.
- The CoBTeK laboratory and its Mood Up application: the observation that people in post-traumatic stress disorder are often far from home when they are suffering from panic attacks, prompted the CoBTeK laboratory to develop a mobile application to help the patient cope with the symptoms when they occur. It is a therapeutic tool of the moment that makes it possible to quickly relieve the patient while being part of a broader psychotherapeutic approach.
- The fragility platform of the Nice University Hospital is developing a simple and effective “fragility test”, designed to free itself from current expensive equipment, to estimate the risk of falling among vulnerable people and optimize its management. To meet the demographic need, these tests are intended to be transposed to a digital application and thus be referred to as many patients as possible. All this was developed in close collaboration with the entire medical community.
- The “Sourire à la Vie” association: the association designs and implements an interactive journey for hospitalized children with cancer. It is a cultural stroll, via virtual reality, in different sites in Nice and in connection with others pupils on the field who guide hospitalized children. This project helps to break the social isolation of children while strengthening their physical activity through digital technologies and virtual reality.
This report concluded an unprecedented work cycle, but will be repeated as part of the launch of the 2nd edition of the Challenge for a Nice Life, which will be held in 2020.
