Health Innovation Hub Aargau partners with Venture Leaders Medtech

29.05.2024 10:45, Rita Longobardi

In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare innovation, collaboration is key. Health Innovation Hub Aargau proudly announces its partnership with Venture Leaders Medtech, which represents a big step towards promoting innovation in Baden and beyond.

Launched in 2023 as a pilot project by Baden Cantonal Hospital (KSB), in collaboration with the economic promotion organization of the Canton of Aargau and the City of Baden, the Health Innovation Hub Aargau aims to encourage advancements in Digital Health, Medtech, Pharmaceuticals, and Healthcare. Read the interview with Marjan Kraak, Project Manager at Health Innovation Hub Aargau.

Marjan Kraak, who holds a PhD in Biotechnology from ETH Zurich, is a senior executive passionate about guiding startup teams to market their products and build successful businesses. With extensive experience in entrepreneurship, technology transfer, industry, and academia, she has over a decade of expertise in Biotech and Diagnostics. Previously shaping entrepreneurship at ETH Zurich for nine years, she now drives innovation in Medtech and Healthtech at the Health Innovation Hub Aargau. Additionally, as an Innosuisse Special Coach, she assists entrepreneurs in negotiating IP licenses with university technology transfer organizations.

Hello Marjan. Can you tell us how the Health Innovation Hub Aargau supports startups in the healthcare sector?
Thanks to our recently launched initiative Health Innovation Hub Aargau, the startups will be able to find a single entry point for partnerships in Health and innovation with quick solutions; they will be supported with easy access to the clinic at Baden Cantonal Hospital (KSB). Startups can also count on the support from a strong industrial and economic canton, including the city of Baden, with a dynamic attitude and best conditions for future-oriented industries such as Health and Medtech. In 2017 ETH Zürich and KSB started a long-term partnership and students from ETH Zürich doing their bachelor in medicine are coming regularly to Baden to build up their clinical expertise. This partnership also covers clinical research collaborations and exchanges between the clinical trial unit (KSB) and the digital trial intervention platform (ETH), generating opportunities for startups and other stakeholders.

How do you envision the partnership with Venture Leaders Medtech contributing to the goals of Health Innovation Hub Aargau?
We are creating awareness for the initiative and want to ensure that startups and other stakeholders get to know the initiative and the opportunities offered in the Canton of Aargau. We are very much looking forward to the exchange with the candidates of the Venture Leaders Medtech program. We are already in discussions with several startups and it’s not a surprise that most of them participated in this very supportive program. Startups usually appreciate the exchange with us and the uncomplicated and easy way to interact with people from the clinic, the city and the canton.
 
Could you share some insights into the annual networking event "Über den Tellerrand" and its significance for the Health and Medtech scene in the Baden region?
The successful format “Über den Tellerrand” has been continued since 2024 as part of “Health Baden”, one of the six thematic areas under Baden 4.0. One driver of innovation is the close exchange with other companies from different sectors. The next “Über den Tellerrand” event will focus on the topic "Development of the Health, Medtech, and Life Science scene at Baden-Dättwil". This city area already has several Life Science and Medtech companies such as Varian, a Siemens Healthineers company, Dectris, a mature PSI spin-off, and Axon Lab, and together with the Baden Cantonal Hospital this will grow even more into a Health and Medtech hub. Other networking events organized with the Health Innovation Hub Aargau are the “Life Science Frühstück” and “Health & Hot Dogs”.

ETH Zurich, Varian, and Cantonal Hospital Baden representatives giving insights during a "Health & Hot Dogs" event at Health Innovation Hub Aargau

How does the Health Innovation Hub Aargau contribute to the "International Business Location Baden 4.0" initiative?
“Health Baden” is one of the important thematic areas of Baden 4.0. Thanks to the clear focus of the city with “Health Baden” we are fully supported in building up the “Health Innovation Hub Aargau”. Other focus areas of Baden 4.0 are “Energy Baden” and “Digital Baden”, which may also be of high interest to deeptech startups in these areas.

What are your hopes for the future of healthcare innovation in Baden, and how does the Health Innovation Hub Aargau play a role in realizing these aspirations?
We will steadily build up the initiative, integrate more partners in and outside Canton Aargau and we will become the important Health and Medtech hub for startups and companies in the region. People in industry, investors, and researchers all know Zurich and Basel as hot spots for life sciences, research and innovation. If you follow the river from Zurich to Basel, the startups will find a wealth of opportunities in Schlieren, Baden, Brugg, Villigen, and the Fricktal on their way to Basel. Some examples are the Bio-Technopark, Healthtechpark, KSB, Hightech Zentrum Aargau, Technopark Aargau, FHNW, Switzerland Innovation Park Innovaare, PSI, Life Science Cluster-Sisslerfeld, etc.