Madrid, April 2, 2020 - It is in times of difficulty that the skills of innovation, development and unity are put to the test. It is in this context that Beat the Vid (https://beatthevid.opinno.io/) is born, an initiative with the desire to bring together the health and innovation ecosystem in order to provide a response not only to the current challenges arising from the emergency generated by the coronavirus, but also to future challenges. The aim is to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of all citizens, while helping the health system return to normal as soon as possible after the end of the current crisis.
Xavi Contijoch, one of the promoters of the platform and director of Opinno Barcelona, stresses that "we are currently going through one of the biggest humanitarian crises we have faced in decades, and it has brought out the best in each of us. Beat the Vid is our grain of sand in this struggle, as all our access to the health ecosystem has been made available to the initiative in order to define the challenges of today, but also of tomorrow. To this end, we have had the full support of the most important players in the sector: health professionals, hospitals, the pharmaceutical industry and public institutions".
Beat the Vid was created with the mission of help to organize and analyze initiatives so that they can be channeled to the most appropriate interlocutor. To support the implementation of the various projects, apart from Opinno as an agent of innovation, Beat the Vid has the support of several partners who have been key in articulating the initiative: the global pharmaceutical company Novartis, the insurance company Grupo Catalana Occidente and the media support of MIT Technology Review in Spanish. In addition, it aims to actively involve other companies, public institutions and hospitals to ensure that all areas of need that may arise in the projects generated are covered. These allies within the health sector are essential to help validate the challenges and solutions that the ecosystem is presenting and ensure that they are valued in the appropriate channels and forums and, therefore, are effectively implemented. Currently, the challenges identified for the initiative are as follows:
- How to define the new normality, which we will live after the coronavirus, in health care environments
- How to help prevent or prepare for future health crises
- How to make further diagnoses of COVID-19 cases
- How to ensure basic treatment for all patients
- How to follow up with patients accurately and efficiently
- How to help supply basic materials to all health infrastructures
For whom is Beat the Vid?
Any start-up, company, R&D center, university, individual... the only requirement is that they can respond to a challenge in the short to medium term. With this premise, Beat the Vid makes a call to action to all collaborators who can provide solutions to the challenges posed for the use of the platform and together achieve the welfare of the community. Similarly, the initiative is open to adding new partners or allies who can bring value to the platform, the aim is to unite the efforts of all.
