Millions in funding for digitalization in health research “DigiHealth Austria – Innovation for a digital health future”
FORWIT recommends 11 projects for funding from the Austrian Future Fund (FZÖ) – including the application submitted jointly by FFG, AWS, and LBG (OIS Center). The funding amount is 13 million euro.
FORWIT Recommends Funding of Eleven Projects Worth Around 140 Million Euros. One of these projects is “Digitalization in Health Research and Care: ‘DigiHealth Austria – Innovation for a Digital Health Future’”, jointly submitted by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH (AWS), and the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft (LBG).
The aim of the project is to promote transdisciplinary initiatives in the field of digitalization within the healthcare sector. The consortia intend to bring together stakeholders from research, business, and practice, with a particular focus on involving civil society. Special emphasis is placed on Open Innovation in Science (OIS) and on strategies for the practical application and utilization of research findings.
FORWIT’s Justification (in full):
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is intended to enable fair access to high-quality medical care and make healthcare both efficient and patient-centered while remaining affordable.
The challenges addressed by the proposed project are diverse. A key prerequisite for the successful deployment of AI systems in healthcare is the availability and usability of data. Successes in this research program are therefore closely tied to consistent improvements and expansions in data access.
The collaboration between the three submitting funding organizations, each contributing their specific competencies and experience, can make a significant contribution. This is especially true when seeking and developing solutions that address the complexities at the interfaces between research, application, and the market — and when AI is used to enhance the meaningful use of data.