External Innovation Think Tank (eITT) Exhibition 2022

Proactively drive innovation to improve human life 

From an open call for projects, 5 finalists were chosen out of 300+ applications. The top 3 received awards. Congratulations to all the finalists and winners.

The program would not have reached this development without the support of so many leaders and experts, so with the annual "Special Support Award" our team would like to acknowledge your continued contributions for Innovation Think Tank.

The focus of this year's exhibition was to show the complete pathways for the most prominent diseases (e.g. coronary artery disease, cancer, diabetes etc.), the impact of COVID-19 on them and the possible solutions to solve these challenges. They were in the areas of digitalization, automation, new diagnostic and treatment methods, clinical innovation and process improvements in the healthcare system.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and digitalization being one of the key strategies for Siemens Healthineers, we had modified the format of our ITT exhibition 2020 to a virtual recorded event which included

• Recorded speeches from experts and management representatives from Siemens Healthineers and ITT key collaboration partners showing what we did together in the last years, what our plans for the next year are and how interdisciplinary Innovation Think Tank methodology has been helping in addressing the complex challenges in healthcare (bringing experts, disciplines, locations and healthcare system stakeholders together).
• Virtual tour of the ITT Office and lab giving an insight into our infrastructure, methodology and processes.
• Projects in the following areas by ITT Fellows and members from ITT locations and collaborations worldwide
  • Facts and figures about 12 diseases, chosen based on top economic burden, social impact and mortality
  • How disease pathways get influenced by the challenges from COVID-19
  • Possible solutions to address those challenges in various disease pathways

This format allows you to have a look at the speeches of your choice at any time and disease content in the areas of your interest at any time as well as to share feedback with us.

Twelve diseases that afflict mankind
It begins with unborn children: how can expectant mothers reduce their child’s risk of disease? How can we improve the diagnosis, treatment and the handling of breast cancer, for example? The “Innovation Think Tank” (ITT) has for the first time developed complex treatment plans for twelve diseases which pose the biggest risk to mankind. The core idea: technological innovation. Some treatment plans were presented internationally at the annual external ITT Exhibition on July 11, 2019.
One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. According to the WHO, it is estimated that 627,000 women died from breast cancer in 2018 – that is approximately 15% of all cancer deaths among women. For the patients themselves and their social circle the disease is tragic and traumatic, much the same as many other sometimes fatal diseases. “We want to change that. That's why at ITT we’re analyzing the most difficult points in the treatment paths of the deadliest and most costly diseases over the entire life and disease cycle of humans. This begins in the womb and ends with aftercare,” explains Sultan Haider, founder and head of ITT at Healthineers at this year's Innovation Think Tank exhibition (eITT 2019) in Erlangen.

Basis for joint research and development
He addressed the 130 participants from around 40 international organizations: “We are aware of the problems with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of diseases like breast cancer. Action must be taken, and that’s exactly what we are doing: our response is technological innovations which will help patients, doctors and others involved to prevent the disease or to halt its progress. The technology is available! The important thing now is that all of us - technology companies and start-ups, research institutes and universities - work together to make it operational.” The health system is also groaning under the weight of the worst diseases, says Haider, so much of it is also about reducing the financial burden along the whole treatment pathway. Again, new technologies are the key here.

How do technological innovations help?
They are designed to save time, and therefore money, improve the patient experience and enable access to important information for the doctors, hospital administration or governmental bodies. Specifically, it is about three fields of technology: digital technologies, such as the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), the 5G mobile communication standard, artificial intelligence or Blockchain which we are combining in the treatment pathways with automated solutions – focusing here on robotics and sensors – and clinical innovations such as new diagnostic methods, digital pathology or minimally invasive procedures for example.

Which diseases are being looked at?
Haider’s ITT team have identified twelve diseases whose global burden – both social and economic – is particularly high: