Advanced Services

The advanced services of the Health-2-Market project are specific and individually tailored services to help researchers move their commercialization cases and ideas a concrete step further towards successful valorisation. They are performed by experts of the H2M project consortium.

By design, the services cover different phases in the valorisation process - a suitable service exists for any project in any stage of its process.

1. 1. Service — Application mapping and highlighting

   With this service, potential areas of application of a project on the market as well as specific examples of application are identified. In addition, the applicability of the invention in identified areas is evaluated and potential partners from industry and science are listed. Results are summarized in a conclusive presentation.

2. 2. Service — Patent evaluation

   With this service, the commercialization potential of individual patents or a patent portfolio is analyzed and its relative value is determined. An evaluation is performed along three critical axes: a) technology (technology advancement, technical sophistication, technology cogency etc.), b) commerce (forward-/backward citation value, enforcement potential, partnering potential, crowdedness, competitive position etc.) and c) legal criteria (novelty, relevancy, claims, invalidities etc.) is performed. Furthermore the most similar patents can be ranked by relevancy, facilitating the identification of potential patent buyers or licensing partners.

3. 3. Service — Market analysis

   With this service we conduct a market analysis in a technology specific application fields. This helps to narrow down the potential areas of application of a technology to the most promising ones and to give a first insight into the market value of the technology. Applicants receive a qualified recommendation how to further proceed with their project. A minimum of 10 contacts are conducted with relevant experts to discuss any issues with the technology and receive valuable feedback from the market side.

4. 4. Service — Business plan formulation

   With this service, experienced and creative professionals from the H2M team work along with Health Researchers and Entrepreneurs in order to translate their venture into a comprehensive business plan for successful commercial deployment or access to capital. H2M experts help clients to make the best out of this service in order to ensure that their business plan thoroughly assesses and demonstrates in a rigorous manner the commercial viability of the proposed venture. The plan covers all aspects of the business and will typically cover a five year planning period with emphasis on the first 18-24 months.

5. 5. Service — Business plan evaluation

   With this service, the business plan is analyzed in detail and recommendations for optimization are given, taking into account the target group and purpose of the plan (e.g. banks, venture capital, own strategy, etc.). In particular, we scrutinize and check company purpose, problem definition, solution, timing, market size and dynamics, competition, product, business and revenue model, team composition, financials, as we all as overall presentation and layout.

6. 6. Service — European legislation, standardization and certification issues related to medical technology

   This service consists of analyzing the nature (basic characteristics and intended use) of the medical device under question, classifying it according to the directives’ classification, determining the applicable directives / standards / requirements, providing a roadmap (i.e. procedure, costs, time schedules, main production requirements, certification process etc) for the appropriate assessment / certification route and (in more mature cases and for already operational entities) providing support for obtaining certification according to quality management system standards.

7. 7. Service — Support in obtaining further EU funds

   This service aids researchers and entrepreneurs by identifying relevant R&I EU funding, by finding the most appropriate funding action among the relevant EU programmes and subsequently by supporting them in all stages of proposal preparation, e.g. project conception, consortium identification, budgeting, editing and review, etc.

8. 8. Service — Access to finance

   Through this service, the Health-to-Market project users are supported in approaching banks, financial intermediaries, etc. to benefit from new financial facilities that have been introduced by the EU in 2014.

Eligibility criteria

The advanced services are open to any EU-based researcher or entrepreneur planning or undertaking a commercialization of research results in the health sector.

Selection criteria:

The following selection criteria are used to select the winning applications:

Market and team (weight 50%)

• Significant addressed market with plausible entry routes
• Significant potential to improve cost of care, quality of care or quality of life
• Outstanding team with relevant scientific and business backgrounds

Innovation and IP (weight 40 %)

• Results ready to be commercialized
• Firm scientific foundation
• Solid IP (patent application or granted patent, copyright), freedom to operate

Previous EU funding  (weight 10%)

• Previous funding within the framework programme

Each application will be evaluated by at least two commercialization specialists from EU organisations who are members of the Health-2-Market project consortium. All evaluators will declare the absence of a conflict of interest. 

How to apply

The Health-2-Market advanced services are now open for applications — successful applications will be supported by the Health-2-Market consortium free of charge. Selected researchers or entrepreneurs in the health field may thus advance their project through a service performed by an experienced member of the Health-2-Market consortium.

Download the application form (pdf / docx) and send the filled-out form to h2m@engage-ventures.com. Submission is open until 15.2.2015 and operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. The consortium expects to support at least 10 cases.

Each application will be evaluated by at least two commercialization specialists from EU organisations who are members of the Health-2-Market project consortium. All evaluators will declare the absence of a conflict of interest.

For any questions regarding the services or the application process, please also contact h2m@engage-ventures.com.

We are looking forward to receiving your application!