Innovation Journey

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Turning an idea into reality will require an established innovation process. This process bring you through the different steps to ensure that you are solving the right problems, receiving appropriate and sufficient resources to realize the innovation. In SingHealth, digital innovation goes through a stringent process to ensure its adherence to IT cybersecurity and Data governance Framework. We categorize our innovation journey into three critical phases:

Ideation
Translation
Commercialization

1. Ideation Phase

Before the development of new solutions take place, innovators need to first identify and understand the clinical problems that are associated with their chosen strategic focus area. The process of identifying critical clinical problems requires innovators to utilize observation skills and discover new ways of looking at processes, procedures, and events. The well-observed problem, in turn, provides the basis for describing a need – the fundamental building block of the innovation process.

In the ideation stage, emphasis will be placed on the following:

Addressing specific problems or needs
Identifying unmet user needs or existing pain points
Checking market opportunities for adoption

Cluster Level Ideation Resources

Innovation Seed Grant

Innovation Seed Grant (ISG) is a Academic Clinical Program (ACP) Funding for innovators to get early prototyping funding support for their ideas. ISG aims to kick-start and translate early stage innovation projects into working prototypes which would be used to gather feedback from potential users and test the technical feasibility for potential scalability across the cluster. There are two grant calls a year and all staff, i.e. nurses, allied health professionals, administrators and clinicians are encouraged to participate in collaboration with ACPs.

Sandbox

In the world of cybersecurity, a sandbox environment is an isolated virtual space in which innovators can test out their software codes without affecting network resources. For more information, please contact us at innovate@singhealth.com.sg.

Ideation Programs for Innovators

Innovation Clinics

The Innovation Clinic is run by SingHealth Office For Innovation (SHOFI) to provide a platform for innovators across SingHealth DukeNUS AMC to seek advice from a multi-disciplinary expert panel and validate their ideas to get it off the ground. The clinics facilitate link-ups with relevant avenues of support for the ideas to be further developed. The panel of experts from the various fields such as:

Prototyping
Process re-design
Procurement
IT & Digital Strategy
Technology Scouting

You can read up more on Innovation Clinic here.

Thematic SME Connect Series Events

The SingHealth SME Connect Series is organized by SingHealth Office For Innovation (SHOFI) quarterly to provide SingHealth Innovators with a platform to connect with SMEs in addressing healthcare challenges. The platform also provides an opportunity for local companies to introduce their expertise that can benefit the healthcare community and keep our healthcare professionals updated on the latest tech trends.

You can read up more on SME Connect Series Events here.

2. Translation Phase

The translation phase is about ideating around relevant challenges, based on multiple initial ideas. The selected solutions should be prototyped and taken though validation experiments. Ideally, there would be multiple tested concepts, rapid prototypes and how can your innovation idea be translated into a form that suits patient needs.

In the translation stage, emphasis will be placed on the following:

Testing prototypes
Estimating the sustainability of ideas
Determining appropriate end users and utilization of the innovation

Cluster Level Translation Resources

Clinical System Innovation Main Grant

The Clinical System Innovation (CSI) Main Grant is an initiative under the Academic Clinical Programme (ACP) Funding and co-administered by SingHealth Office for Innovation and Joint Office of Academic Medicine, seeks to provide innovators with funding to catalyse ideas and develop prototypes. There are two grant calls a year and all staff, i.e. nurses, allied health professionals, administrators and clinicians are encouraged to participate in collaboration with ACPs.

AMII Test-Bedding and Adoption Grant

This grant aims to bridge the gap between your validated prototypes and its adoption at your institute or across the SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC and beyond by applying for the Academic Medicine Innovation Institute (AMII) Adoption Grant. Projects seeking support for testing feasibility and test-bedding of their innovations in clinical practice or to bridge the gaps for adoption and implementation of their innovations across clusters can apply for Tier-1 funding support of up to $300,000 or Tier-2 funding support of up to $500,000 for maximum period of 15 months.

Intellectual Property (IP) Advisory

Do you have an innovation that requires that requires IP protection? Do you need an IP strategy to move your innovation towards commercialization?

For more information, please contact SingHealth Intellectual Property (SHIP) at SHIP@singhealth.com.sg.

3. Commercialization Phase

Commercialization is one of our end goals in SingHealth and it is the process of introducing a new product or idea to market – making it available for purchase from licensed vendors or through company spin out. It generates revenue not only for the innovator but also the Institution, generating vital funds to sustain the healthcare ecosystem while simultaneously spreading improvements in patient care.

In the commercialization stage, focus will be placed on:

mapping and identifying the crucial actions to implement for the end user
understanding what the barriers and boosters are for the end user to use your innovation
capture and coordinate the timing and goals of the activities related to launching a new product or service

Commercialisation Resources @ SingHealth

Joint Centre for Technology and Development

The Joint Centre for Technology and Development (JointCTeD) provides innovation and entrepreneurship oversight and resources across the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre. JointCTeD identifies commercialization opportunities, create commercialization pathways, and provide access to funding and development resources for selected health and biomedical technologies within the AMC.

For more information, please contact Joint CTED at cted@duke-nus.du.sg.

Singhealth Intellectual Property (SHIP)

Do you need to access the pipeline of technologies arising from SingHealth? Do you need to seek any potential licensing opportunities in SingHealth?

For more information, please contact SHIP at SHIP@singhealth.com.sg.