The Young Innovators Competition 2015 (YIC15) is an international contest for young entrepreneurs and start-up companies focusing on new innovative ideas in the field of eHealth and telemedicine. The Competition is part of the European Telemedicine Conference (ETC) 2015.

On 21 October (16:10-17:10) in Odense, three young entrepreneurs will get the chance to pitch their idea and get feedback from healthcare professionals from all over Europe – and maybe win 4.000€ for development of your solution!

The 3 WINNERS

PLAI – (Psychiatric Live Animotion Intervention)

PLAI is an innovative eMentalHealth solution that enables development of social skills and communication through playful interaction between an animated character and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Children with ASD have deficits in social-communication and restricted behavior and interests. The special and restricted interests of individuals with ASD often evolve around technical features and animated characters.

In our solution, a therapist puts on a motion capture suit. The suit registers every movement of his/her body and facial expressions and transfers them onto an animated character in a virtual world (Animotion). The animated character is streamed live to the ASD patients computer and a live recording of the patient is projected back to the therapist. Animotion hereby facilitates direct interaction between a human being and an animated character. Animotion is expected to play a powerful role in eMentalHealth intervention in ASD.

Mindmate – empowering people living with dementia

MindMate is an assistance app which empowers people who live with dementia and their carers. The app is specifically designed for elderly people with the aim to improve the self-management abilities of the users; maintain their independence for as long as possible; and support them in their everyday life.

It provides four different sections:

1. Games
2. Tools
3. Learn More
4. My Wellbeing

MindMate has been designed and optimized specifically for elderly people and is based around world leading research and consultation by University of Glasgow’s Geriatric Medicine department.

The Mobilizing Sling

A solution for rehabilitation of breast cancer patients with side-effects after surgery. Patients often suffer from pain in their shoulder, arm and neck. The breast region feels tight due to scar tissue, they have lymphedema in the arm (abnormal buildup of fluid in soft tissue due to a blockage in the lymphatic system), sensory disturbances in her hands and feet due to the chemotherapy and pain in joints.

Scar tissue can cause pain and restriction in movement, which causes problems in daily life using the arm.  The Mobilizing sling is a product which helps patients work with the scar tissue on their own and to do exercises as a follow-up on the hospital rehabilitation.

So just to sum up: Our product is a shoulder-glove - which you can wear when you are working, sitting in the couch or even cooking.

The mobilizing Sling is a heading and compression pad to use in the area where after-surgery pain is experienced.

Via diodes, the sling will register the body temperature and adjust the heat to the appropriate temperature.

The Jury

• Jordi Piera, Manager Innovation and IT Department, BSA
• Christina Roosen, VP Public Affairs, HIMSS Europe
• Donna Henderson, Service Development Manager, NHS24
• Siri Bjørvig, Section Manager, Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine (NST)
• Simona Abbro, Director International Marketing Communications, UPMC Italy
• Maj-Lis Läykki, Development Manager of Regional Higher Education Network, Tampere University of Applied Sciences Finland (on behalf of Odense University Hospital, OUH)

• Moderation: Kevin Dean, Managing Director, Smart Health Science Limited (LinkedIn profile)

The Organisation Committee