Stories – EIC ePitching with Procurers: NO-FEAR – Sourcing Europe's finest SMEs

The European Innovation Council, together with the Network Of practitioners For Emergency medicAl systems and cRitical care (NO-FEAR), organised another EIC ePitching with Procurers-session on Tuesday, 29 March 2022. Taking place during the NO-FEAR workshop, and co-hosted by SAMUR Madrid, the EIC-backed innovators had the opportunity to pitch their innovative solutions to procurers in the field of medical care.

During the workshop, on the premises of SAMUR (Servicio de Asistencia Municipal de Urgencia y Rescate y Proteccion Civil) in Madrid, Spain, the NO-FEAR project, a pan-European network of emergency medical care practitioners, discussed and confirmed the main lessons observed from COVID19.

During this pandemic, medical practitioners had to face challenges never experienced before, the way health care is delivered had to be changed with the need to reduce staff exposure to ill persons, preserve personal protective equipment (PPE), and minimise the impact on patient surges on facilities. That has forced healthcare systems to adjust the way they triage, evaluate, monitor, and care for patients using methods that do not rely on in-person services.

To meet the ever-changing needs of its members, the NO-FEAR consortium wanted to gain an overview of new innovative products or services as well as possible suppliers in the field of acute medical care. In came the five EIC beneficiaries Aquila, BestHealth4U, EpiGuard, Eyecontrol and Smart Separations.   

After the event, we got together with Ellen Anderson, CEO of Epiguard and Eric Lecarpentier, Head of First Aid at Paris’s biggest hospital APHP, to talk about their experience. 

Epiguard 

Ellen Anderson, CEO of EpiGuard, brought her EpiShuttle all the way from Norway. EpiGuard was founded in 2015 by a group of medical doctors that faced the challenge of managing Ebola patients on the field. After 3 years and 5 million EUR of capital and labour investment, the company has recently launched their EpiShuttle – the world-first hard-top (polycarbonate), reusable SIU, providing complete protection from contagious diseases, without compromising advanced treatment and care to the patient. An EpiShuttle was also used to the benefits of the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, when he was transported in August 2020 in an EpiShuttle to Berlin’s Charité hospital complex, after a suspected poisoning.  

Now, it's EpiGuard’s goal to get the EpiShuttle out there: "We’re not familiar with procurement around Europe, given that we’re a small company. We need to get our name out there and that’s exactly what we are doing today at the EIC Procurers Day". As to what her product, the EpiShuttle, could mean to the attending procurers, she commented that "we believe our product can benefit a lot of people. It has been proven to save the lives of healthcare professionals and through an event like this, we can learn about the challenges in European hospital systems. All in all, very valuable". 

APHP Paris 

Eric Lecarpentier, Head of First Aid at Paris’s biggest hospital APHP, was one of the attending procurers. As to why he attended the event, he commented that "I’m always looking for startups because I need to take care of our logistical platforms and articles for emergency use. I’m always interested to learn about innovative solutions". Although working with startups has not been a challenge per se, finding the right company has proven difficult: "We don’t have the time to scout promising startups and find out what they are doing. In addition, they also don’t know what we are looking for. That’s why an event like today is good for all parties, startups and procurers alike. The EIC is helping us save time with these pitches". 

Interested in EIC Procurers Days?   

Are you looking for opportunities to connect with some of the largest public and private procurers of innovation in Europe? Stay tuned to our events calendar and apply today to take your business to the next level.  

In addition, the EIC is constantly on the lookout for Public & Private Procurers of Innovation with open innovation spirit, interested in integrating innovations coming from startups/SMEs and research projects directly into their business offering, procurement and R&D activities as well as investing in highly innovative companies. 

The European Innovation Council is open to new collaborations with the largest and more innovative public or private companies or institutions in Europe. To join the programme, please apply here.