Winners of the HSE-HIHI Spark Ignite Innovation Competition

The Health Innovation Hub Ireland and the HSE’s Spark Innovation Programme concluded their HSE-HIHI Spark Ignite Innovation competition with a national final.

The Spark Ignite programme 2021 is open to all 115,000+ HSE staff across all disciplines and departments. The overarching goal is to help the staff in the health service with a solution to a problem or challenge or unmet need in healthcare, validate that need and determine if a market exists for their solution or service,

This opportunity for the HSE staff supported by the commercial and industrial experience of the HIHI team to develop and promote their ideas. Over 180 applications with these innovative ideas in healthcare were received from HSE staff throughout the nation.

Following a rigorous review, 36 finalists were chosen to go forward to a bespoke HIHI innovation workshop delivered by Donncha Hughes of Start-up Hughes and is supported by Local Enterprise Office Galway. All of the winners receive continued mentorship and guidance from HIHI to develop their idea further and avail of the bespoke HIHI Innovation pathway.

The finalists received mentorship from the HIHI mentor panel to bring their innovative ideas and solutions towards reality, and to prepare them for pitching at regional competitions. Regional pitching finals were associated with each of three HIHI offices, Cork, Dublin and Galway.

The 12 finalists in each region pitched to a panel of experienced judges to win funding for the development of the implementation of their idea. The judging panel consists of experts from industries, venture investment, Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland, public and private healthcare, and academia.

Each regional final awarded five prizes, Best Individual Applicant Overall, Best Team Applicant Overall, both winning €3,000 and then there are also three €1,000 runner-up prizes. The best individual applicant overall and best team applicant overall from each region qualified for the National Final on the 16th of June.

The winner of the national final for the individual and team category received a further €2,000 toward their innovation. The Spark Ignite initiative is funded by the HSE’s Spark Innovation Programme, a collaboration between the Office of the Nursing and Midwifery Services Director, National Doctor Training and Planning, the Health and Social Care Professionals Office, and the Quality Improvement Team.

This Year’s Winners of the Spark Ignite Competition

The best individual overall winner of HSE-HIHI Spark Ignite Innovation competition 2021 was Aoife Collins, a Senior Physiotherapist and Coordinator of Active Back Care Program in the Physiotherapy Department, Cork South Lee PCC, HSE with “The Rapid-Access Online Active Back Care (ABC) Program”. Aoife plans to adapt and deliver her existing award-winning, evidence-based, group-rehabilitation program online via a customisable platform, provided by Salaso Health Solutions.

The best overall team winner was Dr. Kevin Deasy and Dr. Marcus Kennedy with?”Remote Learning in Bronchoscopy using a Low-Fidelity Airway Simulator”. They plan to develop a low coast flat-pack bronchoscopy and pleural ultrasound kit for home assembly and remote learning, their goal is to make a well-researched simulation program encompassing real-world and distance learning through remote video platforms using this flat-pack simulator.

On receiving the award Aoife Collins said, “I am delighted to win the prestigious Spark Ignite National Award on behalf of The Physiotherapy Department in Cork South Lee Primary Care. To be shortlisted in such a competitive contest has given me the confidence to believe in my innovation and drive it forward. Winning this competition has shown me that innovative healthcare is essential to continuously improve HSE service provision and that Spark Ignite offers the support needed to all front line staff to develop their ideas from a spark to their fruition”.

Dr. Deasy and Dr. Kennedy accepted the award saying “We are delighted to be selected as a winner in this national final event and thank the expert panel. All presentations were outstanding and it is an honour to present in the same program. We would like to thank the?HSE-HIHI Spark Ignite Project Group, Health Innovation Hub Ireland, and?Dr. Andrew Cameron NUI Galway/Feeltect for his expertise and mentorship. Finally, we would like to thank our collaborators, Prof. Helen Whelton and Barry O’Reilly, UCC, Prof. Peter Dieckmann, CAMES Copenhagen, Prof. Roberto Casal, Boston Scientific, and Boston Scientific Ireland.”