Second Workshop on Health Care Sector

The location analysis presented in December 2015 on the health care sector in the Region Regensburg, commissioned by the City of Regensburg through BioPark Regensburg GmbH, demonstrates the opportunities and potential for the City and the region in this field of growth (also see Press Release No. 162). One of the recommendations for action in the location analysis was the compilation of a "Health Care Sector Masterplan" for Regensburg and the region.

 

"To set the content-based cornerstones for the Masterplan in the various subject areas, we have set up a workshop series", stated Dr. Thomas Diefenthal, Managing Director of BioPark Regensburg GmbH, where the second workshop took place on the 9^th of September. Together with the experts from the various stakeholders in the healthcare sector in Regensburg and the region, the contents of the masterplan are developed in the workshops.

 

While the first workshop at the end of July had its focus on the subject area "cell therapy and oncology" (see also Press Release No. 171), this time the fields of "digitalization / e-health / telemedicine / medical technology" were on the workshop agenda. Once again, representatives from the university hospital and the various other hospitals, university and research institutions as well as from government and administration (see figure 1 on page 2) attended the workshop to discuss and align on their future visions for these subject areas.

 

"Digitalization, e-health, telemedicine and medical technology – these are the fields with great potential for healthcare in general as well as in the region of Regensburg", explained Dr. Oliver Müller, author of the location analysis and Partner in the field of Pharma & Health at Detecon International GmbH, who supports the workshops and the process for development of the masterplan with his consulting team. Detecon is a consulting company active worldwide, which unites classical management consulting with great digital technology expertise. As a subsidiary of T-Systems, Detecon is a part of the Telekom Group and merges business and technology perspectives into a consistent digital change journey for its clients.

 

"On the subject of digitalization, we are working closely together with our sister center TechBase", added Thomas Diefenthal from BioPark. TechBase is currently coordinating the digital start-up center in Upper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) and houses the Bavarian clusters for IT Security and IT Logistics. Both cluster managers as well as the representative of theBavarian Initiative Gesundheitsregion PLUS from the Department of Health in the Administrative District of Regensburg participated in the workshop in order to identify the manifold interfaces regarding healthcare matters.

 

"Three more workshops are planned until the end of the year", explained Oliver Müller describing the further way forward. "For October, we are arranging a workshop on the broad topic of "the ageing society" and want to discuss how the region of Regensburg can be a model region regarding the care for an increasingly ageing population. Here, the topics span from treatment and medical care to living and mobility. In view of the demographic change and a lack of doctors in the rural areas, the masterplan for healthcare is to demonstrate how Regensburg and the region wish to prepare for this future." In November and December workshops are to follow on the topics "Skilled Employees & Training" as well as "Location Marketing & Business Development".

 

"Our goal is to present the final masterplan in autumn 2017. The document shall contain an overview of the potential as well as initial recommendations for action", added Thomas Diefenthal. The State of Bavaria is very interested in the process, too. As Dr. Diefenthal reported in the workshop, BioPark has just received the positive notice on a grant decision on the project "Promotion of Healthcare in Regensburg/ Cluster". Thereby, the State of Bavaria is financing the two positions created for this purpose at BioPark Regensburg GmbH as well as materials for the first three years to support the activities.