2nd Patient Innovation Awards/Web Summit

The Patient Innovation (PI) Awards are back!
The ceremony for the second edition will be held at Web Summit 2016, on November 10th, at 2:50pm, at Meo Arena, Lisbon, Portugal.

On November 9, you are all invited to a pre-ceremony - Patient Innovation Awards Forum - to be held at Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, at 6pm, where you will have the opportunity to meet all the laureates and learn their inspiring personal stories. Please register here (it’s free).

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About the Awards

The PI Awards have been established to celebrate the innovators from our community who stood out with the impact and novelty of their solutions. In the first edition of PI Awards we had six laureates. In this second edition, we faced a new challenge of analyzing more than 300 new solutions and reward the ones who, although suffering, find the strength to overcome their health problems and innovate. That’s what is inspiring us all. The Advisory Board of Patient Innovation selected seven laureates. They win the laurels for innovating, sharing and improving lives while facing adversity and challenges.

About the Web Summit

The Web Summit is a major technology event that will take place in Lisbon, for the first time. It presents itself as “Europe’s largest and most important technology marketplace”. It is a meeting place for those interested in how that disruption can transform their businesses and their lives. Patient Innovation is proud to be part of it.

Please meet the seven laureates of the 2nd Patient Innovation Awards and their fantastic innovations at the Web Summit on November 10th, or at Católica-Lisbon School of Business and Economics on November 9th, at 6pm. Here is some info about them.

The Patient Innovation Awards laureates

Michael Seres (UK)

The story: Michael Seres was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of 12. After several surgeries, and because he couldn’t find solutions for his problem, he invented the Ostom-I Alert: a sensor-based device that can be attached to any ostomy bag and is able to send messages via Bluetooth to a mobile app to warn the patient when his bag is close to being full. Please click here to know more.

Giesbert Nijhuis (Netherlands)

The story: Giesbert is a serial patient innovator, which led to a creation of a new award category. Being tetraplegic since he was 26 years old, Giesbert launched his own website, LaesieWorks, where he shares several solutions he created that help him coping with challenges he faces daily due to his condition. Among his many life hacks, Giesbert built a system that allows him to take photos with no hands (1), a system to use his computer while he is on bed (2), and LaesieCushion, cushions for wheelchair users (3). Please click here to know more.

David Day (UK)

The story: David Day’s daughter, Alicia, suffers from Cystic Fibrosis. David developed computer games which are played by using a device that connects breathing tubes to the computer, controlling characters and shapes on screen by exhaling at a certain pressure. Please click here to know more.

Doron Somer (Israel)

The story: Doron’s son, Itamar, is autistic and suffered mistreatment at the hands of a professional caregiver. So Doron invented Angelsense, a personal GPS device designed specifically to keep special needs children monitored. Please click here to know more.

Kenneth Shinozuka (USA)

The story: To prevent his grandfather, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, from wandering alone at night, Kenneth created SafeWander: A wearable sensor designed to send an alert to a caregiver whenever a patient gets out of bed. Please click here to know more.

Pavel Kurbatsky (Russia)

The story: Having worked with disabled children, Pavel wanted to invent something to make their lives better since a young age. When he saw blind people, he thought that it made no sense that they had to navigate in an environment that was not designed for them. So he created a walking talking stick to help blind people navigate. Please click here to know more.

Duncan Fitzsimons (UK)

The story: Duncan created foldable wheels for bicycles. During an exhibition a man in a wheelchair asked Duncan to adapt that concept to wheelchairs. And now these foldable wheels are available for people on wheelchairs. Please click here to know more.

Patient Innovation:
Beyond the Lab European tour

While we are celebrating with our laureates, our Patient Innovation European tour keeps on going!

This European tour consists of “Beyond the lab: The DIY science revolution”, an exhibition about do it yourself innovations. Patient Innovation has seven innovations from its platform on display!

After Bonn (Germany), London (UK), Warsaw (Poland), Ljubljana (Slovenia), the exhibition is now open at Luxembourg (Luxembourg), Losinj (Croatia), Granada (Spain), and Copenhagen (Denmark). In January 2017, the exhibition will open at our hometown (Lisbon) and eventually it will go to a total of 29 countries.

Patient Innovation (PI) is a nonprofit, international, multilingual, free venue for patients and caregivers of any disease to share their innovations. PI is an initiative by Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics in collaboration with Instituto de Medicina Molecular (IMM).