Nour Abbas wins Dalarna Innovation Days Challenge for her innovative spring idea

Dalarna Innovation Days Challenge 2024

Throughout October, entries have been pouring in for the Dalarna Innovation Days Challenge, this year with a focus on health and care. From these 45 entries from all over Dalarna, a competition jury has now chosen three winners who will have the chance to further develop their ideas.
- The topic really engages, so the competition has been tough," says Felicia Dakkour, one of the project managers for the competition.

Dalarna Innovation Days Challenge is an annual idea competition, organized by Dalarna Science Park. The host for the 2024 edition is Region Dalarna.

- "The aim of this year's competition is to identify and highlight innovative ideas that can improve people's health and care," says Jacob Ode, who shares the project leadership with Felicia Dakkour.

Both project managers see great value in collaborating with Region Dalarna and thus reaching out to groups that might not otherwise have paid attention to the idea competition.

- Many of the ideas received are about efficiency improvements and AI, but there are also proposals that focus more on patient well-being and social sustainability. "It's clear that healthcare professionals see the challenges on a daily basis and have thought a lot about different solutions," says Felicia.

Exciting development opportunities

The three winners of the Dalarna Innovation Days Challenge 2024 are Nour Abbas, Marek Czajkowski and Ann-Catrin Hjelte.

- All three have innovative ideas that touch many people, so it will be very exciting to see how this potential can be realized," says Jacob Ode.

The first prize winner, Nour Abbas, will receive business development support for six months and a grant of SEK 20 000 to develop her idea for safer and more efficient blood sampling.

Marek Czajkowski wants to promote better digital collaboration between different regions. He won the second prize and received business development support for three months, while third prize winner Ann-Catrin Hjelte received business development support for 18 hours to develop the idea of an app to facilitate contact between elderly people and their relatives.

For Nour Abbas, winning the competition was as unexpected as it was welcome.

- I really didn't think I would win first prize or have my idea heard in this way! It's really fun and exciting," says Nour, who is studying to be a nurse at Dalarna University and is now doing her internship at Falu Hospital.

Ann Chatrin Hjelte is also delighted with her third prize.

- This is an idea that I have been thinking about for many years. When I was 40, my mother had a heart attack, and since then I have called her every night for 50 years. Now that I'm older myself, I want to make it easier for my own daughter. I loved my mother very much and have a great relationship with my daughter, but I think an app could make it easier so that it doesn't feel like a requirement to call every day," says Ann-Chatrin.

In addition to all competition participants receiving feedback from Dalarna Science Park's business developers, there is also the opportunity for Region Dalarna employees to receive continued support via the region's newly launched innovation loop.

- In conjunction with the competition, we open the innovation lock and roll out the red carpet for new ideas. Region Dalarna has an inherent treasure in the form of our employees' experience and knowledge," says Björn Äng, Director of Research, Education and Innovation at Region Dalarna.

Another actor working to strengthen Dalarna's innovative power is Sparbanksstiftelsen Dalarna, which here contributes the scholarship funds to the first prize winner.

- The Dalarna Innovation Days Challenge gives us the opportunity to highlight new ideas and innovative entrepreneurs that we so badly need to be able to meet the major challenges of our time," says Kjell Grundström, Chairman of Sparbanksstiftelsen Dalarna.

Dalarna Innovation Days Challenge 2024 - results

1st prize: Nour Abbas, Falun

Business development support for six months and a grant of SEK 20 000.

The idea is to make blood sampling safer and more efficient by moving some of the equipment from the blood collection trolley to a device that can be worn close to the body.

Jury's motivation: Blood sampling is a key part of healthcare, but shared blood trolleys in many departments create inefficiencies, delays and unnecessary waiting time. At the same time, these trolleys pose a safety risk, especially in psychiatry, where dangerous objects like needles can fall into the wrong hands. The person behind this idea has developed a solution that both reduces waiting times and increases efficiency, while improving safety for healthcare workers and patients. This innovative contribution clearly demonstrates how practical experience and innovative thinking can solve real challenges in healthcare.

2nd prize: Marek Czajkowski, Avesta

Business development support for three months.

The idea is a digital service that offers support in the transfer of care contacts for patients and care recipients when changing municipality or region, for example.

Jury's motivation: "In today's society where people move more often than before, a challenge arises when healthcare systems do not keep up. The lack of coordination between regional, municipal and healthcare provider systems means that many patients risk falling through the cracks when moving to a new home. This idea addresses the problem of disconnected care by offering a solution for proactive handovers, creating continuity and security for patients. This innovation creates the conditions for care to become more coherent and person-centered.

3rd prize: Ann-Catrin Hjelte, Säter

Business development support for 18 hours.

The idea is to create an app for elderly, healthy and alert people living alone to easily let their relatives know on a daily basis that they are well. The app allows the person to report that they are healthy. If there is no response, a warning is sent to relatives.

Jury's motivation: The demographic development in Sweden shows that we are getting older and that more people live alone. While home care focuses on those who are ill, there is a large group of older people who are healthy and independent, but live with anxiety due to the lack of daily contact with family and friends. This idea meets an important need by providing security and reducing loneliness for older people living alone, thereby contributing to the quality of life and well-being of a growing group in society.