The Microsoft innovation Center Entrepreneur Bootcamp
They’re off! In all, 15 hopeful providers of innovative IT projects (web, IP TV, mobile technologies) have been selected (instead of the 8 initially scheduled) to take part in this first training camp organised by the MIC in conjunction with the Maison de l’Entreprise. This bootcamp, which kicked off on Monday 14th September and is due to run until 23rd November, is designed to nurture and grow these 15 projects in a number of different areas: business, marketing, technology, etc.
Over a period of 10 weeks, the entrepreneurs involved, who were all recruited based on an application file submitted by them to attend the bootcamp, will be undergoing a range of intensive training (courses, individual guidance and supervision, meetings with experts, investors, etc.) during which they will not only be given the opportunity of attending 10 full-day sessions of top-quality training with industry specialists, but they will also be monitored individually by experienced coaches and meet a range of experts from the outside (senior managers, investors, advisory board, etc.) who are in a position to help drive their projects forward. Participants will also have access to the MIC’s considerable infrastructure (classrooms, meeting rooms and prototyping areas, Internet access, servers, etc.). They will even be able to set up their office in a work area specially designed for them. Of the 15 projects being given this opportunity to develop through the efforts of the Entrepreneur Bootcamp, more than half are involved in e-health.
Here is a brief look at some of them:
- iMobiMed: development project designing a Mobile & Web Surgery application for the medical sector. Based on their appointment schedule derived from a number of different sources (call centre, surgery, private and hospitals), practitioners receive a diarised list of appointments on their PDA, TabletPC or miniPC, merged with the various DMIs. When required (such as for an emergency), they can also download files or patient records directly. Those documents used most frequently (prescriptions, etc.) can be printed out when they are with the patient. The ‘surgery’ is hosted on the Internet and can be called up from anywhere using an Internet browser. Space maintenance is handled by the hosting provider. Say goodbye to the hassles of updating data, installation and backups on a local PC!
- Giroplan: Winner of the top prize in the medical category at the International Inventions Show in Geneva, Giroplan is a comprehensive, effective and portable new-generation physical rehabilitation tool.
Designed to be the must-have companion of every physiotherapist, Giroplan represents an excellent commercial opportunity. The project creator and provider is seeking seed capital funding and the backup of an entrepreneur-manager.
- Keep-In-Touch has set itself the goal of developing a range of interactive services aimed at the elderly. These services combine assistance for day-to-day activities (interactive diary, communication and multimedia) and support for care in the home (coordination, monitoring and personalised coaching). They can be accessed using a multimodal system that supports interaction between graphics sound and touch. The project is presented by Suzanne Kieffer, who has a PhD in computing and 6 years’ experience in designing and evaluating multimodal interfaces. Funding has been provided by the Walloon Region as part of the First Spin-Off programme.
- Ortomax: the aim of this project is to provide a software program that supports the work of physiotherapists in assessing the physio and treatment needs of their patients. In other words, it assists physiotherapists in evaluating the condition of patients by making various specific tests available, helping to make assessments, planning treatment and monitoring patients and their progress. The software also provides a feature for exchanging information with other medical professionals s part of a discussion forum.
In addition, the healthcare sector is changing fast, with today’s society seeking both psychological and physical wellbeing, while being much more aware of the value of its health ‘capital’. In response to these changes, new requirements are appearing for patients who are actively involved in improving and maintaining their own health. With this in mind, we envisage creating a website that enables physiotherapists to obtain information and monitor patients remotely. It will also provide patients with a source of advice about day-to-day hygiene relating to their condition.
- Medical-sphere has set itself the task of designing IT applications aimed at the medical sector (qualified professionals, hospitals and clinics, universities) and more specifically to provide tools for analysing risk and assisting in diagnoses. The solutions proposed enable users to identify the critical risk of a patient and then guide the approach taken to treatment.
These are the aims of the MAX (Medical Algorithm eXpert) application, which is designed to act as a medical assistant capable of making probability computations that define the degree of seriousness and level at which a particular condition or problem appear in a patient. This decision-making aid stores, manages and automates a wide range of medical algorithms that are both accurate and reliable. It also transmits secure information to other sources (medical records, etc.).
Simply by connecting to this Web service application, users can access thousands of evaluation scales and define scores for all medical disciplines. Through its exchange forums, MAX also makes it possible to improve medical practices by pooling the experiences of practitioners from all over the world.
Read more (French): www.mic-belgique.be
New to the Microsoft Innovation Center: what is it?
The MIC is based on the same principles (tools, network, training) as the one in Silicon Valley. It enables us to offer businesses operating, financial and technology-related assistance, while supporting pilot projects. The aim is to stimulate the spirit of enterprise in the region.
At the current time, we are giving priority to businesses operating in the electronic healthcare sector, because these companies all over Europe are faced with immense challenges. Information technology is able to play a vital role in this area.
The three main missions of the MIC are:
To offer training: The MIC wishes to give new software developers the training they need – both technologically and commercially – to help them succeed in their endeavours and make full use of their activities.
To promote cooperation: Successful collaboration between the various players in the marketplace is essential for developing new technologies. This is the reason why the MIC is so eager to promote this cooperation. eHealth has been specially designed for the healthcare sector and is aimed at stimulating cooperation between the Microsoft research department and university researchers in Wallonia.
To encourage innovation: Innovation is the very cornerstone of progress. It is vital that we create the right environment for experimenting with solutions and developing pilot projects. By creating a test environment that makes it possible to achieve all of these aspirations, the MIC aims at facilitating innovation itself.
To find out more about the Microsoft Innovation Centre in Mons or to take advantage of the assistance on offer, please contact Ben Piquard benoitp@microsoft.com
