Bridging the gap between technological innovation and social reality.

Our mission is to advance digital health in ways that promote equity, strengthen caring communities, and reduce social inequalities across the life course.

What We Offer to Research & Innovation Projects

We bring Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) expertise to health innovation, providing a unique capability to address complex global challenges that purely technical approaches often miss.

Our research lies where technological innovation meets healthcare ecosystems, communities, and policy. We find ways for digital solutions to be accessible, trustworthy, and socially meaningful, i.e. developed with communities, not just for them.

Our Role in National & EU Proposals

We help consortia meet EU requirements for SSH integration and social impact by:

• Leading Work Packages focused on solution development, HTA, ethics, public health impact, or user engagement.
• Addressing Implementation Challenges by analyzing stakeholder needs, barriers, and opportunities in real-world care settings.

Our Core Expertise

Our expertise strengthens innovation by bridging the gap between technical development and the human and systemic factors essential for sustainable adoption:

• Value-Based & Inclusive Care Systems: We focus on trust, inclusion, and patient-generated data, emphasizing "caring communities" and the full patient journey from prevention to long-term care.
• Vulnerable Populations & Health Equity: We specialize in the needs of older adults, migrants, and vulnerable groups, viewing access to digital tools as a critical social determinant of health.
• Systemic Impact & Policy Alignment: We look beyond individual users to examine how professionals, organizations, and policymakers collectively shape the impact of digitalization on health and care.

Our Methods Portfolio

Our approach is participatory, interdisciplinary, and collaborative. We offer:

• Co-Design & Participatory Research: Organizing co-design processes and continuous collaboration with end-users and practitioners to ensure relevance and usability.
• Stakeholder engagement: Facilitating dialogue between end-users, policymakers, industry partners, and researchers to bridge the gap between innovation and regulation.
• Socio-Technical Ecosystem Analysis: Investigating how digital transformation interacts with healthy aging, age-friendly communities, and social care institutions.

Our Impact & Value Stream

By integrating Social Sciences and Humanities expertise into health innovation, we provide a unique capability to address complex global challenges. We are working with various international academic partners and organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi), and the European Health Futures Forum (EHFF), as well as leading the Austrian Digital Health and Social Innovation Ecosystem at the Global Health Connector.

Our mission and approach are reflected in a range of national and international projects that address digital inclusion, community-based care, and socially responsible digital innovation.