Ten innovative Catalan solutions will receive personalised support to facilitate their entry into the Catalan Health System

A total of 10 innovative solutions from the BioRegion of Catalonia have been selected in the first INNOPASS call and have been awarded the Innovation Passport, which gives them access to a one-year personalised support pathway to facilitate their integration into the public health system.

The selected proposals are: Aims Medical, Aniling, eVISIO, Inbiomotion, LoopDX, MAP-AD Test, Mediktor, MiWEndo Solutions, Reveal Genomics and Signatera.

This call is part of the Programme for Innovation Access to the Catalan Health System (PASS), led by the Department of Health and Biocat. The organisation works with AQuAS, CatSalut and the TIC Salut Social Foundation to accelerate the adoption of innovations with high potential impact on clinical practice, thereby contributing to a more efficient, personalised and sustainable healthcare system.

“With this first call, we are taking a decisive step towards a more innovative, sustainable and outcomes-oriented health system. This programme provides a clear, agile and structured channel for priority innovations to deliver real impact in clinical practice and on citizens’ wellbeing,” said Robert Fabregat, Chief Executive Officer of Biocat.

These initiatives were selected for their technological maturity and their potential impact in priority areas identified by the Catalan Health Service (CatSalut), such as transforming care to make it more efficient, personalised and proactive. This includes improving the management of care processes, coordination between levels of care and the reduction of low-value tasks; promoting diagnostics and treatments tailored to each individual through the use of clinical and genetic data; and using real-time information to anticipate needs, improve safety and optimise resource planning. They also address the need for a more accessible and equitable system across all territories and population groups, as well as the promotion of healthy habits and disease prevention throughout the life course to support active and independent ageing.

In addition, the areas identify the integration of mental health as an essential part of care, ensuring preventive approaches, emotional support and more comprehensive care models for both patients and professionals. Finally, the focus is placed on improving communication between citizens and the health system, strengthening transparency, understanding of clinical information and patient participation in decision-making. Taken together, these lines of action aim to build a more humane, efficient, sustainable and people-centred system.

“The Catalan Health Service considers PASS to be an essential step in strengthening the connection between the innovation ecosystem and the real needs of the public system. The programme enables us to systematically identify solutions aligned with priority challenges and to provide a collaborative support framework that fosters their maturity and impact on clinical practice. The information generated throughout this process will be key to assessing the potential for adaptation and transformation of the selected initiatives within SISCAT,” said Ignasi Carrasco, Director of the Care Area of the Catalan Health Service (CatSalut).

A total of 61 applications were submitted to the call, of which 59 were accepted, demonstrating the high level of interest and maturity of the country’s innovation ecosystem. The selected solutions have high potential for clinical, organisational or social impact and are aligned with the priority areas of the Catalan health system.

“From AQuAS, we have contributed to assessing these proposals based on their potential for real impact on clinical practice. The quality and maturity of the selected solutions reflect the strength of the Catalan innovation ecosystem and will enable us to move towards a more efficient, sustainable and people-centred health system,” said Sandra García-Armesto, Director of AQuAS.

A diverse call with high level of maturity 

The call has highlighted the richness and diversity of the BioRegion’s innovation landscape—the life sciences and health ecosystem of Catalonia—with a wide range of mature solutions focused on the real needs of the health system.

The proposals received included medical technologies (44%), digital health solutions (44%), innovations in care processes (7%) and biotechnology (5%). Regarding the profile of participating organisations, startups and spin-offs accounted for the largest share (54%), followed by SMEs (22%), healthcare providers (12%), large companies (5%), and research centres and universities (7%). This clearly reflects the public–private collaboration that drives the ecosystem.

In terms of innovation maturity, almost half of the solutions (48%) are at TRL 7, while 25% have already reached TRL 8 and 27% are at TRL 9, ready for implementation. In addition, 45% of the technological proposals already have CE marking, reinforcing their readiness to access the market and the public health system.

The geographical distribution of applications shows a high concentration in the province of Barcelona (85%), followed by proposals from Girona (9%), Tarragona (4%) and Lleida (2%).

Pilot experiences  that consolidate the PASS support model

Before the launch of the INNOPASS call, companies such as Able Human Motion, Doctomatic, GoodGut, Rob Surgical, acceXible, MiMARK, Time is Brain and OneChain Immunotherapeutics had already taken part in the testing phase of the PASS Support Unit, reporting very positive feedback on the experience and the impact achieved. These initial collaborations made it possible to validate the support model and adapt it to the real needs of innovative organisations in the health sector.

As a notable example, ABLE Human Motion has integrated its robotic exoskeletons into six public hospitals in Catalonia through its participation in a public procurement procedure, in line with current public sector procurement regulations. Participation in the PASS programme has enabled the company to strengthen its technical and strategic capabilities to compete in public purchasing processes, facilitating the deployment of its technology in centres within the Catalan public health system.

PASS is a direct response to long-standing challenges faced by Catalonia, a territory with a vibrant innovation ecosystem and a growing capacity to create startups and spin-offs. However, the uptake of these innovations has been limited by the lack of efficient mechanisms and connections. The programme aims to reverse this situation and ensure that the most promising innovations reach patients more quickly and efficiently.

List and description of the 10 innovative solutions selected

Aims Medical: has developed artificial intelligence software that automatically analyses clinical records to detect the risk of dysphagia in hospitalised older patients, improving patient safety and nutritional status.

Aniling: offers a comprehensive genomic and epigenomic solution that improves diagnosis, prognosis and treatment selection for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).

eVISIO: provides a digital platform to carry out automated visual examinations in primary care, facilitating screening and efficient referral to specialists (ophthalmologists or optometrists).

Inbiomotion: develops the MAF Test, a precision medicine diagnostic tool for breast cancer that predicts the risk of bone metastasis and guides oncologists in the use of adjuvant therapies.

LoopDX: develops SeptiLoop, a rapid diagnostic solution that enables early identification of sepsis risk by analysing the patient’s functional immune response, thereby accelerating therapeutic decision-making in emergency departments and intensive care units.

MAP-AD Test: ADmit Therapeutics proposes the MAP-AD Test, an in vitro diagnostic tool that uses novel blood-based biomarkers and an artificial intelligence algorithm to predict early progression of Alzheimer’s disease in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Mediktor: offers an artificial intelligence–based medical assistant that performs accurate symptom triage to direct patients to the most appropriate level of care, optimising healthcare resources.

MiWEndo Solutions: has developed a medical device that combines microwave imaging and artificial intelligence to improve polyp detection during colonoscopies, enhancing colorectal cancer prevention.

Reveal Genomics: markets HER2DX, a molecular test for HER2-positive breast cancer that predicts the risk of recurrence and therapeutic response, helping to personalise treatment and avoid unnecessary toxicity.

Signatera: Palex Medical’s Signatera product provides a highly sensitive liquid biopsy technology to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) in solid tumours, which is key to anticipating relapse and supporting informed clinical decision-making.

Source: press release from the Departament de Salut