The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the value of health for economic growth and well-being and, at the same time, the fundamental role of public health.
Against a backdrop of dramatically declining global economic forecasts, the Health and Life Sciences, have shown in recent months reactivity, organizational capacity, openness to collaboration and, once again, scientific excellence. All this for the benefit of an ever-increasing quality of life and of the care offered to citizens.
Forum “Lazio, Smart & Green Health. From smart healthcare management to virtualization of care. The new frontiers of health and the digital models of Industry 4.0 and Digital Twins "
At the amphitheater of Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, the forum entitled “Lazio, Smart & Green Health. From smart healthcare management to virtualization of care. The new frontiers of health and the digital models of Industry 4.0 and Digital Twins ".
During the event, organized by the Lazio Region, there was talk of "Smart & Green Health", in terms of virtualization of care, emergency management, energy efficiency and reduction of environmental impacts, but also of technological innovation, optimization of processes , automation, digitization and the integrated offer of health and tourism services in Lazio.
Lazio is a territory in which the development of Smart & Green Health is strong and a vocation for medical tourism and wellness tourism and can therefore play an even more important role given the excellence of its health ecosystem, to which it must be added the richness of its artistic-cultural and landscape heritage that make the offer unique and distinctive.
The meeting, moderated by Michelangelo Bartolo, Medical Director Territorial and Hospital Telemedicine of the Lazio Region, saw the participation, in the presence and remotely, of experts from the health sector.
Among others: Francesco Vaia, Director of INMI L. Spallanzani, Alberto Eugenio Tozzi, Head of Research Area Multifactorial Diseases and Complex Phenotypes and Telemedicine Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Francesco Gabbrielli, Director of the National Center for Telemedicine and New Assistive Technologies of the National Institute of Health (ISS), Luigi Boggio Commissioner National Cluster of Life Sciences Trade winds - Member of the Presidential Council of Confindustria Medical Devices, Massimo Annichiarico, Regional Director of Health and Social-Health Integration.
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of the role of Telemedicine and the potential for application.
The challenge for the future is to “stay close to the patient by creating new organizational models starting from Telemedicine services”. He said Michelangelo Bartolo.
To respond to the patient's needs during the health emergency "the Lazio Region has activated the emergency teleconsultation services between the peripheral emergency rooms and the main hospitals, an example is the Spallanzani hospital which has the 99% of requests".
In this process of technological innovation the National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" in Rome, developed the project Innovation Smart Center (ISC). A highly innovative and green structure in full compliance with energy sustainability (through the inclusion of photovoltaic panels and piezoelectric floors) and technological innovation (through the use of sensors and artificial intelligence). It includes three main development areas: the existing building, to be redeveloped from the point of view of energy consumption; the new building, to be dedicated to research and experimentation and to be designed considering functionality, technology and environmental efficiency; the park, to be reserved for the free time of doctors and health workers, characterized by the planting of new natural and technological trees.
“The main element of the project, with the person at the center, is a flexible model that adapts to the different needs that may arise according to health emergencies. The new building is located in the central courtyard of the former High Isolation building, originally designed for the Sars-bioterrorism emergency plan ", explained Francesco Vaia.
“The inspiring principles of the project are: technology, through the use of artificial intelligence and robotics; sustainability; scientific innovation, with the inclusion of research centers and advanced experimentation laboratories; digitization, through the IoT applied to medicine; automation, for a more efficient management of resources, times and costs ".
Prof. Alberto Eugenio Tozzi, keynote speaker of the forum Lazio, Smart & Green Health, spoke about the intersection of telemedicine and artificial intelligence. The Bambino Gesù pediatric hospital in Rome is at the forefront of an international project that aims to develop a digital twin aimed at supporting medical processes within the various hospitals. “Thanks to the use of AI algorithms we are able to make more accurate analyzes for patients. With our projects we have connected 500 thousand devices that have allowed us to reach a greater number of data to improve our algorithms. What we are trying to do is eliminate the difficulties in sharing data ”.
National Center for Telemedicine and New Assistive Technologies of the Higher Institute of Health (Iss)
In 2017, the National Center for Telemedicine and New Assistive Technologies of the Higher Institute of Health (Iss) was established in Italy. "Our mission is to conduct, promote and coordinate research and system governance for social and health applications in the field of new information technologies and telemedicine". He said Francesco Gabbrielli.
"We are working to face the new challenges through 3 fundamental points: the first is to develop strategies to improve cyber security in organizations that deal with the health system, the second concerns the study of national and regional legislative developments for a more appropriate regulation to the situation current and that supports digital innovation. The third point is the study of a new evaluation method for telemedicine services according to our National Health System ". Furthermore, “we are working on new medical guidelines relating to telemedicine in collaboration with various Italian scientific societies - he concluded Gabbrielli - We have a consensus group dedicated to providing better telemedicine services in different surgical and medical specialties. The main objective is to define an Italian telemedicine model that is coherent and applicable to the territory but at the same time flexible to regional activities ".
He spoke of the importance of the Life Sciences dimension in Italy (1,789,000 employees and more than 5,000 companies) and of the considerable investment in research and development, a value that produces 10% of Italian GDP. Luigi Boggio. "Our goal is to promote the development of life sciences to improve the health system and the quality of life of patients."
Regarding digital health, prof. Boggio underlined the opportunities of investments in digital solutions and work that the cluster is carrying out with the Ministry of Health. During his speech, Boggio spoke about the regulatory aspects, education and privacy.
During the Smart & Green Health forum Massimo Annichiarico, addressed the issue of health tourism and health mobility in Lazio. Annichiarico illustrated the health facilities that in 2021 recorded the largest number of people from abroad treated in our country. In the first places there are the Policlinico Umberto I, the Child Jesus, the San Camillo, the San Giovanni and the Spallanzani. "This bonus from hospitals that have been able to attract citizens from abroad confirms the health excellence present in Rome as regards the mobility of citizens".
Education and research: Italy protagonist at Expo 2020 Dubai
The closing of Expo 2020 Dubai, the first universal exhibition in Arab territory, is scheduled for March 31st. At Expo 2020 Dubai, the first event in attendance since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Italy was the protagonist with projects, initiatives, laboratories and conferences on training and research.
The balance with the forum “Beyond Expo 2020, Education as Legacy“ which took place in the Italian Pavilion in the presence of the Minister of University and Research, Maria Cristina Messa. On the subject of training, Italy organized and proposed 123 different initiatives at Expo Dubai, from workshops to conferences, aimed at all guests of the Pavilion: students, teachers and researchers from all over the world. Over 4,000 people of 26 different nationalities participated in the 140 educational days.
The event was also an opportunity to take stock of the start-up and first development of research and higher education projects in the Middle East region as a legacy of the Italian participation in Expo 2020 Dubai: the construction of an Arab-Mediterranean campus, of a research and advanced training center for the digitization and reconstruction of cultural heritage and for the artistic and cultural production linked toartificial intelligence and new technologies and a research and advanced training campus on food processing.
"Expo demonstrated how Italy is a leading and attractive country, not only for the beauty of its territory and its cultural heritage, but also for the science and technology it produces and for the excellence of its higher education". The Minister of University and Research said, Maria Cristina Messa. “These months have allowed the our universities, to our research institutions, academies, conservatories to get in touch with the world, conceive and start projects, in line with the initiatives we are carrying out both thanks to national resources and to the investments of NextGenerationEU, with the aim of making Italy increasingly competitive and at the center of the international scene ".
Memorandum Cnr and Ministry of Economy of the United Arab Emirates
In the perspective of a increased cooperation in the field of scientific research and the development of exchange programs and activities between Italy and the United Arab Emirates, the president of the National Research Council (Cnr), Maria Chiara Carrozza, and the Undersecretary of Foreign Trade and Industry at the Ministry of Economy of the United Arab Emirates, Abdulla Al Saleh, have signed a memorandum of understanding. The signing took place in the presence of the Minister of University and Research, Maria Cristina Messa, and the Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri.
“The National Research Council is the largest public research body in Italy and carries out multidisciplinary activities in its own institutes to promote innovation and internationalization of the national research system. This memorandum will establish a framework for the development of collaborative programs and projects of mutual interest to further strengthen cooperation in scientific research. The CNR will make its world of research available to this collaboration, which means more than 8,000 people, with their skills, commitment and ideas ". The words of Maria Chiara Carrozza.
"One of the Emirates' priorities for the next 50 years is building a stronger economy based on knowledge and innovation," he said Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri. "We can explore Cnr ideas and inventions - he added - bring Emirati investors to startups and encourage the private sector to bring their challenges to Cnr, which can provide solutions". Furthermore, "part of the cooperation will concern training - he concluded - through the Italian laboratories where Emirati researchers will be able to go and develop their ideas with their Italian counterparts".
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