Top Data Science & Healthtech Finland – Ecosystem Boosting Applying AI to the Healthcare sector
Top Data Science has developed specialized AI solutions to the Healthcare industry since the company’s establishment in 2016. One of the first projects was the ‘Cancer-AI’ project which was started as a research collaboration with the HUS hospital oncological research group.
The research driven approach has been a great way to enter the healthcare industry with AI technologies. With this approach the company was able to focus on the scientific and technical aspects of the industry step-by-step, as well as learn healthcare specific requirements like regulatory affairs. Since those days Top Data Science has executed many research driven co-creation projects with other clinics and cancer types. The outcome is a state-of-the-art modular medical imaging AI application suite.
Health technology is a rapidly growing industry both globally and in Finland. It is also one of the fastest growing high-tech export sectors in the country. The growth of international business has been led by companies like GE Healthcare and Planmeca, followed by a group of Healthtech companies that are pioneering in applying new technologies to the industry.
Healthtech Finland is a leading community and influencer in the Finnish Healthcare sector. The organization supports the growth and internationalization of companies by providing services that take into account the specific characteristics and requirements of the industry.
“We foster our industry’s growth and collective knowledge by being a platform for cooperation. Our membership covers a wide range of disciplines within the Healthcare sector from laboratory equipment to diagnostics, monitoring, image analytics and various digital services.”, says Saara Hassinen, CEO of Healthtech Finland.
“The health industry as a whole uses the latest technologies, including industrial internet or the internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics as well as expert services associated with clinical research and regulations, for example.”, highlights Saara. “One nominating factor for our member companies and organizations is the focus on innovation and at the same time high criteria for responsibility. It makes this work both exciting and very meaningful.”
Top Data Science has been a Healthtech Finland member since 2017. In 2018, Timo Heikkinen, CEO and co-founder of the company was elected to Healthtech Finland Board. “We were probably the first dedicated AI company member at Healthtech Finland. At the same time we were working with some of the large healthcare corporate members and the HUS hospital co-creating AI based solutions for them. It has been a great privilege to be a board member and get to know the industry and regulatory affairs more closely. Furthermore, as a board member and company participant in the HTF working groups, we have got many good contacts and networking opportunities. I strongly recommend the membership to other healthcare startups.”, states Timo Heikkinen CEO of Top Data Science.
Covid-19 pandemia has naturally had and will have a major impact on the society and the Healthcare sector, it being in the center of this vast challenge. “It seems that there is a high demand for hospital equipment especially for intensive care as well as for testing and diagnostics solutions due to global pandemia. One of the rare positive outcomes of the Corona situation has been the improved readiness for individuals and communities to start using digital services. I hope that these advancements will enable the Healthcare personnel also in the future to focus more on medical treatment and care itself instead of routine work.”, Saara Hassinen states.
Top Data Science has responded to the Covid-19 situation by intensifying the collaboration with long-term research partners in order to develop high sensitivity, precision and high-throughput application for detecting SARS-CoV-2 virus. “The very promising results and outcome of this collaboration will be published in the very near future. We will expand this AI co-creation model with hospitals and leverage our existing medical imaging AI and digital test applications to help patients get better and faster diagnosis”, highlights Timo.
“Top Data Science is a great example of a Healthtech Finland member company that is providing new technology solutions to the Healthcare industry. We are very happy to support our member companies through the ecosystem work that benefits us as citizens, the community and Finnish economy.”, Saara concludes.