How Israel "inserted" startup thinking into hospitals and connected it with academia. Adam Gray from Kaplan Medical Center describes what works in practice—from innovation managers to rapid pilots. We have also summarized lessons for Slovakia on where and how to start.
From idea to solution: process and examples
It often starts with a physician who has an idea but lacks the time and know-how to turn it into a project. The innovation manager therefore attends morning briefings, prompts teams to share ideas, and teaches them an entrepreneurial mindset: an idea is just the start. What follows is rapid validation—meetings, iterations, simple prototypes (e.g., 3D printing), initial tests, and proof of concept. Failure is treated as learning; the goal is to set several "trains" in motion and let the most promising ones reach the destination.
A powerful example came from a "smart apartment" at the university, full of sensors, which was sitting empty. The hospital had patients in rehabilitation, the academics had the technology—the fusion of these worlds created one of the most interesting joint projects. Offshoots are growing around it, more departments are getting involved, and other hospitals are looking for their own versions. Israel also deliberately "injects" external entrepreneurs directly into the hospital environment to map unmet needs—this list of problems is literally a gold mine.
Money, ownership, and advice for Slovakia
The innovation center stands on three pillars: it helps internal teams develop ideas, brings in technologies from outside, and teaches the organization methodologies (e.g., design thinking, working with unmet needs). Funding is a mix—hospital budgets, state grants, resources from academic partnerships equivalent to money, and private investment. Not waiting for the government pays off: first get projects and infrastructure going, then show results and attract support.
Clarity around intellectual property and trust is also important. According to Adam, in hospital and academic environments roughly 60% of the IP typically belongs to the institution, which in return provides legal and patent support through the TTO—transparent arrangements reduce concerns. Projects start with small and inexpensive pilots: for example, a simple patient bracelet with a self-adhesive chip, readable by a phone, quickly managed to reduce the risk of mix-ups in practice. The recommendation for Slovakia is pragmatic: choose one high-quality hospital, install an innovation manager, give them a small budget and two years—the results will create momentum for scaling.
