Twente is building a hospital of the future

"Twente has everything it takes to be the region where the care of tomorrow is created and put into practice," says Ank Bijleveld-Schouten, chairman of the Twente Board. "That is why we are investing now, not only in new technology, but especially in collaboration and upscaling, so that innovations are actually applied. In this way, we contribute to better care and a stronger Dutch economy.”

In the hospital of the future, the way in which care is organised will change. Diagnoses are made faster, and patients are more often monitored at home. They only come to the hospital when necessary. As a result, care is shifting to the home, digitally, or to neighbourhood care environments. This creates more room for complex treatments and personal contact.

Twente aims to achieve a tenfold increase in healthcare productivity by 2050 using medical technology. This will help meet the growing demand for care despite the increasing shortage of healthcare professionals, while maintaining high-quality, accessible healthcare.

"The hospital of the future is a high-tech centre for the most specialised care where we do what can only be done there," says Miriam Vollenbroek, director of MST. "We organise the rest close to the patient, supported by smart technology and data. The hospital of the future is more than a building. It is a movement towards fundamentally different care, with continued room for quality and attention."

New medical technology is directly linked to practice in Twente. This makes it clear what works, what is scalable and where further development is needed. In the short term, the emphasis is on implementing and scaling up existing technologies. In the longer term, the healthcare task also requires new medical technology, new care pathways and new business models.

“With our expertise in medical technology, we are bringing innovations to healthcare practice faster together with regional partners," says Remke Burie, managing director of the TechMed Centre of the University of Twente. "The combination of research, education, healthcare and business makes it possible to develop and apply solutions."

This affects not only healthcare but also the economy. Twente offers a unique development and test environment in which companies can develop, validate and scale up innovations faster together with healthcare professionals.

"Healthcare will only remain accessible if we organise it fundamentally differently and bring technology into practice faster. The hospital of the future shows that innovation only has value if it is also applied and scaled up," says Marco Workel, managing director of FME, the entrepreneurs' organisation for the technology industry. "In Twente, healthcare, science, technology companies and the manufacturing industry come together to develop, validate and scale up innovations. This will allow the region to grow into an example for the Netherlands and Europe."

The cooperation partners deliberately do not opt for separate pilots, but for an approach aimed at structural change. Twente is taking the first step and inviting other regions and initiatives to join this effort.

About Hospital of the Future

The 'Hospital of the Future' programme is an initiative of Twente Board, Medisch Spectrum Twente (MST), University of Twente (TechMed Centre) and FME. They are working together with regional partners: Saxion, ROC van Twente, ZGT, Demcon and Teledyne on the application and upscaling of medical technology. Twente Board is investing more than € 1.45 million through the Region Deal and the Agenda for Twente. This will result in a regional investment of more than € 3 million together with partners.