Between 9 and 13 October partners from across Europe gathered to share updates and discuss the future of circularity in digital health. Hosted by the dynamic team at RRA Podravje-Maribor, the meeting was an inspiring blend of knowledge-sharing, workshops, and idea generation.
Highlights from the week
The meeting kicked off with partners presenting progress updates, not only to each other but also to our Advisory Board. The feedback received from our expert board, opened the door for in-depth discussions on how DiCE should continue to drive forward its mission.
Engaging with local stakeholders
Engaging with local stakeholders, we welcomed:
- Nataša Ritonija, CEO of RRA Podravje-Maribor
- Prof. Dr. Aleš Holobar and Dr. Tanja Botic, who are working on the HybridNeuro project to establish a regional neuro hub
- Dr. Marjetka Kralj Kuncic from Timian Consulting, who provided insights into how EU regulations on medical devices will be implemented in Slovenia
These sessions helped provide local context and practical insights, giving DiCE a broader perspective on efforts made in the circularity and healthcare sectors in Slovenia.
Jan Wynarski gave an insightful presentation on the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative, exploring how DiCE can align with its goals. This set the tone for a week focused on tangible progress and future opportunities.
Workshops and collaborative sessions
Workshops played a significant role during this year’s meeting, offering hands-on learning opportunities and fostering in-depth discussions:
- Circular Design: Tamara Hoveling and Jeremy Faludi from TU Delft presented their next steps in circular design, including a preview of an upcoming design guide.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Adrien Specker from the World Resources Forum (WRF) led a workshop on best practices for stakeholder engagement.
- Reverse Logistics: Maria Anta of the WEEE Forum brought partners up to speed on DiCE’s reverse logistics plans and the ongoing confirmatory pilots that will test the system developed in DiCE.
Technology in action
The meeting also showcased exciting innovations. Sophia Kalinina and Daniel Millet shared updates on GRIN’s smart collection box, while MIREC emphasized the critical role of raw materials in the circular economy. Hans Leijen from Philips moved the discussions forward by presenting exciting advancements and identifying key questions. Attendees were even treated to a field trip to a local school to visit ZEOS/Ekosij’s E-Transformer in action—an inspiring look at a local education initiative in action.
Moving forward: circularity, sustainability, and beyond
Focussing on next steps, Sascha Vermeylen from LiCalab gave us an insight into the upcoming confirmatory pilots zooming in on collection and testing methods. Erasmo Cadena from UGhent updated the consortium on his progress on value chain mapping of selected devices as well as the results of numerous economic sustainability assessments.
Continuing on the subject, Adrien Specker from the World Resources Forum introduced the most important circularity assessments indicators and expanded on how they can assist decision-makers while Sonia Valdivia from the World Resources Forum defined the needs for DiCE’s social sustainability assessment to ensure that the work delivered by project partners will benefit society as a whole. Finally, Lieselot Boone from UGhent clarified the results of her students’ environmental impact studies on single-use, battery-powered endocutters.
The conversations also touched on the responsibility of reintroducing products into the circular system, a topic championed by Camille Rønn and Jason LaRoche from Johnson & Johnson (J&J).
Innovating for health and circularity
Partners also explored how to apply motivational strategies—developed by Games for Health—to digital health devices. With guidance from Rob Tieben, the team participated in an interactive workshop, further defining DiCE’s vision for the future.
A successful event
A huge thank you goes to our hosts at RRA Podravje and the amazing team from Johnson & Johnson—Marion Junique and Anne Kaminski—for organizing such a successful event.
The conversations and collaborations over these past days have been incredibly motivating, and partners look forward to continuing their mission of advancing the circularity of digital health devices.
Stay tuned for more updates as DiCE continues to grow and evolve!
