The Boost4Health project of the European program Interreg North-West aims to support the international growth of SMEs in the life sciences and human and animal healthcare sectors by introducing their innovations to the European market. This alliance, formed by 11 leading organizations in terms of competitiveness and business innovation offers practical and financial support to SMEs to improve cooperation between research and innovation actors in the healthcare sector in North-West Europe, to promote the transfer of technology to the market and to support the internationalization of small and medium-sized firms.
Boost4Health offers financial support as well as training and advice to small and medium-sized firms that wish to explore their potential for international growth. To this end, Boost4Health is creating a strong and vibrant life sciences community in the North-West Europe region through cooperation between regional bodies, clinical validation facilities and SMEs on an online platform open to entrepreneurs. This will allow the life sciences sector in the North-West Europe region to exploit its full potential through knowledge and experience and thus position the region as a key hub in the life sciences sector.
To achieve its goals, Boost4Health has launched the following actions:
The project has internationalization vouchers for companies, which can be used in activities that contribute to the construction of their international networks in northwestern Europe. Each company may request a single voucher. There are 2 types:
It is possible to request connection vouchers to attend congresses, fairs, or other types of events (virtual or not). With a single connection voucher, you can cover costs for travel, tickets, attendance at side-events (for example, those that allow you to make a pitch in front of investors), etc., for a value of up to €500, which will be reimbursed to the company after the activity. Eligible events will be those that contribute to the international expansion of the company and its network of contacts.
The support voucher has a value of 1,500 euros and supports the launch of collaborations between SMEs and a match with a service provider in a different country in northwestern Europe. It is used to hire experts in the countries that are part of the project (except their own).
It is an online database where SMEs can meet and contact service providers to validate their products, obtain expert advice and enter international markets according to their needs. The services offered on the web may be subsidized with support vouchers.
In this database, you can search for external service providers filtering by solution, sector of activity, region or type of provider.
Companies that can provide services to innovative SMEs in the sector can register as a service providers and get customers from the Boost4Health regions.
To receive more information about this project, and other possibilities of receiving support in the internationalization of your company, contact Albert Gurrero, International Relations Area (aguerrero@biocat.cat).
The first phase of the B4H project was developed from 2016 to 2019 with the mission of strengthening and promoting the international competitiveness of SMEs working in the European health ecosystem by facilitating the increase of the TRL of pharma, biotech and techmed projects. The project had 4 main tasks:
In 2020 the project entered its capitalization phase. This phase of the B4H project aims to accelerate growth and enhance the internationalization capacity of life sciences SMEs in a larger area of north-western Europe, reaching more companies more efficiently.
Boost4Health allows SMEs to bring their innovations and create their networks in the foreign markets of the countries and regions represented in the project:
The North-West Europe partner regions involved in this project, together with Biocat, are: BOM Business Development & Foreign Investments B.V. (NL, leaders), Kent County Council (UK), Oost Nederland NV (NL), Université de LIège (BE), Biotech Santé Bretagne (FR), BioRegio STERN (DE), Eurasanté (FR), MedLife e.V. (DE), WestBIC (IE), Atlanpole Biotherapies (FR) and Biocat (CAT).
