DCB Open Innovation Challenge: IMS Emerges as Winner with Innovation CGM+

DCB Open Innovation Challenge: IMS Emerges as Winner with Innovation CGM+

DCB Open Innovation Challenge: IMS Emerges as Winner with Innovation CGM+

Bern, 4 October 2024 – The start-up Integrated Medical Sensors (IMS) has won first place in the DCB Open Innovation Challenge. The company was honoured with a prize of USD 100,000, including in-kind support, at the DCB Start-up Night at  Kursaal Bern. 

Incredible 100 ideas were submitted to the DCB Open Innovation Challenge this year. Six finalists from the U.S., the U.K., Switzerland, Spain, and Sweden, pitched their innovations live on stage at Kursaal Bern in front of a big audience and an international jury. This year’s winner, IMS, impressed the jury with a revolutionary, particularly small, and minimally invasive device for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The world’s first fully integrated single-chip device monitors blood glucose using multiple sensors simultaneously and can also record other physiological parameters such as tissue temperature. It is also able to measure various physiological parameters such as glucose and ketones – all with just one device. 

We are very proud of the number of start-ups this year and of our collaboration with the Diabetes Technology Society from the U.S.. We are particularly pleased to have received a total of 100 new and innovative ideas from start-ups. Together with the top six start-ups, we look forward to working on our shared mission to improve the lives of people with diabetes”,

says Ema Grabenweger, Innovation Manager DCB and responsible for the Open Innovation Challenge 2024. 

A Night of Innovation and Celebration

Incredible 100 ideas were submitted to the DCB Open Innovation Challenge this year. Six finalists from the U.S., the U.K., Switzerland, Spain, and Sweden, pitched their innovations live on stage at Kursaal Bern in front of a big audience and an international jury. This year’s winner, IMS, impressed the jury with a revolutionary, particularly small, and minimally invasive device for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The world’s first fully integrated single-chip device monitors blood glucose using multiple sensors simultaneously and can also record other physiological parameters such as tissue temperature. It is also able to measure various physiological parameters such as glucose and ketones – all with just one device. 

We are very proud of our top six finalists mastering their pitches after a successful preparation in the DCB Innovation Bootcamp. They showcased the diversity of innovations on stage, joining us on the journey to make life better for people with diabetes.

“The DCB Open Innovation Challenge is our annual highlight where we promote the best start-ups in diabetes technology. With a wide range of services from DCB and sustainable networks, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with all finalists and achieving great things together,

says Hanne Ballhausen, Project Manager Innovation and organiser of the DCB Bootcamp.

We extend our gratitude to everyone contributing to the success of the DCB Start-Up Night, on and off stage. The event was supported by mylife Diabetescare, Dexcom, Comerge, the Economic Development Agency of the Canton of Bern, the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, and Diabetes Switzerland. 

About the DCB Innovation Challenge 

After the initial launch in 2021, the DCB Open Innovation Challenge took place for the fourth time this year. The aim of the challenge is to promote innovative, international projects in the field of diabetes management. It is the largest Innovation Challenge in diabetes technology, awarded with USD 100,000.  Applications are open to start-ups, medical and research professionals, and individuals. 

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Hot Off the Press: The DCB Annual Report 2023/24 is Out!

Hot Off the Press: The DCB Annual Report 2023/24 is Out!

Hot Off the Press: The DCB Annual Report 2023/24 is Out!

The fiscal year 2023/24 was a year marked by major milestones and remarkable progress for the Diabetes Center Berne (DCB), thanks to the great commitment of all employees. The DCB Annual Report has now been published and you can read more about the projects, teams, and their achievements of 2023/24.

The DCB – An Internationally Recognised Centre for Diabetes Technology

DCB is proud to have successfully completed their first large-scale projects. One highlight is the third edition of the Open Innovation Challenge 2023, which took their total number of partnerships with start-ups to around 100 start-ups from over 30 different countries.

Furthermore, Professor Lilian Witthauer and her team in the field of smart sensing along with Professor José Garcia-Tirado in the field of closed-loop systems are working on projects to improve the lives of people with diabetes. These initiatives exemplify how DCB effectively translates research findings into practical applications. Since April 2024, Professor Lisa Koch has also joined DCB, bringing her expertise in data analysis and artificial intelligence.

Special thanks go to the Advisory Board and patron Willy Michel, whose support enables DCB to position itself as an international center of excellence in diabetes technology.

Download the full report now!

Download the full report now!

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Switzerland

DCB featured in Nature Portfolio: “Cutting-edge diabetes technology to make lives easier”

DCB featured in Nature Portfolio: “Cutting-edge diabetes technology to make lives easier”

DCB featured in Nature Portfolio: “Cutting-edge diabetes technology to make lives easier”

DCB is thrilled to be featured in the Nature Portfolio Spotlight on Switzerland. The article “Cutting-edge diabetes technology to make lives easier” dives into our work at DCB and outlines significant advancements in diabetes management.

Cutting-edge diabetes technology to make lives easier

The renowned Nature Portfolio has issued a Spotlight on Switzerland with the motto: “Switzerland has enjoyed a warm relationship with the rest of Europe for decades – but how has that influenced the research done in the country?”

DCB is thrilled to be featured in this Spotlight, shining a light on diabetes technology research and innovation.

Our assistant professors José García-Tirado and Lilian Witthauer, as well as our scientific program manager Martina Rothenbühler were interviewed, providing insights into their work at DCB and the development of technologies such as the artificial pancreas, which promises to transform the daily lives of people with diabetes by simplifying insulin management.

“Our mission is to support diabetes research and technological advancement. We’re building bridges between research and startups, industry and other stakeholders.”

– Martina Rothenbühler, DCB

Read the article now to dive deeper into our work and see how innovative technologies are shaping the future of diabetes management.

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Switzerland

The DCB Open Innovation Challenge is Back: Submit Your Idea Now!

The DCB Open Innovation Challenge is Back: Submit Your Idea Now!

The DCB Open Innovation Challenge is Back: Submit Your Idea Now!

For the fourth time, the Diabetes Center Berne is launching the Open Innovation Challenge with the aim of specifically promoting innovative projects in the field of diabetes management on Swiss and international level. Participating innovtors benefit from professional expert feedback, and the six best projects receive access to a bootcamp. The finalists will receive prize money of up to USD 100,000 and further support from the DCB. The DCB Innovation Challenge is the world’s largest diabetes technology award with international appeal.

Can Your Idea Change Diabetes Management?

More than 537 million people worldwide live with diabetes, which means a constant challenge in everyday life for those affected. Technological innovations make an important contribution to making it easier to deal with diabetes – whether it is measuring glucose levels, planning the amount of insulin needed via an app or even using automated insulin delivery systems. But despite these enormous advances in diabetes technology, there is still a great, unmet need for innovative technical solutions. These should help to ease the challenge for users in everyday life and improve the lives of people with diabetes in the long term.

The DCB Open Innovation Challenge was initiated in 2021 with the aim of closing these gaps in diabetes technology with translational research. The goal of the challenge is to identify unique solutions which can make life easier for people with diabetes. Whether you’re a researcher, healthcare professional, start-up founder, or someone living with diabetes, your ideas are invaluable to us. We’re seeking diverse perspectives and innovative solutions to enhance the quality of life for individuals with diabetes.

 

What’s in it for you?

After a first round and feedback from the expert jury, the top 20 will enter a mentoring program. Two US-based innovators and four innovators from the rest of the world will be invited to an individually tailored bootcamp in the picturesque Swiss alps and will then pitch their final ideas at the grand DCB Start-Up Night in Berne, Switzerland, on 3 October 2024. Additionally, all finalists have the opportunity to present their ideas at the Diabetes Technology Meeting in the US on 15–17 October 2024.​

The winning project will be selected by an international expert jury and rewarded with USD 100,000 in funding and in-kind support – making the DCB Open Innovation Challenge the world’s largest diabetes technology award with international appeal. You will get access to a global network of experts from the field – all while your idea remains entirely yours.

Don’t miss out on this unparalleled opportunity to turn your idea into reality. Submit your idea by April 30 at our innovation platform innovation.dcberne.com

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Switzerland

Lisa Koch joins DCB as professor specialising in artificial intelligence and data science

Lisa Koch joins DCB as professor specialising in artificial intelligence and data science

Lisa Koch joins DCB as professor specialising in artificial intelligence and data science

The newly created assistant professorship with tenure track is the third of a total of three professorships in the field of “Diabetes Technology and Artificial Pancreas” jointly created by the University of Bern, the Inselgruppe and the Diabetes Center Berne (DCB).

Background in developing data science products for medical devices

Before taking up her new position, Lisa Koch worked on machine learning for biomedical data analysis. She has a background in academic research as well as developing data science products for medical devices, with a strong focus on technology that can ultimately benefit people’s health in a safe and trustworthy way.

After an undergraduate degree in electrical (BSc) and biomedical engineering (MSc) at ETH Zürich, Switzerland, Lisa Koch did a PhD in machine learning for medical image analysis at Imperial College London, UK.  After a post-doc at ETH Zürich, she joined the Swiss wearable medical device startup Ava, where she eventually became the data science team lead. In this position, she came to appreciate the need for demonstrably safe machine learning in healthcare.

Safe, reliable, and effective data science tools
In 2021, Lisa Koch returned to academic research to pursue research on this topic as a group leader for machine learning in medical diagnostics at the Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health at the University of Tübingen, Germany. In her new role as assistant professor at the University of Bern, her long-term goal is to develop certifiably safe, reliable, and effective data science tools for patient-specific treatment systems in diabetes care.

“With my research, I strive to deliver trustworthy AI-enabled diabetes care that provides real benefit to patients and clinicians. I am thrilled to join the cross-disciplinary ecosystem at the Diabetes Center Berne and the University of Bern Clinic for Diabetology, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism (UDEM), an ideal environment to advance this vision” says Koch.

Derek Brandt, CEO of the DCB adds: “In addition to Lilian Witthauer, professor in the field of sensor technology, and José Garcia Tirado, professor for technology-assisted precision medicine, we have taken a third and important step with Professor Koch for the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) and data science in diabetes care. This enables us to further strengthen our international pioneering role in the field of translational diabetes technology research. We will continue doing everything we can to improve daily life for people with diabetes”.

Lisa Koch

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Diabetes Center Berne and Diabetes Technology Society Collaborate for the 2024 DCB Open Innovation Challenge

Diabetes Center Berne and Diabetes Technology Society Collaborate for the 2024 DCB Open Innovation Challenge

Diabetes Center Berne and Diabetes Technology Society Collaborate for the 2024 DCB Open Innovation Challenge

We are very excited to announce the launch of the 2024 DCB Open Innovation Challenge for 1 April 2024, this year in collaboration with the Diabetes Technology Society!

Can Your Idea Change Diabetes Management Forever?

We are excited to announce the collaboration of the Diabetes Center Berne and the Diabetes Technology Society for the 2024 DCB Open Innovation Challenge, launching on 1 April 2024.​

The DCB Open Innovation Challenge was initiated in 2021 and is the largest innovation challenge in the field of diabetes technology. The goal of the challenge is to identify unique solutions which can make life easier for people with diabetes. Anyone with an idea can apply – whether researcher, healthcare professional, start-up or person living with diabetes. We want to hear from you!​

In 2024, two US-based innovators and four innovators from the rest of the world will be selected to pitch their final ideas at the grand DCB Start-Up Night in Berne, Switzerland, on 3 October 2024. Additionally, all finalists have the opportunity to present their ideas at the Diabetes Technology Meeting in the US on 15–17 October 2024.​ ​

Save the dates and seize the opportunity to watch your idea become reality: www.dcberne.com/en/innovation-challenge

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DCB Research AG

Freiburgstrasse 3
3010 Bern
Switzerland