#MaketoCare, #SmartWheelchair, mission in Israel

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1) Peace, culture and innovation

Shimon peres founded in 1996 the 'Peres Center for Peace and Innovation', to promote – through innovation – the economic and socio-cultural growth of Israel and of all the components of its society. 'Dream big' is the teaching of the former president of Israel, as well as Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1994. Who had the vision of improving the quality of life to promote peaceful coexistence in a prosperous nation, as well as in the Middle East.

Peres Center for Peace and Innovation it is the headquarters and exhibition of innovation for the common good, in a country where 60% of the territory is desert, drip irrigation was introduced in 1954 and 87% of fresh water is reused. A country at the forefront in various fields, from agronomy to biotechnology, food production and medicine. Thanks also to the cultural synergies that the Peres center promotes.

2) Disability, equality, dignity. The example of Israel

Access Israel is the association founded in 1996 by Yuval Wagner, the son of a wheelchair user who found himself living in the same condition as an adult. And with the support of the President of the Republic, it has helped the State of Israel build a culture of inclusion and respect for people with disabilities. Starting with accessibility.

'Accessibility is

– to be able to reach and enter a destination
– to be able to receive service
– to be able to use a product

with dignity, respect, as equals and with maximum level of independence. With no disappointment and with minimum need for assistance' (Access Israel).

All workers must be trained and updated on accessibility requirements, conditio sine qua non for businesses and public bodies. Accessibility standards are defined nationally, with attention to all types of disabilities and every aspect of human life. And they are rigorously applied thanks to the widespread awareness of citizens, as well as controls by the authorities.

3) Israel, an innovation hub

Israel è leader in research and development investments (4,9% GDP) and in startup funding levels – equal to US$ 950 per capita (US$ 19 in Italy). The same goes for the concentration of startups, one for every 1.300 citizens, and of unicorns (billion-dollar companies. One for every 112.500 inhabitants).

The innovation in Israel it accounts for 10% of the workforce, 15% of the GDP and 54% of total exports. With a collection of investments from abroad, in technology, equal to 90% of the total.

The innovative ecosystem it facilitates both the lively interaction between the various fields of research and the influx of talent. After all, Israel itself brings together citizens arriving from 150 states, in a jumble of skills and cultures.

4) Life sciences, healthcare

One in five Innovative companies in Israel operate in the sector Life Science (life sciences), which includes healthcare, drugs, medical devices (health care, drugs, medical devices).

The institutions in turn they support research and development in these areas, in line with the objectives set by Shimon Peres at the time as well as with the current needs to optimize public health management.

4.1) Health IL

Health IL is a non-profit organization sponsored by Israel's Ministries of Health, Innovation and Economy. It deals exclusively with healthcare, with the objectives of:

– stimulate innovation in health care and management,
– promote the adoption of innovative technologies in health management,
– support the transformation with appropriate policies and infrastructures.

One of the challenges of greater social and economic impact, in Israel as in many other countries, is the transfer of assistance to elderly people from hospitals to private residences, who globally represent a growing share of people with disabilities.

Il network of HealthIL today includes 55 research centers, 107 innovation manager and about 1100 startups (950 from Israel, 150 from other countries). The Government of Israel has supported more than 800 pilot projects, with funding reaching 50%.

5) AYLN, pediatric rehabilitation

The children's hospital AYLN of Jerusalem, with its 90-year history, is internationally renowned for its rehabilitation and innovation, to which a special department is dedicated. Child-tailored rehabilitation is based on ongoing interaction with family members and caregiver. Besides the 'Gamification' – that is, the use of games and video games for physiotherapy and occupational therapy, in addition to recreation – and the pet therapy (e.g. feeding and interacting with parrots), horticulture and assistive technologies.

The families they receive complete assistance starting from education about their rights, the choice of the most suitable aids among all those available on the market and their adaptation to the specific needs of the child. A biomechanical workshop run by volunteers customizes the devices, at the service of every family in Israel that has a technological need to adapt aids. ALYN also works with public schools in Jerusalem so that children with disabilities can study, play and live together with everyone else.

5.1) AYLN, innovation

The innovative technologies used in the AYLN hospital – which collaborates, among others, with the Institute for Scientific Hospitalization and Care (IRCCS) Eugenio Medea di Bosisio Parini (Lecco, Italy) – include the e-motion analysis with sensors, biofeedback, cameras and mega-screens that help children re-program their skills following surgery by interacting with their avatars in special video games. AYLN is also at the forefront in allowing hydrotherapy even for children with respirators and 'fixators'.

ALYN Innovation Center hosts some startups committed to improving the lives of children with disabilities and frailties, in Israel and around the world. Like Gravity Rehabilitation, which has developed a simulator for driving electric wheelchairs, or Wide which allows children with communication difficulties to interact with others via a tablet which allows them an interactive simulation. Wheelchairs for Hope has developed manual pediatric wheelchairs in aluminum and PLA at very competitive prices (US$ 100-160), which the Israeli government gives away in large batches to LMIC (Low-Middle Income Countries).

6) TOM (Tikkun Olam Makers)

TOM (Tikkun Olam Makers) is a global non-profit community organization, formed in 2014, that creates and disseminates accessible solutions – rigorously open-access – to the neglected needs of people with disabilities, the elderly and the poor. From aids for the simplest daily activities to 3D printed prostheses. TOM's strategy is structured as follows:

- process. Identify an 'neglected' challenge to help a person in need (e.g. how to make a wheelchair for a three year old), develop a concept with the end user (or their caregiver), apply a working scheme, test the prototype, develop the product. It is important to follow the document standard prepared by TOM, to allow anyone to consult on the website the 'product file', reproduce the solution, provide feedback and if necessary propose updates or improvements,

– TOM website. People can consult the portfolio of solutions developed so far. And when they don't have the skills and tools to make the product, they can turn to the nearest TOM community, which has abasic makerspace' (which has the necessary equipment to make about 90% of the products, with an investment of about US$ 25.000) or a 'leading makerspace' (about US$ 30.000, to implement all the solutions developed so far). Request a quote to cover costs, in a non-profit logic, and obtain the creation of the requested product.

– Global network of communities. TOM has 20 employees in Israel, from where he coordinates more than 70 communities in 27 countries (not yet in Italy), which have developed more than 600 projects, thanks to the contributions of over 5.500 volunteers. The TOMs Communities they include talent from universities and large companies, who also contribute to the TOMs fellowship programme. Training programs based on 'learning and doing' through playbooks, toolkits, workshops virtual. The TOM Global innovation challenges, in turn, promote the visibility of the projects with the greatest impact on people's lives.

7) Ezràh, the help

'Ezrah, עֶזְרָה. The word 'help' in Hebrew is composed of the letter ע (ein), which represents two eyes that are moved, followed by the letters ז and ר which together form the word זָר (Tzar, foreigner). Helping means seeing the unknown parts of the other, and of ourselves, with compassion and love. Living together with an intact heart - in helping others, and thus also of ourselves - is the value that unites the experiences shared in Israel with those carried out in Italy, thanks also to the 'Make to Care' initiative.

Shared hope it is time to be able to develop some of the projects awarded by 'Make to Care' in an innovative ecosystem such as that of Israel. To develop useful solutions to help people with disabilities and their families to live better. In Israel as in Italy and in the rest of the planet, where the average prevalence of disabilities – now estimated at 18% – is growing rapidly in the most developed economies, also due to the aging of populations.

Dario Dongo

Note

(1) Make to Care, Sanofi. The projects awarded in the 2019-2022 editions ANNEX MAKE TO CARE FINALIST PROJECTS

(2) The Intelligent Chair wins the #MaketoCare international competition. Égalité. 10.2.20

(3) See Israel startup nation finder https://finder.startupnationcentral.org/?utm_source=Presentation&utm_medium=ppt&utm_campaign=Ecosystem+Talk+Finder+&utm_content=ecosystem+talk

(4) Among various non-profit organizations working on solutions open-source for people with disabilities and frailties are also noted Patient Innovation https://patient-innovation.com (Portugal), Makers Making Change https://makersmakingchange.com (Canada), Adaptive Design Association https://www.adaptivedesign.org/aboutus (United States)

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