Clust-ER Health at the World Environmental Education Congress in Abu Dhabi

Innovation in the Health and Life Sciences Sector in Response to Climate Change: the Clust-ER Health and its Regional Action Plan

In a world increasingly aware of the impacts of climate change on human health and the environment, the role of innovation in health and life sciences becomes crucial. Clust-ER Health is at the forefront of this battle, promoting an innovation ecosystem dedicated to finding sustainable solutions. Its participation in the 12th edition of the international event WEEC 2024 is a testament to its commitment to a healthier and more sustainable future.

The intervention “Health and life science ecosystem of innovation vs climate change: a regional action plan for stakeholders’ engagement“, presented by the Communication Manager Nicole Ticchi, addressed the crucial intersection between the health sector and climate change. She stressed that the global health sector, with its climate footprint, is a significant emitter of greenhouse gases and underlined the urgency of making the health sector more sustainable, through innovation in the health and wellness industry in Italy, highlighting the leading role of Emilia-Romagna in terms of health system efficiency and innovation.

Thanks to the holistic approach “One Health”, which connects animal, human and environmental health, by highlighting the importance of sustainable innovation for a healthy planet it is possible to work on the lines of action that the Clust-ER Health has included in its action plan, such as the promotion of green and resilient hospitals, the use of sustainable medical devices and packaging and green labs, in collaboration with local and international stakeholders. She also highlighted the importance of awareness raising, education and research and innovation projects focused on sustainability.

For this purpose, Clust-ER Health aims to stimulate collaboration between different stakeholders through workshops, meetings and collaborative platforms, with the aim of creating a common ground for the exchange of ideas and co-creation of solutions, exploiting the diversity of skills and perspectives present in the regional ecosystem. A key aspect of the action plan is the encouragement of open innovation and joint research. Clust-ER Health promotes research and development projects that address specific climate change challenges, such as the development of new sustainable health technologies and the development of adaptation strategies for health infrastructure.

The participation of Clust-ER Health in WEEC 2024 was not only an opportunity to present its commitment and initiatives, but also a time to learn from international experiences and to establish collaborations with global partners who share the same goals.

Clust-ER Health’s approach to climate change through innovation in health and life sciences provides a promising vision for the future. Stakeholder engagement at the regional level, combined with international collaboration and open innovation, is key to effectively addressing one of the greatest challenges of our time.