Microsoft Malaysia, CREST sign MoU for healthcare innovation

• Long term engagement to drive connected healthcare innovation
• Entails the creation of the CREST-Microsoft Health Innovation Hub

MICROSOFT Malaysia (Microsoft) and CREST (Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science & Technology) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a long term engagement to drive connected healthcare innovation in Malaysia.

The collaboration entails the creation of the CREST-Microsoft Health Innovation Hub, which will be fully operational by mid-September.

The digital health hub will provide complete, end-to-end services for developers, start-ups and researchers looking to co-innovate and co-sell their solutions, all within the category of health. This starts from conceptualization to creation, and the commercialization of the product domestically.

The hub will focus on five core virtual health scenarios – Tele-health, smart access, remote patient monitoring, drug adherence, and corporate wellness in order to expand access to healthcare, while reducing unnecessary hospital and clinical visits.

For example, with the use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices to take health measurements, care givers can monitor patients beyond hospitals and clinics. Cloud-based analysis of the data can identify when measurements surpass acceptable thresholds so caregivers can contact patients to take corrective action before problems become serious enough to require hospitalisation.

Services provided in the CREST-Microsoft Health Innovation Hub will enable interested parties to build on such scenarios by having access to CREST’s IoT Cloud Data Centre Research Lab for prototype development, solution trials, and product demonstrations.

They will also be provided with training on Microsoft Azure Cloud Services, including IoT and Advanced Analytics and Cognitive Services while being able to obtain access to industry partners such as biomedical multinationals, hospitals and clinics, as well as venture capitalists and small and medium enterprises.

In addition, there will be ongoing hackathons, medical devices bootcamps, as well as innovation events which individuals and organizations can leverage. While the hub will be physically located at CREST’s Place in Penang, its services will be accessible nationwide.

CREST CEO Jaffri Ibrahim believes that buoyed by demands and aspirations of the electrical and electronic industry in healthcare, digital health innovations are at the heart of addressing the healthcare challenges.
 
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