We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

HospiMedica

Download Mobile App
Recent News AI Critical Care Surgical Techniques Patient Care Health IT Point of Care Business Focus

IBM Opens Watson Health European Center of Excellence

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 21 Apr 2016
Print article
Image: IBM CEO Ginni Rometty and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi witness the signing of the agreement for the planned Watson Health European Center of Excellence (Photo courtesy of IBM).
Image: IBM CEO Ginni Rometty and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi witness the signing of the agreement for the planned Watson Health European Center of Excellence (Photo courtesy of IBM).
The IBM (Armonk, NY, USA) Watson Health analytics unit has announced it will open its first European Center of Excellence in Milan (Italy).

The Watson Health European Center of Excellence, part of a long-term collaboration between IBM and the government of Italy, will be located near the Human Technopole Italy 2040 research campus, supporting Italy's initiative to establish an international hub for the advancement of genomics, big data, aging, and nutrition. The formation of the Watson Health European Center of Excellence is also intended to encourage the development of a Pan-European ecosystem for healthcare reform, research, and health-tech start-ups.

IBM plans to invest up to USD 150 million during the coming years to bring together data scientists, engineers, researchers, and designers, who will work in collaboration with organizations across Europe to create a new class of cloud-based connected solutions at the intersection of cognitive computing, life sciences, and healthcare. The Center will provide access to resources and technology that can accelerate research into new treatment options, promote personalized medicine, and encourage discoveries aimed at improving overall public health management, while advancing sustainable health systems.

“Italy is important to IBM, not only because of the creativity, skills and talent of the country's workforce, but also because of the Government's efforts to digitize Italy's economy,” said Erich Clementi, senior vice president of IBM Europe. “That is why we are excited to announce our new Watson Health European Center of Excellence near Milan, which will support the Italian Government's healthcare reform and research agenda by bringing together Watson developers and IBM Research scientists to apply remarkable cognitive computing capabilities to modern healthcare problems.”

“Healthcare is undergoing tremendous change, driven by data. The volume and variation of health data is growing exponentially with each passing day and our ability to monitor new measurements of health, such as social data and weather data, are making global health an even more complex equation to solve,” said Deborah DiSanzo, general manager for IBM Watson Health. “This new era in health will not be achieved through solitary efforts. It will require the work of countless experts together in an ecosystem where ideas are easily shared to improve and save lives around the world.”

The Watson Health European Center of Excellence builds on recent IBM investments in Italy and across Europe, including a new IBM Cloud data center in Milan (Italy), and the opening of the Watson Internet of Things (IoT) Global Headquarters in Munich (Germany).

Related Links:
IBM


Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: The wearable bioelectronic system could improve chronic wound monitoring and healing (Photo courtesy of Wei Gao, California Institute of Technology)

Smart Bandages to Revolutionize Treatment of Chronic Wounds

Chronic wounds, such as diabetic ulcers, surgical wounds, pressure injuries, and others, are more lethal than many realize. Patients with chronic wounds face a five-year survival rate of about 70%, which... Read more

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The PtNGrid features thin, flexible and densely packed grids of either 1,024 or 2,048 embedded ECoG sensors (Photo courtesy of David Baillot/UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering)

Electronic Grid Records Brain Activity during Surgery to Minimize Damage to Healthy Tissue

A new electronic grid equipped with nanoscale sensors that records electrical signals from the human brain with unprecedented detail could enhance surgical planning and execution for removing brain tumors... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The portable, handheld BeamClean technology inactivates pathogens on commonly touched surfaces in seconds (Photo courtesy of Freestyle Partners)

First-Of-Its-Kind Portable Germicidal Light Technology Disinfects High-Touch Clinical Surfaces in Seconds

Reducing healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) remains a pressing issue within global healthcare systems. In the United States alone, 1.7 million patients contract HAIs annually, leading to approximately... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: POCT offers cost-effective, accessible, and immediate diagnostic solutions (Photo courtesy of Flinders University)

POCT for Infectious Diseases Delivers Laboratory Equivalent Pathology Results

On-site pathology tests for infectious diseases in rural and remote locations can achieve the same level of reliability and accuracy as those conducted in hospital laboratories, a recent study suggests.... Read more