On 15 and 16 September 2026, the InnovationFestival took place for the second time on the Bielefeld campus. For two days, the focus was on innovation, networking and exchange between academia, professional practice and industry. Frauke Wiegräbe from the Discrete Systems research group, led by Senior Professor Dr. Volker Lohweg, actively participated in the InnovationFestival with the ISyCARE project.
ISyCARE stand
At the ISyCARE stand, visitors had the opportunity to find out about the ISyCARE community’s current activities and offerings. Among other things, the new InnovationMap and the PatientJourney game were presented.
The InnovationMap – a digital map of socio-technical innovations in the health and social care sectors in East Westphalia-Lippe – provides an overview of innovative approaches in the fields of rehabilitation, nursing care, and health and social care in the region.
The PatientJourney game illustrates patients’ “journey” through the healthcare system and highlights interfaces between different stakeholders and various areas of healthcare provision. In this way, it encourages participants to view care from a variety of perspectives and to identify where challenges arise and where opportunities for improvement and innovation lie.
ISyCARE workshop
The ISyCARE workshop, entitled “Innovations at the Intersection of People, Technology and Organisation”, focused on how innovations can be successfully implemented and put into practice.
The session began with four case studies, which were presented via videos. These specific situations brought home where the problems lie in day-to-day care and where challenges arise in the implementation of innovations. They thus provided a clear basis for the subsequent discussion and collaborative work.
Based on the case studies, the participants identified specific barriers to transfer, discussed possible solutions and pinpointed the factors contributing to successful innovation. It became clear that innovations must always be considered within the interplay of people, technology and organisation. In addition to technical requirements, the needs of users, existing structures and workflows, as well as the respective organisational framework conditions, also play a role.
Beneficial networking within the healthcare system
From the perspective of inIT research associate Frauke Wiegräbe, the InnovationFestival provided the ISyCARE project with a good opportunity to engage in conversation with interested parties and gain new perspectives on innovation and transfer. She emphasises: “Both at the stand and in the workshop, it became clear just how beneficial the exchange of ideas and networking between different stakeholders are for the development and implementation of innovations. For me, this is an absolute added value.”