WID-I4H

The WID-I4H Competition
The first World Innovation Day (WID), “Innovation for Health” (I4H) Competition, a pioneering initiative to promote innovation in health, is at the vanguard of healthcare and medical science. It recognizes that hospital staff, at any level, who live at the front lines of patient care, are in a unique position to identify and pioneer improvements in the system. Innovation Days provide the much needed encouragement, incentive and platform to bring ideas to life, inspire and instigate change on a local and global scale.

The Origin of the WID-I4H Competition
Every year since 2007 the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), in partnership with the Geneva Faculty of Medicine, has organized Innovation Days (IDs) where a multidisciplinary and international jury of experts analyzes more than 40 projects competing for the Innovation Day’s Academy Award. The innovations are often unconventional, ground-breaking, and always focused on patients’ health, safety, well-being and ultimately saving lives. The best projects selected by the jury are presented in a three-minute pitch to the scientific committee and the public.

Building on the success of the first Innovation Day held in Geneva in 2007, in 2012 Professor Dr. Didier Pittet partnered with François Gilardoni, Ph.D. to foster a global culture of innovation in Medical and Healthcare Science by promoting Innovation Days around the world. In 2013, the duo launched the World Innovation Day global initiative. Prof. Didier Pittet is a leading authority on patient safety. François Gilardoni is a venture capitalist, innovation expert and award- winning scientist.

The World Innovation Day Association
The World Innovation Day Association is a not-for-profit association, which aims to catalyze, nurture, promote and re-ward innovations at large that have a global, cultural, scientific, technological and/or social impact, including but not limited to, in public health, medical and healthcare science. In order to achieve its goal, the Association organizes global business innovation competitions that bring together innovators, entrepreneurs, investors and industry, amongst other activities.

The World Innovation Day is constituted an association in accordance with the articles 60 and seq. of the Swiss Civil Code (the “CC“). It is established for an indefinite duration. The registered office of the Association is located in Geneva, Switzerland.