Uppsala University, the University of Groningen and the Dutch Embassy organised the innovation competition GroUp eHealth Challenge together with Drivhuset Uppsala and the European projects ENLIGHT and EIT Health. Twenty-four students from the two universities met to develop ideas on how digital tools can be used to strengthen students' mental well-being. The participants came from different educations in technology, medicine, pharmacy and the humanities, as one of the project goals was to bring together students from various educational backgrounds.

The students met at the embassy's innovation hub and were divided into interdisciplinary groups to work on the project for two days. They interviewed other students and university employees and met representatives from companies such as LIF, Janssen and Astra Zeneca, who shared knowledge and experiences.

On the last day, the students presented their projects during a mini-symposium at the embassy. They pitched their ideas to a jury consisting of, among others, the Dutch ambassador as well as representatives from the two universities and some of the participating companies. The honour went to the chatbot “Bottie”, which takes its own initiatives to get the students involved in their well-being.

Voices about GroUp

“It has been very exciting and rewarding to take part in this. The participants showed a great commitment to the issue of mental health among students. Working with a challenge together with peers from other European universities is really in line with the pedagogical idea of ENLIGHT.”
– Henrik Johansson, ENLIGHT coordinator for Medfarm.

“When experienced people from the business world meet the students, something happens. Education must take place in collaboration with the outside world, and this applies not least to challenge-driven education. Contact with the business community is also important for students to be able to build networks. Students open their eyes to innovation work, how to take an idea further and understand the importance of working with others.”
– Lina Emilsson, project manager at Upptech at UU.

“I think this event will be something to remember for the students. I think it shows the dedication from our universities when it comes to societal challenges. Working in interdisciplinary teams is exactly what this kind of societal challenge requires. Here, our universities can play an important role.”
– Wijnand Aalderink, coordinator for external relations at the University of Groningen.

GroUp was a pilot project. Discussions are ongoing about whether it will return next year.