Einstein Hospital establishes innovation hubs to develop exportable health technology

Einstein Hospital, a Brazilian private healthcare provider, has launched Collaborative Innovation Centers aimed at transforming the institution from a major buyer of medical technology into a developer and exporter of health solutions. The long-term partnership model requires each partner company to contribute at least R$3 million (€500,000) annually over five years, with plans to establish six centres by the end of 2026.

In a report by Valor International, the initiative comes amid chronic underinvestment in innovation, with Brazil investing only 1.2 per cent of GDP in research and development, according to the Institute for Applied Economic Research. This figure sits well below the OECD average of 2.7 per cent and significantly behind leaders such as Israel, which allocates 6.3 per cent.

Sidney Klajner, president of Einstein, said the strategy moves beyond simply consuming foreign technology to creating local solutions focused on the Brazilian population, improving healthcare domestically whilst scaling it internationally.

Einstein expects to raise between R$60 million and R$90 million (€10 million to €15 million) in the project's first cycle, with three centres already nearing contract stage.

The centres will operate across the entire health value chain, from medical devices and pharmaceuticals to digital technology, inputs and cosmetics. Governance will be shared via executive committees, with intellectual property handled flexibly and owned by Einstein, partner companies or jointly.

Rodrigo Demarch, Einstein's executive director of innovation, said the strategy aims to shorten time-to-market by providing partners with everything under one roof, accelerating development and reducing costs significantly.

The initiative includes provisions to support Brazilian companies through tailored funding options with national banks and innovation agencies.

See the details on how the centres will leverage Brazil's genetic diversity and health data.