In good health until the last day of life. This goal is to be achieved with innovations. "We are developing technologies to make life as comfortable as possible - and once we have achieved this, we want it to last as long as possible," says Markus Müller, Co-Head of the Division of Business and Economic Development, summarizing the motivation behind the "Longevity" trend area.

Everyday data holds great potential

For health researcher Susan Merillat, "longevity" is directly linked to the analysis of everyday data. We collect an enormous amount of this today, thanks in part to smartwatches: "We have information about how we move, how we sleep, what we buy and also who we contact."

"All this data gives us a comprehensive impression of our health," says the researcher from the University of Zurich. "We need to make greater use of data". For this reason, it is developing the "Lifestreams" platform, which is intended to offer a holistic analysis of everyday data. This made it possible to trace the development processes of individual people.

It is also possible to integrate research data and AI-supported analyses could open up new perspectives. For example, by developing indices for social well-being - an important factor for healthy longevity.

AI in medicine: application is lagging behind

However, her colleague Christina Röcke from the University of Zurich also emphasizes: "Data is a great treasure that must be handled responsibly". For this reason, the potential could often not be fully exploited today for regulatory reasons.

"The gap between technological possibilities and practical implementation is still enormous today," says Raphael von Thiessen from the Canton of Zurich's Division of Business and Economic Development. High regulatory requirements arise above all when the "fine line" between administrative support and medical product is crossed. This is the case, for example, when an AI tool makes suggestions for diagnoses.

Clarify regulations, implement projects

To help start-ups design their AI products in such a way that they also meet the high regulatory requirements of hospitals, for example, the Canton of Zurich's Division of Business and Economic Development has developed the Innovation Sandbox for Artificial Intelligence.

Project manager Raphael von Thiessen emphasizes how important the innovation sandbox is for the medical sector in particular: "The complexity is high, the potential is huge and there is a lack of expertise between the players." This is why solutions are being developed in the sandbox together with all relevant stakeholders, which can then serve as best practices for other AI projects.

"Longevity tools" in practice

One successful example of the sandbox is the start-up MPAssist. This specializes in the transcription and summary of doctor-patient consultations or operation reports. Founder Michelle Plüss reports how the innovation is changing the everyday lives of medical staff: "One customer told me that she finally no longer has to work overtime." Especially in view of the shortage of skilled workers, the AI tool is an enormous relief.

And thanks to the sandbox, an AI-supported diagnostic tool that meets the regulatory requirements of a public hospital already exists in Zurich: the "digital eye clinic" at Triemli City Hospital. Based on eye scans, the tool diagnoses a retinal disease. There are already many private providers for this - but unlike them, in-house development is completely transparent and secure.

The Zurich site is therefore working towards the goal of "longevity": using tools that utilize huge amounts of data to improve diagnostics. And through efficiency gains in the work of medical staff - leaving more time for patient care.