Image credit: Cai Jia Zeng（蔡家增）
Start-ups can now also tap on new collaboration with Microsoft to develop the next generation of HealthTech solutions
Announced at the inaugural HealthTechX Asia event, Synapxe, Singapore’s national HealthTech agency, has launched the HealthX Innovation Sandbox 2.0 (HX-IS 2.0). This initiative aims to provide more opportunities for HealthTech start-ups and innovators to experiment and develop emerging healthcare technologies with improved access to data and multi-cloud accessibility. The HX-IS 2.0 is the only HealthTech Sandbox that leverages Singapore’s Healthcare Commercial Cloud (HCC), allowing tech startups a safe environment to demonstrate, test and validate various solutions for public healthcare.
HealthX Sandbox 2.0: Helping innovators succeed
With improvements made, HX-IS 2.0 will provide the following new benefits:
- Greater development flexibility: HX-IS 2.0 will now offer innovators and developers a choice of platforms to create cloud applications, with the introduction of Microsoft Azure to the initiative and access to Microsoft AI tools and training. In addition, Synapxe has extended its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to continue offering innovative AWS technologies and training programmes.
- Out of Box interoperability: Developers will also have access to over 2,300 healthcare application programming interfaces (APIs) to create interoperable solutions that are based on the Health Level Seven Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (HL7 FHIR) for modern API driven development and healthcare data exchange.
- Develop in a close-to-real world environment: Innovators will be able to utilise the synthetic data generation service provided by Health Empowerment through Advanced Learning & Intelligent eXchange (HEALIX) on AWS, Singapore’s first comprehensive cloud-based analytics platform for the entire public healthcare sector. This service produces synthetic data that closely resembles real data tailored for specific solutions, while ensuring that the data is anonymised.
- Advisory on implementation of success sandbox solutions: For successful projects, Synapxe will provide guidance and advisory on compliance and security requirements for integration into Singapore’s public healthcare ecosystem.
- Rapid development, deployment, and validation: Developers will have access to a platform that allows them to develop, upload and run innovative solutions without the need for complex infrastructure setup. This will allow developers to focus more on validating HealthTech innovation.
Featured Highlights:
- Improved access to data:
One of the challenges in healthcare innovation is the access and replication of test data that closely resembles real world data. To meet this challenge, HX-IS 2.0 has expanded to enable developers to develop in a close-to-real-world environment through synthetic and anonymised data generated by HEALIX.
Another challenge is how new technology can be easily integrated with different systems within the healthcare ecosystem. HL7 FHIR APIs are now made available to lower the technical barriers, enabling faster development and integration. This will help to ensure that data is consistently and reliably processed by different systems. Developers can build and test how their solutions can integrate with HL7 FHIR APIs to ensure smooth integration with different IT systems in Singapore and the international healthcare ecosystem.
- Collaborating with global tech leaders to develop new HealthTech innovation
A new feature of HX-IS 2.0 is that tech innovators will have access to Microsoft cloud infrastructure and funding, including the opportunity to apply for Azure Trial Passes and Azure sponsorship credits to their Proof-of-Concept projects. The passes will provide easy access to various Azure Services, Github, Azure Copilot and Azure OpenAI Service as the platform to develop their next AI application. By leveraging Microsoft Azure, developers can access a robust cloud platform that supports rapid development, deployment, and validation of innovative HealthTech applications.
“Technology and AI have incredible potential to revolutionise healthcare, from making groundbreaking discoveries to delivering more personalized patient experience. We’re excited to collaborate with Synapxe to give local HealthTech innovators the opportunity to develop, deploy, and validate their transformative solutions even faster by using Microsoft Azure and AI platforms. We can’t wait to support the next big ideas to come out of Singapore’s start-up ecosystem through the HealthX Innovation Sandbox 2.0," said Ms. Wong Sook Huey, Public Sector Lead, Microsoft Singapore.
Tech innovators can also work with AWS to support their technology needs and the development of HealthTech innovation via AWS technology offerings and credits.
“AWS is excited to be a pioneer partner of the HealthX Innovation Sandbox, helping to bring multiple new innovative healthcare solutions from genesis to pilot. Our expanded collaboration with Synapxe for Sandbox 2.0 will enable healthcare innovators to leverage powerful AWS technologies to make data-driven clinical and operational decisions, enable precision medicine, and decrease the cost of care. Together, we are creating a future where technology and healthcare converge to deliver better patient outcomes,” said Ms Elsie Tan, Worldwide Public Sector Country Leader, AWS Singapore.
