DCB Newsletter #12/23 – Inside EASD: DCB in the Innovation Zone 

From sunny mornings to windy afternoons and rainy nights – our DCB activities at EASD were just as versatile as Northern German weather in early October. However, unlike the ever-changing German weather, our activities and services all boil down to one goal: To bridge the gap between research, industry and those living with diabetes. Scroll below to get a glimpse into what that looked like at EASD! 

DCB in the Innovation Zone 

We were proud to introduce our very first DCB Innovation Booth at EASD. Located right under the sign for the “Innovation Zone” of the Industry Exhibition, we hosted a space for our start-ups and anyone who was interested in our activities and services. We were very happy to see many of our supported start-ups on-site and be able to provide them with a meeting point for discussions, potential deals and coffee breaks. 

DCB Dinner @ Hensslers Küche 

We have been hosting dinners at the major EASD and ATTD conferences for two years now. Our objective for these dinners reflects our vision and mission: To make life better for people with diabetes, by bridging the gap between industry, research, start-ups and people living with diabetes. We all know that sometimes, the best deals are made over good food and drinks!  

This year, we were honored to host it at Hensslers Küche in the heart of Hamburg – with live cooking and lots of delicious sushi, many important conversations were had which may or may not have led to new ideas and business deals. 

#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs: DCB Patient Leaders at EASD 

At DCB, we are happy to have established an international and ever-growing community of people living with diabetes all over the world. Two of our patient leaders – Laura Burlando from Switzerland and Lea Raak from Germany – also attended EASD and stopped by our innovation booth. In the end, we can only fuel knowledge and truly make an impact if we give all parties a seat at the table. Or in this case: at the innovation booth. 

EASD Topics: New Technologies, Mental Health & Lived Experience 

Among the many important topics discussed at EASD – from islet cell transplants to new insulin pump technologies and the impact of mental health – we were excited to be involved in one topic specifically: the importance of including perspectives of lived experience in research and product development. Dr. Katarina Braune, member of our DCB Open Innovation Challenge jury and long-time DCB affiliate, presented results of the DIWHY study conducted within the OPEN project of which we were a consortium member – providing insights into the motivations of people living with diabetes to start on Automated Insulin Delivery systems and their feedback on such. Even though research and product development are moving more and more towards participatory processes, the outcome often still disappoints those living with diabetes and using the technologies. 

We were delighted to see lived experience and the topics of unmet needs, stigmatisation and the different perspectives of all moving parts of the healthcare system represented in many sessions – among others those of #dedoc°, International Diabetes Federation Europe and diaTribe.  

We at DCB thank all researchers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs and people living with diabetes who continue to speak on these intersectional topics vital for technology innovation. We had a great time with all of you and we are looking forward to the next conference already! 

Thanks so much for reading and we’ll provide you with the next episode of this series soon!  

This edition was authored by Svea Krutisch, Digital Communications Specialist at DCB.