A digital health innovation ecosystem for South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of how a digital health innovation ecosystem was conceptualised and validated for South Africa. Largely, we focus on defining strategies to build Digital Health Innovation Ecosystems in the context of developing countries, and pay particular attention to the challenges and potentials. Over a period of two years the conceptualisation was done by applying Design research as a methodology and the validation through two cycles of expert review feedback in order to improve the artifact. The conceptual digital health innovation ecosystem for South Africa portrays the inputs from research experts and practitioners in South Africa, Africa and Europe working in the Health domain. Feedback indicated that the conceptual digital health innovation ecosystem for South Africa is a good reflection of the realities of developing contexts where all role players and systems are indicated that affect digital health. This conceptualisation allows for the positioning of sub innovation ecosystems and related new products through applying an open innovation life cycle to improve the quality of life of ordinary citizens.