“We are delighted to be involved in this recent Greentech in healthcare call and initiative with Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) and the Irish College of GPs,” according to Dr Philip Crowley HSE National Director Climate and Global Health, speaking as the winners of its GreenTech in healthcare call were announced in recent days. Dr Crowley added that “in keeping with the HSE Climate Action Strategy and our work to create greener models of healthcare, it is a great opportunity to encourage and support innovative services and products that are environmentally sustainable for healthcare environments.” 

The project involved the three leading healthcare organisations identifying six innovative products and services that promote environmental sustainability in both primary and secondary healthcare. The call is a positive step towards tackling the research and innovation gap in sustainable product pathways in the Irish health sector. The winning products and services in green healthcare will be trialled over the coming months. This allows Irish health providers to pilot, refine and adapt sustainable solutions effectively, before wider implementation. HSE partnerships with Enterprise Ireland and HIHI, will lead collaborations across Irish healthcare sites to deliver trialling on the ground. 

HIHI National Director Dr Tanya Mulcahy noted that the award scheme “marks a significant step toward integrating sustainable innovation into Irish healthcare. By identifying and trialing these six pioneering solutions, Health Innovation Hub Ireland, with the HSE and the Irish College of GPs, is fostering real-world impact in environmental sustainability. The diversity of the selected products - from circular economy medical devices to eco-friendly ultrasound gels - demonstrates a broad commitment to tackling healthcare’s environmental footprint. This initiative sets a strong precedent for future collaborations in green healthcare innovation." 

Dr Andrée Rochfort, Director of Quality Improvement at the Irish College of GPs, also added that “protecting the finite resources of healthcare and minimising the environmental impact of healthcare is important. The innovations identified by the GreenTech Initiative have potential to improve healthcare sustainability in a practical way. We look forward to the reports on these green healthcare products after they are tested in primary and secondary care.”

The six winners included Aerogen, a HIHI GreenTech winner that pitched a unique long term multi-disciplinary project developing sustainable medical devices, transitioning to a circular economy model and reducing the environmental footprint of Aerogen’s Solo Nebuliser products. There are several stages to this work and HIHI have stated that they look forward to beginning the first stage, supporting research and problem definition, throughout Irish healthcare sites. 

Vanguard AG pitched a proven solution for the remanufacturing of single-use medical devices.  HIHI have said they look forward to trialling this solution as part of a sustainability pilot in Irish healthcare. HaPPE pitched a full cycle bio-digestion system, creating a sustainable solution for healthcare waste, specifically compostable PPE and food waste. The solution leverages compostable materials, on-site bio-digestion and advanced decontamination technology. HIHI have said they look forward to trialing this solution as part of a sustainability pilot in Irish healthcare.  

EccoSpray pitched an eco-friendly alternative to traditional ultrasound gels, to measure sustainability, waste reduction and efficiency benefits. The product has previously been trialed by HIHI with positive results on usability and image quality.  HIHI have said they now look forward to trialling this solution as part of a sustainability pilot in Irish healthcare.  

Offerre - a new consortium of Irish companies (Offerre, Envetec, DeltaQ, Enva) pitched a multi-faceted solution focused on medical waste treatment and recovery. HIHI now looks forward to mapping this solution to trial it as part of a sustainability pilot in Irish healthcare.  

Medfirst Supplies - Safe clean box -  pitched a closed, sealed cabinet system that automates the manual cleaning of RIMDs (Reusable Invasive Medical Devices). They use sodium bicarbonate (non-abrasive, non-corrosive and water-soluble) with low-pressure compressed air for effective pre-cleaning of medical device. HIHI have said they now look forward evaluating this solution as part of its sustainability portfolio in Irish healthcare.  

The pitches were judged by HIHI Clinical Sustainability Advisors (CSA) from across Ireland who work on the frontline, and a panel of experts from the HSE, Irish College of General Practitioners and Irish healthcare sites including St James’s Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, Cork University Hospital, Cork University Maternity Hospital and University Hospital Galway. The HIHI, the HSE and the Irish College of GPs will now support the development and trialing of these innovative products and services.