Value for Health Colab - Research Center

Value for Health CoLAB (VOH) is a private, non-profit research and innovation organisation in Portugal that helps translate academic knowledge into practical solutions for healthcare and society. We support public and private organisations in developing, testing and implementing new technologies, connecting research expertise with the needs of the people and organisations that will use them.

Our approach centres on Living Labs, where researchers, businesses, public institutions, healthcare professionals and citizens work together to develop and test solutions in real-world settings. We manage 8 Living Labs across more than 7 European countries, supporting the development of digital tools for healthcare and civil society organisations. These collaborations help partners identify needs, exchange knowledge, test ideas and refine technologies based on direct user feedback.

Our multidisciplinary team combines expertise in psychology, software development, engineering and economics. We translate user needs into technical requirements and develop digital solutions, including predictive algorithms and clinical decision-support tools using artificial intelligence, large language models and deep learning. Drawing on collaboration with hundreds of clinical practitioners, we help ensure that technologies address practical challenges and fit the settings in which they will be used.

Alongside development and testing, we assess the economic, social and individual impact of new solutions. This evidence helps partners make informed decisions, demonstrate benefits and plan implementation. By bringing together technology development, real-world validation and impact assessment, VOH helps bridge the gap between research and adoption, supporting innovation that responds to shared challenges across regions and sectors.