TecnunMerck and IBM to train healthcare professionals and managers in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence applied to the healthcare sector

Merck, IBM and Tecnun have signed a collaboration agreement agreement whose goal is the launch of the "Smart Health" training program related to the Digital Transformation that the inclusion of technologies such as Big Data and Artificial Intelligence entail in the Biomedical Sector.

The agreement signed by the three entities is based on the detection of a specific need in the sector: to digitally train active healthcare professionals and managers to adapt and apply the benefits offered by AI and Big Data to transform and improve the healthcare attendance .

This is a program proposed by Merck, a leading science and technology company specializing in the areas of Healthcare, Life Science and Electronics, aimed at healthcare professionals and managers in the health sector; devised by IBM, a global leader in the hybrid cloud and Artificial Intelligence industry; and whose execution will be led by the Center for Biomedical Engineering of the University of Navarraa reference letter at teaching higher in the Biosanitary field.

Horacio Morell, president of IBM Spain, Portugal, Greece and Israel, emphasized during the signature of agreement the great importance for IBM of training in digital skills and technological innovation, especially in the health sector, and the firm commitment that the company maintains with the Education. "As a technology company, it is our responsibility to promote and enhance the implementation of joint projects between companies and academia to help address the great training challenge before which we find ourselves and support the development of new digital skills, so necessary in the digital transformation in which we are immersed," explained Horacio Morell, who also noted that, "not in vain, IBM has launched this year a global plan to train 30 million people around the world and of all ages, in the new digital skills needed for the jobs of the future before 2030."

For his part, Miguel Fernández Alcalde, director general manager of Merck in Spain, said that "we are experiencing a paradigm shift due to the incorporation of technology based on artificial intelligence in the healthcare sector" and that "with this alliance Merck reinforces its commitment to innovation in order to generate the maximum benefit for society. The incorporation of AI into the healthcare sector will facilitate the finding of new therapeutic targets, the generation of scientific evidence, improvements in patient care, diagnostic imaging and individualized medicine, as well as many other aspects that will contribute to improving the sustainability of the system".

Regarding Tecnun, the director of development of the School of Engineering, Iñigo Gutiérrez, pointed out that "for Tecnun it means consolidating our position in Life Long Learning training hand in hand with two top level companies. The data analysis in the Bio field is one of the strengths of the University of Navarra, so we feel very comfortable in this area. Sharing with a leading science and technology company like Merck and a great technology company like IBM this project is a pleasure for us. Forming this subject partnership is one of the strategic objectives of Tecnun".

The training programme, which is part of the Professional Programs of the University of Navarra, begins with two courses:

- Smart Health Awareness, an introductory programme aimed at healthcare professionals and managers who want or need to start becoming aware of what Big Data and AI technologies entail and how they are revolutionising their sector.

- Smart Healthan advanced executive program aimed at healthcare professionals and managers in the health sector who already have a certain level of knowledge on these technologies and who see imminent or are already beginning to carry out this digital transformation in their centers and/or in the performance of their work.

For this commitment and with the goal to understand the technologies, methods, approaches and tools used in the development of AI and Big Data analytical solutions, the program will be illustrated with concrete examples of application in real cases. At the same time, and thanks to this agreement, teachers and students will have the know-how of experts in IBM technologies and will have access to the company's technology for the realization of demonstrations and examples, as well as exercises and practices when applicable according to program and content.