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Dementia is a growing global health challenge with over 50 million people affected worldwide, and this number is expected to triple by 2050. Only in Finland alone, 23,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. The financial burden of dementia care is immense with costs reaching around 1.2 trillion EUR globally in 2019. Traditional health monitoring of dementia patients generally relies on periodic checkups which means that health issues may go unnoticed until they become serious. Moreover, this can lead to delayed interventions, increased hospitalizations and higher healthcare costs.

“In the GreenSense project, we aim to address this by developing a continuous and non-intrusive monitoring system using soft sensors embedded in textiles or patches, alongside real-time data collection through IoT-based systems and machine learning-driven predictive analytics to detect early signs of health deterioration, such as infections, falls, or mobility decline. Additionally, the system’s dashboard will provide alerts and recommendations, reducing caregivers’ burdens while improving patient safety,” explained Dr. Fevzihan Basarir, the Technology Lead of the project.

GreenSense is a collaboration between Aalto University and Laurea University of Applied Sciences. Two research groups from Aalto will contribute to the project: the Multifunctional Materials Design group led by Prof. Jaana Vapaavuori, and the Ambient Intelligence group led by Prof. Stephan Sigg. At Aalto University, the emphasis will be on sensor development, artificial intelligence, and IoT integration, while the team at Laurea UAS will concentrate on user testing, ethical considerations, and market validation. Additionally, the Alzheimer Society of Finland (Muistiliitto) is a key partner, assisting the research teams in aligning the project with real-world needs.

Key learnings and challenges during the R2B application process 

“It was a very competitive and challenging process where we had to demonstrate both scientific excellence and a clear commercialization pathway,” said Fevzihan. Addressing the challenge of bridging research and business, the GreenSense team had to ensure that their scientific innovation had real-world applicability and market potential, which required a shift in mindset from pure research to commercialization. Key steps included conducting market validation to understand how caregivers, home care providers, and healthcare institutions would use this technology, and developing a business model aligned with market needs and pricing expectations.

Engaging industry experts early was essential for shaping the go-to-market strategy. “We sought guidance from a business developer and discussed the topic with several CEOs in the market,” recalled Fevzihan. Extensive secondary research was conducted to analyze the current state of dementia care and gaps in existing monitoring technologies. Laurea Living Labs and real-life testing environments offered insights from caregivers, dementia patients, and healthcare providers, helping validate findings and providing feedback.

Navigating intellectual property and regulatory challenges was another key aspect. The team believed in the novelty of their technology, and they had to ensure freedom to operate without infringing existing patents. A provisional patent application was submitted in August last year, while additional IPR assessments are still ongoing. Compliance with GDPR for handling sensitive health data was a critical consideration, along with potential medical device regulations affecting commercialization timelines. Currently, the innovation is being developed as a wellbeing device, not a medical device.

Building the right team, combining scientific and business expertise, was crucial. In academia, teams often have deep technical knowledge but limited commercialization experience. Success in an R2B project requires technical experts for technology development and business professionals for navigating commercialization, funding, and market entry. The GreenSense team also received assistance in managing patents and regulatory matters from legal IP experts at the Innovation Services of Aalto’s School of Chemical Engineering.

When discussing the key lessons learned during the application process, Fevzihan emphasized the importance of assembling the team early, as finding the right people can take time. "Aalto Startup Center offered us many business developers, but identifying the best choice took some effort." Another crucial aspect was looking beyond academia by engaging with business incubators, industry mentors, and startup networks. The GreenSense team collaborated with Aalto University Innovation Services and , which provided valuable support in business development, legal matters, and funding strategies. Fevzihan noted, "Without the right team, even the best research ideas can struggle to reach the market." He stressed the importance of early commercialization planning during an R2B project, suggesting that defining the business model does not have to wait until the application phase. He also highlighted the following significant steps:
-engaging with end users from the start to ensure the innovation addresses a real need;
-securing intellectual property early, as having a patent or a robust IP strategy enhances a project's credibility;
-understanding the regulatory landscape, particularly for medical or healthcare-related projects;
-collaborating with commercialization experts, as business development professionals can help refine proposals to align with funding expectations.

Proof of concept: reflections on prototype development, material innovation and sustainability, and real-world application readiness

The foundation for GreenSense has been scientifically validated and was published last year in . The article discusses edible and biodegradable wearable capacitive pressure sensors, illustrating one aspect of the R2B project related to pressure sensors. However, the research on temperature sensors has not been published yet.

The proof of concept involved prototype development followed by lab testing. A prototype featuring variable pressure and temperature sensors was developed and tested in a controlled laboratory environment. The sensors successfully measured body movement and temperature variations with high accuracy.

Unlike conventional sensors typically made from non-biodegradable electronic materials, as described in the literature, GreenSense utilizes biodegradable components such as carbon-based materials, natural wax, and vegetable oils. This ensures that sensor disposal will not contribute to electronic waste, making it a sustainable alternative to existing durable health technology.

Current research work focuses on developing the second batch of sensors and integrating them into textiles for continuous monitoring. Initial tests indicate that the sensors are lightweight, comfortable, and easy to wear for extended periods. “For future validation, we plan to conduct pilot testing in home care environments with dementia patients and perform usability studies to ensure acceptance by both caregivers and patients. Additionally, we will refine AI models to detect early warning signs using the collected healthcare data,” explained Fevzihan.

Next steps: a research perspective

The next steps for the GreenSense project, from a research perspective, will primarily focus on scaling up sensor development. The team plans to optimize sensor design to ensure long-term durability and accuracy, enhancing integration into wearable formats such as clothing, skin patches, or even bathing items. Advanced testing and real-world trials will be conducted, transitioning from lab testing to field testing in home care settings with actual dementia patients, in collaboration with Laurea University of Applied Sciences.

Concurrently, GreenSense will collaborate with Laurea Living Labs to validate usability, comfort, and long-term effectiveness. Family caregivers and professional healthcare providers will be engaged to refine the system based on their feedback. The project aims to enhance IoT and AI capabilities by developing machine learning algorithms to identify patterns in sensor data.

The team plans to implement a predictive analytics system to detect signs of infection, dehydration, or mobility decline. Secure data transmission will be ensured via low-power backscatter communication and cloud-based analytics, with the support of the Ambient Intelligence group led by Prof. Stephan Sigg from Aalto School of Electrical Engineering.

Regulatory and commercialization aspects will also be addressed, ensuring GDPR compliance and refining the business model to determine pricing, manufacturing, and distribution strategies, which are crucial during the startup phase. The project will explore future funding opportunities to transition from research to commercialization. "Our final goal is to establish a start-up company or an industrial partnership. By the end of this project, we plan to launch a start-up or license the technology to an industry partner for large-scale commercialization," explained Fevzihan.

GreenSense: a commercial perspective

Richard Jerome, the Commercial Lead for the GreenSense project, is focused on bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world impact. He works closely with the multidisciplinary research team (both within Aalto and Laurea) to identify practical, high impact use cases for their technology. Currently, they are concentrating on the care and monitoring of dementia patients, seeing a strong need and technological fit in this area. 

Richard’s main responsibilities involve assessing the commercial potential of the sensor-based solution and exploring all viable paths to market. This includes researching the broader market landscape, identifying relevant customer segments, and engaging with potential users to validate the concept and understand their needs. He collaborates with the research team to iteratively refine the solution, ensuring it remains aligned with real-world requirements. 

“In the near term, my focus is on customer discovery, validating our use case/s, and establishing a clear value proposition. Simultaneously, I am exploring funding opportunities and evaluating our readiness for transitioning the concept from research to business,” explained Richard. In the longer term, he is concentrated on laying the foundation for a potential spin-out or commercial entity—outlining business models, go-to-market strategies, and building the ecosystem partnerships needed to support post-R2B operations. 

Reflections on future commercial strategy

“We have the solution; now is the time to find a problem,” noted Richard, highlighting the unique path they are taking as a DeepTech team. Unlike conventional startups, where founders typically begin with a problem they might personally relate to and build a solution around it, in DeepTech, the journey often starts with a novel technological breakthrough. In the GreenSense case, the team is working with advanced soft sensor technology that they believe has significant potential, though it is not yet tied to a single, validated application.

This approach presents both opportunities and challenges. The upside is that the team is not locked into one domain or user scenario from the outset. They can take a broader view, test multiple potential applications across various sectors, and then zero in on the one (or few) that truly demonstrate the strongest product-market fit.

That said, there are challenges. Reaching a consensus on which use case to prioritize can be difficult, especially when the technology could theoretically serve multiple domains. Getting access to solid, comparable data across different industries to assess relative impact is not always straightforward. Additionally, starting with the technology rather than the pain point means they must work harder upfront to truly understand and quantify the value they might deliver in each scenario.

“But I also see this as part of the startup journey. Pivoting is natural; even expected. Sometimes the most exciting opportunities reveal themselves later in the process, after you’ve already invested time in exploration. So, our goal is to remain agile, open-minded, and user-driven while staying grounded in rigorous market validation,” Richard explained.

Being part of GreenSense has been a unique and eye-opening experience so far; especially working so closely with researchers in academia. Richard elaborated, “It’s been incredibly energizing to be surrounded by such brilliant minds and to see firsthand the kinds of innovative technologies being developed. There’s huge potential here to solve real-world problems in meaningful ways, and it’s a privilege to be part of that journey. That said, I sometimes feel like a bit of an anomaly in the room; I come from a very different world.”

As an entrepreneur, Richard is used to moving fast, connecting with the market early, validating pain points quickly, building MVPs [minimum viable product], and getting something in front of customers as soon as possible. In contrast, he has come to realize that the academic world operates on a different wavelength. There is a level of rigor and depth in the work that is truly admirable, but it also means things can take more time than what he is typically used to in the commercial sphere.

This difference in pace and mindset has been one of the key challenges—but also one of the biggest learning opportunities. Ultimately, Richard believes success will be in finding a balance between keeping the science strong and building mechanisms to validate and adapt ideas quickly in the market.