Virtual Sessions:
05-24 October 2026
Credits:
3 ECTS
BIP Type:
Transversal
Fields of Study:
Health and Social Care, Digital Health and Welfare Technology, Informatics, Health Technology Innovation, Interdisciplinary Engineering, and Person‑Centred Integrated Care, with a focus on digital competence, innovation, and transdisciplinary collaboration
Level of Experience:
Undergraduate and Graduate — Sciences in Health and Social Care, Informatics, and Engineering
Sending partners:
XAMK, MTU, MUS, TUIASI
Available Places:
Minimum 2 and maximum 5 students from each of the 5 coordinating and sending partner universities, with a mix of different disciplines.
Total maximum of students for the BIP: 30
BIP Coordinator
Catharina Gillsjö catharina.gillsjo@his.se
BIP Multidisciplinary Approaches to Digital Competence and Innovation in Health and Social Care
About the programme
Multidisciplinary Approaches to Digital Competence and Innovation in Health and Social Care addresses one of the major challenges facing modern health care: how to maintain high-quality, person-centred care in the context of an ageing population, increased life expectancy, and a shrinking health‑care workforce. As health care increasingly shifts from institutions to people’s homes, digital technologies and innovative solutions play a crucial role in ensuring accessibility, safety, and quality of care.
The programme focuses on digital competence and innovation in health care, bringing together students from health and social care, informatics, engineering, and related disciplines. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, you will explore how digital technologies can support person‑centred integrated care and contribute to sustainable health‑care systems. The on-site week is hosted by the University of Skövde, with the Skaraborg Health Technology Center (SHC) as a central learning environment.
How you will learn
Learning takes place through a blend of virtual collaboration and an intensive on-site week in Sweden. Before and after the on-site week, you will participate in three structured online meetings where learning objectives are introduced, interdisciplinary groups are formed, and innovations are evaluated.
The core of the programme is multidisciplinary, small-group work using a modified Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach. Together with students from other disciplines and countries, you will work on real health‑care challenges presented as cases or scenarios. Lectures and workshops provide theoretical grounding and practical tools related to digital health competence, innovation, and technology in care settings.
During the on-site week, experiential and simulation-based learning plays a key role. You will visit the Skaraborg Health Technology Center and take part in innovative simulations, including experiencing ageing through an age suit in a digitally equipped, highly accessible apartment. Site visits, workshops, and collaborative innovation activities culminate in student presentations and peer evaluation.
Competences you will develope
By participating in this BIP, you will strengthen your digital health literacy and develop the ability to critically assess and apply digital technologies in health and social care contexts. You will gain experience in identifying problems in real-world health‑care settings and using innovation tools to design technology‑based solutions.
The programme emphasises interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teamwork, helping you understand perspectives ranging from technology developers to end users of digital health solutions. You will also develop competences in international and intercultural collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, and constructive peer feedback. These competences are highly relevant both for future studies and for professional roles in health care, technology, and innovation.
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the programme, you will be able to:
- Assess your own digital health literacy and competence and identify areas for further development.
- Review existing digital technologies in health- and social care, identify challenges, and propose evidence-based and user-centred solutions.
- Apply innovation tools and methods to address complex health‑care challenges using digital technology.
- Collaborate effectively in international and interdisciplinary teams across health and social care, informatics, and engineering.
- Critically evaluate digital health innovations and provide constructive feedback to peers.
These learning outcomes are assessed through individual assignments, group innovation projects, active participation in online and on-site activities, student presentations, and structured peer evaluation.
BIP's Programme
Virtual component (online activities)
Start date: End of September / beginning of October 2026 | End date: after on-site week, November 2026
Schedule / Contents:
Online 1 — before the on-site week (end of September / beginning of October):
- Presentation of learning objectives and course implementation
- Students given two weeks to complete first assignment: presentation of their own field of study within their professional group
Online 2 — before the on-site week:
- Students divided into multidisciplinary small groups (these groups work together throughout the BIP)
- Each student presents their field of study; first assignments presented in small groups
- Individual assignment: assessment of digital health literacy and competence
- Innovation resources provided for review before the on-site week
- Focus on practical arrangements for the on-site week
Online 3 — after the on-site week:
- Students evaluate their own innovations and those of others
- Academic staff present their evaluations
- Students provide feedback and development suggestions for improving the BIP
Physical component (on-site at University of Skövde)
Period: 12-18 april 2027
Programme / Contents:
- Introduction to AI as a decision-support tool (engineering, medicine, psychology)
- Team-based applied tasks: theoretical/methodological approach followed by AI-assisted problem-solving phase
- Critical thinking techniques to compare, evaluate and reflect on both approaches
- 3D printing materialisation of final team solutions
- Structured teamwork, guided discussions, formal presentations, and facilitated reflection sessions
- Documented debriefing sessions (psychologist-led, using structured self-reflection forms)
Duration: 5 days = 40 hours of on-site activities
Application requirements
To apply for this BIP you must:
- Be enrolled at one of the INGENIUM partner universities at the time of the programme.
- Apply through your home (sending) institution.
- Have a sufficient level of English (typically B2 or equivalent).
- Be available to participate in both the virtual and physical components of the BIP.
- Meet any specific academic or eligibility requirements indicated for this programme.
As this BIP includes a physical mobility period hosted at HiS (Skövde, Sweden), it is intended for students coming from other INGENIUM partner institutions. Therefore, students enrolled at HiS are not eligible to apply for this specific BIP.
How to apply
Applications for this BIP are managed by each INGENIUM partner university.
To apply, please select your home university from the list below and follow the application process indicated on their page. Each institution has its own application platform and procedure.
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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
