Digital Transformation

The Digital Health research area operates at the intersection of psychology and information technology and has a strong connection with the field of healthcare and well-being. The primary objective of our projects within this research area is to promote self-management in health and healthy behaviour through advanced technological solutions. 
 
What characterises our projects is the close collaboration between three essential pillars: technical expertise, psychological insights into user behavior, and domain-specific knowledge depending on the application area, such as mental healthcare, physiotherapy or nutritional advice. Our projects aim to develop and implement valuable and affordable digital innovations in the healthcare sector, in which collaboration with regional healthcare organisations and SMEs is of crucial importance. 
 
Researchers in Digital Health frequently collaborate with colleagues from various disciplines and share their expertise with the other research areas within the Professorship Digital Transformation: Human-Centered Technology and New Business & ICT. 
 
The Digital Health research area is closely involved in the SPRONG programme HealthTech in Society, which focuses on making technological innovations accessible to people with a lower socioeconomic status. 

The New Business & ICT research area emphasises the increasing value and impact of ICT in our society. Companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon have rapidly become the most valuable economic players; these companies, along with many start-ups and scale-ups, are highly dependent on ICT. Even for established companies and institutions, making optimal use of ICT opportunities is vital to remain competitive. Digitalisation is widespread and applied across virtually all sectors. The importance of ICT can therefore hardly be overstated. 
 
This research area aims to dynamically and innovatively support the ecosystem of ICT providers and users in the Northern Netherlands. This includes both public and private stakeholders and focuses on realizing new ambitions and addressing emerging risks, ensuring that ICT has a positive impact on our physical world. In doing so, the research area aligns with the strategic focus areas of Hanze University of Applied Sciences: Energy (transition), Healthy Ageing and Entrepreneurship. In addition, the further development of advanced ICT technologies is a core component of our work, including software engineering, business information systems as well as network and security engineering. 

The Human-Centered Technology research area primarily aims to generate new knowledge related to the design of digital tools. These tools are intended to facilitate behavioural and knowledge change within specific user groups and to sustain this impact over the long term. A particular focus within this research area lies on adaptive systems that are capable of responding to individual differences between users, embracing new technologies and contributing to addressing societal challenges. 
 
This also includes promoting digital literacy and inclusivity, enabling people to fully benefit from a wide range of technological possibilities. The knowledge gained is directly applied in collaboration with companies from the creative industry and partners in various domains, such as healthy ageing, entrepreneurship, and energy-related challenges. 

Business Innovation with Connected Systems

The Business Innovation with Connected Systems (BICS) research area within the professorship focuses on business innovation related to the use of modern telecommunication. BICS explores which organisational and strategic changes - alongside technological innovation - are necessary to achieve successful implementations.