During the first meeting to discuss the partnership agreement, the collaborators reached a definition of 'care rooms for patients'. They set their goals, adapting them until everybody was satisfied. The pilot project was to create a prototype of the patient room of the future. Both Jan and his collaborators attached a lot of importance to clearly defined short-term goals. Short-term deadlines incentivized each partner to act quickly. In addition, they made the partnership’s added value immediately clear to everyone. The goals had to be just outside the partners' comfort zone. Initially, few expected success, but everybody nevertheless gave their best. These unmistakable signs of progress and motivation eventually also tempted outsiders to join, invest or promote the PRoF project. After agreeing on the specific concept, all the parties signed an NDA. More important, however, was the level of trust between the partners. In other words: the NDA was a necessary but not a sufficient condition for trust. Such a bond can only be achieved over time.
Cross
Industry
Innovation
Industry
Innovation
Create
Reality check
The group founded by Jan Van Hecke had a shared vision: to target the European care market and improve patients' well-being. Social profit would be the primary driving force, while economic profit was obviously not neglected either. The mission was to complete one project related to the care market every year. This short-term mission turned out to be what got the project going.