The Vitabits solution, designed for remote monitoring and telemedical care of patients, is a good example of collaboration and knowledge transfer to industry. Intellectual property rights were transferred to the company Ipmit d.o.o. to enable further development and commercialization, while the University of Ljubljana spin-off company Vitasis continues to develop the solution.

Telemedicine means providing healthcare remotely and is experiencing significant growth worldwide. This potential was recognized by the Laboratory for Data Technologies (LPT) at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana, which developed their solution under the working name Vitabits.

In 2018, the company Ipmit d.o.o. recognized the great potential of Vitabits and purchased the related intellectual property rights. In cooperation with the faculty and the spin-off Vitasis, Ipmit is further developing the solution as part of the SOSTOP project, co-financed by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, aiming to develop a comprehensive System for Remote Monitoring and Telemedical Treatment of Patients. Remote monitoring of chronic patients can significantly reduce treatment costs, as a virtual doctor’s visit can be more than three times cheaper than a physical visit. The telemedicine market was projected to grow to 33 billion euros by 2022, with a wide range of potential customers including health insurance companies, pharmaceutical firms, health resorts, providers of healthcare IT solutions, and telecommunications operators.

Knowledge transfer activities to industry require expertise, effort, and time, which researchers often prefer to devote to research work. However, it is essential to emphasize that the benefits of successful transfer can be substantial. They affect the reputation of the individual and the University, bring new research and business opportunities, enable access to better projects and scientific publications in prestigious journals, have a positive impact on society, and ultimately also provide financial resources.