COVID-19 Innovative Response Tracker

At Telescope, we connect policymakers with those working on the frontline, using innovation thinking tools to encourage inclusive and collaborative policymaking. We love seeing the connections and ideas sparked by bringing people together and the benefits for policymakers of learning about frontline challenges first hand. But when the whole world is in isolation, that isn’t so easy. The COVID-19 crisis needs us to find new ways of delivering critical services. Now more than ever, frontline…

The Danish Government has launched COVIDmeter early april 2020. COVIDmeter is an standardized questionnaire based on the user’s consent obtained in accordance with GDPR. The questionnaire contains questions regarding general health and infection status. Statens Serum Institut (SSI) uses data to monitor the the evolution of symptoms among the Danish people. Data is pseudonyomized and only used in aggregated form - and stored 2 years at the SSI. Citizens provide data (user identification, health…

Singapore have enlisted a roaming robotic dog, built by robotics company Boston Dynamics, in a two week trial to wander around a central park, which speaks to people in the park to encourage them to socially distance. In a female voice, it says: "Let's keep Sinagpore healthy. For your own safety and for those around you, please stand at least one metre apart. Thank you". Another robot has been deployed at a nearby reservoir to warn visitors "not to loiter" and that "gatherings are not…

The Danish government launched the COVID-19 infection tracing app Smitte|stop the 18th of June 2020, which has been downloaded more than 660.000 times by the 3nd of July. This corresponds to approximately 12 percent of the Danish population – 14 percent of the population aged 15 years or more. It received the most downloads ever in Denmark by a new app on the first day and first week after publication. The key function of the app is to notify citizens who have been in close proximity to a…

IP Australia have released a free package of global interactive patent data visulations on technologies important in the response to COVID-19. These six interactive visualisations on ventilators, masks, surgical gowns and goggles, vaccines, repurposed drugs and medical diagnostics allow users to ‘drill down’ into the data and quickly identify patent applicants in specific technologies and different countries across the world. Choose your technology, click on your country and get a list of…

The platform e-baulehre.at provides information and online courses concerning apprenticeships in the construction sector. For more information, please consult: https://www.e-baulehre.at/start

Distance learning services enable apprentices to graduate from vocational schools in the summer. For more information, please consult: https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/Themen/schule/beratung/corona/corona_matura.html

The initiative refers to expansion of the production possibilities in these fields (protective masks and shields) through cooperation of the healthcare sector and pioneers in 3D printing. The cooperation of hospital associations with educational institutions (e.g. University of Technology Graz with over 30 3D-printers that produce 300 facial protection shields per day) and companies currently having free resources due to the crisis (e.g. Idea workshop Happylap) achieved rapid success. In order…

The initiative refers to free digital conference to support Austrian companies. The event focused on the provision of information, transfer of knowledge and exchange of experience on topics such as subsidies, employment and follow-up financing in the context of the Corona crisis. Moreover, recommendations and offers for employers are provided. For more information, please consult: https://zusammenstaerker.derbrutkasten.com/

The BMBW is providing on loan up to 12,000 digital devices to pupils of federal schools (lower and upper secondary schools) until the end of the school year. For more information, please consult: https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/public.html