Call for innovative solutions for the vaccination logistics

The Corona crisis continues. Extensive measures combined with innovative solutions are required. Both technological and social innovation, mostly integrated, will contribute to the necessary and desired solutions. Parties are working hard to create vaccines, the first of which may become available early next year. How do we get vaccines fast, careful and responsibly from ‘lab to life”?

The Netherlands has a lot of experience with vaccination programs (see for instance the Dutch www.rijksvaccinatieprogramma.nl). The organisation of vaccination programs is partly coordinated centrally, and partly decentrally. Some programs, such as the flu vaccination program, reach a scale of several million citizens. However, the scale of vaccination in a pandemic will be the entire country of the Netherlands, preferably a large part of the population, and will need to be carried out in a limited amount of time. At the same time, robustness of the activities and information provision during the vaccination program are of the highest importance. In addition to distribution, appreciation, acceptance and accuracy of the operation are of paramount importance, both societally and economically.

A pandemic poses a large logistics and humanitarian challenge.

The Dutch topsectors Creative Industry, Logistics, ICT and Life Science & Health would like to activate the Dutch technological and social knowledge and innovation capabilities for this crucial problem. We therefore put this knowledge and innovation challenge to the Dutch knowledge institutes.

The challenge
Design an integral logistics and creative solution for a vaccination program, that can achieve a potential inoculation of 95% of the Dutch population, fast, diligently, responsibly, and accurately.

Conditions
Consider all current corona measures and rules with regard to safe distance, groups size and -diversity, walking directions and so on. Also take into account the varying appreciations and acceptance levels in our population.

Acknowledge that the logistics operation and the social acceptance also require information technology, health related measures and social and service design related measures; all of which need to result in an integral solution.

Some vaccines require one inolculation, and some two. Indicate clearly for which option you have designed your solution.

Take into account the conditions for transport and storage of the vaccine. In most cases, the vaccine will have to be transported and stored in frozen condition, to prolong its shelf life.

You can assume that there will eventually be enough vaccines. These vaccines will enter the Netherlands in a central location. It is recommended to consider one or several scenarios for the phasing of the availability and the acceptance of the vaccine in the answering of the challenge.

International transportation of the vaccines is not part of this challenge.

There is an ongoing short term effort for the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine. This is a process that is under a lot of pressure, and its success is crucial for our society. It is not desirable to approach government agencies that are involved in this program, such as RIVM, for information for this challenge.

We expect that you show in a quantitative manner that the designed solution actually works and delivers the target of 95% inoculation.

Review
The topsectors that are involved will strive to offer the three best designs to the ongoing long term pandemic planning of the Dutch government. In addition, the joint TKIs ClickNL, Dinalog, ICT and LSH will offer a prize of € 10.000 for the first prize and two prizes of € 5.000 for the runners up. The topsectors will devote broad attention to this challenge, the award ceremony and the offer of the proposals to the government, though their usual media channels.

Submission and evaluation
This knowledge and innovation challenge follows a two-steps process. For the first step, we ask a preliminary approach and composition of the knowledge consortium (we do not impose demands such as the involvement of companies). Applicants can express their interest via the form below.

The expressions of interest that have been submitted 1 December 23:59 hrs at the latest will be evaluated on potential and knowledge contribution. The submitting parties will be invited to develop their approach and submit in the second stage. Would you be interested to participate after the 1st of December, please contact us directly. The deadline for the second submission, in the form of a logistics design with accompanying documentation, is 31 January 2021 at 23:59 hrs via the email address projects@dinalog.nl.

The quality of the submitted designs will be evaluated by an independent expert jury.

The awards will be made public on 15 February 2021, via the websites of the TKIs ClickNL, Dinalog, ICT and LSH.

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