Wasu Mekniran
- ETH Zurich, Switzerland: Ph.D. Candidate in Emerging Business Models for Digital Health
- RWTH Aachen, Germany: MS in Computational Sciences and MBA in Digitalization
- Kyushu University, Japan: BS in Mechanical Engineering - Medical Robotics
Wasu is a doctoral researcher specializing in the healthcare market, focusing on business model innovation through digital health technologies. His work explores how these technologies drive proactive care, identify unmet needs in the longevity sector, and create scalable business models for disease prevention.
Previously, he was an engineer at Bosch, overseeing preventative quality in series production. He holds a B.Eng. in Medical Robotics, an MSc in Computational Sciences, and an MBA in Digitalization.
Currently, he leads research projects in healthcare innovation, applying unsupervised learning methods on value proposition design and financial modeling for digital health ventures.
Representer: Operations Management
- Panel discussion 'Healthcare Innovation' in Davos during World Economic Forum 2024, Switzerland
- Guest lecture ‘Enabling Healthy Longevity: How to innovate healthcare with digital health’, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Srinakharinwirot University, 2024, Thailand
- National University of Singapore (NUS) HLTI 2024 Research Grant
- Deutschlandstipendium Scholarship
- MEXT Japanese Government Scholarship
- DAAD Programm STIBET III Matching Funds
- Kyushu University International Undergraduate Scholarship
- US Program of Academic Highschool Exchange (PAX) Scholarship
EDEN: Emerging Business Models in Digital Healthy Longevity
The EDEN project is dedicated to developing digital health solutions that are designed to be scalable. The focus is on identifying key implementation gaps and using innovative business model strategies to create effective prevention solutions. This is being done in close collaboration with health service providers, insurers and technology partners to increase acceptance and adherence in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
- Overview: c4dhi.org/projects/eden
- Modeling tool: eden.ethz.ch
- Swiss implementation: prevention.ch
- Social longevity survey: helo-nus.com
Project details
In our mixed-methods approach, we combine the collection of primary data – through surveys, focus groups and interviews – with the analysis of secondary data from scientific literature and financial databases. The aim of our research is to investigate emerging business models that are designed to tap into emerging value pools. The core analytical methods include theoretical deduction and advanced text analysis techniques, including cluster analysis, natural language processing (NLP) models such as topic modelling and network analysis. In addition, we evaluate financial performance with a particular focus on the scalability of the business models.
‘How can we implement type 2 diabetes prevention with digital biomarker?’
Identifying the needs of stakeholders in the healthy longevity landscape and providing an overview of collaborations that facilitate disease prevention (Study 1). Investigating the implementation gap in prevention from the perspective of practitioners (Study 2). We analyse how digital health is disrupting traditional healthcare delivery and incentivising incumbents to fill unmet needs in T2D prevention (Study 3). Finally, we assess the scalability of the business case for prevention with a focus on Switzerland, Austria and Germany (Study 4).
- Centre for Digital Health Interventions, Doctoral Researcher
- ETH AI Center, Associated Researcher
- NUS School of Medicine, Academy for Healthy Longevit