Reaching the halfway mark of my EYE exchange allows me to reflect on an experience that has been both professionally stimulating and personally enriching. Collaborating closely with my Host Entrepreneur and the team in Barcelona has provided a clear understanding of how an innovative healthtech start-up operates and scales. During these first three months, I have been actively involved in structuring and standardizing clinical databases, especially for oncological projects, while learning how medical data connects directly to product development and market readiness. This work has deepened my appreciation for data governance, ensuring that raw healthcare information is accurately curated, fully compliant with clinical protocols, and ready for validation.
Beyond the scientific aspects, working directly with company leadership has given me firsthand insight into market analysis, customer needs in the healthcare sector, and agile project coordination using dedicated management tools. One of the main challenges has been adapting my academic mindset to the fast-paced, pragmatic decision-making required in a commercial venture, where scientific accuracy must constantly align with business viability and tight deadlines. Overcoming this has significantly improved my problem-solving skills, operational discipline, and organizational flexibility.
The collaboration has embodied true mutual learning: while I have absorbed vital entrepreneurial knowledge regarding business models and medical technology commercialization, I have also contributed solid value through my scientific background and analytical skills. For the second half, we will focus on translating this operational experience into business strategy, exploring regulatory pathways, medical device compliance, and investor readiness, while also engaging in hands-on stakeholder communication.
Overall, these three months have been transformative, giving me the practical tools, business perspective, and confidence needed to build and lead my own future entrepreneurial project.