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Business Model Development for the AI-based Mindfulness Tool “Breeze”
The thesis has the objective to develop a business model for a novel digital health tool that aims at the prevention of noncommunicable diseases.
Keywords: business model innovation, entrepreneurship, digital health
**Background:** Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) impose enormous health burdens on individuals and lead to substantial health economic challenges. NCDs’ risk factors relate primarily to a lifestyle characterized by tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, or an unbalanced diet. This lifestyle leads to overweight and obesity, hypertension, and other cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Unfortunately, individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES) are substantially more affected by NCDs. These individuals are also significantly underrepresented in clinical and non-clinical trials. As a result, health interventions are potentially only effective for individuals with higher SES and do not address those most in need. Therefore, it is essential to understand better how to reach and engage individuals with lower SES while developing and delivering health interventions. As a first step, we have already developed and successfully evaluated a novel AI-based Mindfulness Tool “Breeze” for the prevention and management of physical and mental health (10.2196/22803, 10.2196/22802, 10.1145/3369835). Breeze utilizes the microphone of a smartphone (or a smartphone with a Bluetooth connected headset) to detect breathing patterns in quasi-real-time to then provide biofeedback in a novel and gamified way.
**Goal:** The thesis has the objective to develop a business model for Breeze. This involves the following activities: (1) To understand better the competitive landscape of mindfulness tools (see, for example, 10.2196/29412), (2) To explore whether Breeze should be either further developed as a business-to-consumer (B2C) or business to business (B2B) product.
**Candidate Profile:** We are searching for a highly motivated Master student proficient in English and comfortable with desk research and qualitative research methods (e.g. conducting interviews with representatives of mindfulness companies and other experts in the mindfulness sector, such as investors, etc.). The ideal student has excellent communication skills and experience in business model innovation, entrepreneurship and digital health. Moreover, the master student has excellent grades and can invest 100% effort into this thesis.
**Start:** as soon as possible
**Duration:** 6 months
**Background:** Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) impose enormous health burdens on individuals and lead to substantial health economic challenges. NCDs’ risk factors relate primarily to a lifestyle characterized by tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, or an unbalanced diet. This lifestyle leads to overweight and obesity, hypertension, and other cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Unfortunately, individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES) are substantially more affected by NCDs. These individuals are also significantly underrepresented in clinical and non-clinical trials. As a result, health interventions are potentially only effective for individuals with higher SES and do not address those most in need. Therefore, it is essential to understand better how to reach and engage individuals with lower SES while developing and delivering health interventions. As a first step, we have already developed and successfully evaluated a novel AI-based Mindfulness Tool “Breeze” for the prevention and management of physical and mental health (10.2196/22803, 10.2196/22802, 10.1145/3369835). Breeze utilizes the microphone of a smartphone (or a smartphone with a Bluetooth connected headset) to detect breathing patterns in quasi-real-time to then provide biofeedback in a novel and gamified way.
**Goal:** The thesis has the objective to develop a business model for Breeze. This involves the following activities: (1) To understand better the competitive landscape of mindfulness tools (see, for example, 10.2196/29412), (2) To explore whether Breeze should be either further developed as a business-to-consumer (B2C) or business to business (B2B) product.
**Candidate Profile:** We are searching for a highly motivated Master student proficient in English and comfortable with desk research and qualitative research methods (e.g. conducting interviews with representatives of mindfulness companies and other experts in the mindfulness sector, such as investors, etc.). The ideal student has excellent communication skills and experience in business model innovation, entrepreneurship and digital health. Moreover, the master student has excellent grades and can invest 100% effort into this thesis.
**Start:** as soon as possible
**Duration:** 6 months
Not specified
Interested students are invited to send an email with their (1) motivation letter, (2) CV, and (3) transcript of records to Prof. Dr. Tobias Kowatsch (Scientific Director CDHI ETH Zurich & University of St.Gallen and Assistant Professor for Digital Health, University of St.Gallen) at tobias.kowatsch@unisg.ch. The thesis will be co-supervised by Prof. Dr. Felix Wortmann (Scientific Director Bosch IoT Lab) and Dr. Jan-Niklas Kramer (Innovation Manager, CSS insurance, Lucerne).
Interested students are invited to send an email with their (1) motivation letter, (2) CV, and (3) transcript of records to Prof. Dr. Tobias Kowatsch (Scientific Director CDHI ETH Zurich & University of St.Gallen and Assistant Professor for Digital Health, University of St.Gallen) at tobias.kowatsch@unisg.ch. The thesis will be co-supervised by Prof. Dr. Felix Wortmann (Scientific Director Bosch IoT Lab) and Dr. Jan-Niklas Kramer (Innovation Manager, CSS insurance, Lucerne).