Corporates
STERNA INNOVATION STERNA Innovation is a technology and engineering company with over 15 years of experience developing medical devices. Specialized in the design, validation, and seamless integration of technology in clinical environments, STERNA combines electronics, connectivity, and user experience to create intuitive, safe, and hospital-ready tools.
Sterna has been developing devices and solution for Medical devices companies developing and sourcing solutions and knowledge to achieved customer targets and goals.
With deep expertise in sensor integration, cloud platforms, and process automation, STERNA is a trusted partner for connected medical device development and digital health innovation.
One of its flagship projects, Wheely-go, is a patented system for real-time tracking of hospital assets, showcasing the company’s ability to turn clinical needs into scalable, efficient, and functional tech solutions.
Address
Avinguda de Sant Francesc 30, 17001 Girona, Spain
Contact
info@sterna.es
sternainnovation.com
Commercial Register
SL
B55159586

Details

Customer Problem
How you manage the WheelChairs and assets of the Hospital? Problem Statement Hospitals and healthcare facilities frequently struggle to manage shared mobility assets such as wheelchairs and scooters. The challenge is not the cost of the equipment itself, but knowing where it is, whether it is available, and ensuring it is returned when needed. As a result, patients and visitors experience delays, caregivers face additional stress, and hospital staff spend valuable time locating, recovering, and managing misplaced equipment. Solution Description Wheely-go is a self-service mobility management solution powered by eSpot indoor and outdoor location technology. The system enables healthcare facilities to provide automated access to wheelchairs and scooters while maintaining real-time visibility, control, and traceability of their fleet. The solution allows hospitals to: Locate wheelchairs and scooters in real time. Monitor availability and utilization through a centralized dashboard. Ensure equipment return through user registration and automated notifications. Reduce asset loss, theft, and staff time dedicated to equipment recovery. Improve accessibility and autonomy for patients and caregivers. Optimize fleet size based on actual usage data. Validated in a hospital environment, Wheely-go achieved 100% equipment return, eliminated theft incidents, and significantly reduced the number of wheelchairs required while improving satisfaction among patients, caregivers, and healthcare staff. Value Proposition A digital, self-service solution that improves the experience of patients and caregivers while reducing operational workload and increasing asset visibility for healthcare organizations. Wheely-go transforms wheelchair and scooter management from a manual, resource-intensive process into a data-driven, efficient service.
Business Model
Wheely-go is offered through a flexible business model designed to accommodate different procurement and operational requirements of healthcare organizations. Option 1: Capital Investment + Annual Service Fee The healthcare facility purchases the Wheely-go installation, including docking stations, connected wheelchairs and/or scooters, software configuration, and deployment services. A recurring annual or monthly fee covers cloud platform access, connectivity, software updates, technical support, maintenance, and analytics. Best suited for: Hospitals preferring a capital expenditure (CAPEX) approach and long-term ownership. Option 2: Subscription Model (SaaS / PaaS) The hospital pays a fixed monthly or annual fee that includes equipment, software platform, connectivity, support, and maintenance. This model minimizes upfront investment and converts the solution into an operational expense (OPEX). Best suited for: Organizations seeking predictable costs and rapid deployment. Option 3: Pay-per-Use The facility can choose to charge users for the service, with Wheely-go integrating user identification, payment systems, and usage monitoring. Fees may be applied per use, per hour, or according to local policies. This model can partially or fully offset operational costs. Best suited for: Airports, transport hubs, shopping centers, museums, and healthcare facilities seeking cost recovery mechanisms. Option 4: Hybrid Model A combination of infrastructure investment and usage-based revenues. The institution acquires or leases the system while generating income through optional pay-per-use services. This approach balances operational efficiency with financial sustainability. Best suited for: Large hospitals and healthcare networks looking to optimize accessibility services while controlling long-term costs. Economic Value Beyond the direct business model, Wheely-go generates measurable operational savings by: Reducing losses and theft of wheelchairs and scooters. Lowering staff time dedicated to locating and recovering equipment. Optimizing fleet size through real-time utilization data. Improving patient and visitor satisfaction without increasing staffing requirements. Enabling data-driven management of mobility services. The result is a scalable solution that combines accessibility, operational efficiency, and asset management within a single platform.
Technology Description
Technology Description Wheely-go is a patented smart mobility management platform that combines connected mobility assets, location technologies, user interaction systems, and cloud-based analytics to enable the autonomous lending and management of wheelchairs and scooters in healthcare and public environments. The solution integrates a set of proprietary technologies that provide: Real-time asset visibility across indoor and outdoor environments. User identification and traceability to support autonomous borrowing and return processes. Automated service management, reducing dependency on staff intervention. Geofencing and security monitoring to help prevent loss and unauthorized asset removal. Digital communication capabilities between the facility and users through integrated notifications and information services. Operational analytics and reporting to optimize fleet sizing, utilization, maintenance, and service quality. The platform combines intelligent connected devices, wireless communications, cloud software, and location technologies into a single ecosystem that can be integrated with existing hospital processes and digital infrastructure. The solution is designed to be adaptable to different facility layouts, mobility workflows, and operational requirements. Intellectual Property Wheely-go incorporates proprietary know-how and registered intellectual property covering the management and control of shared mobility assets, including methods for asset traceability, user interaction, location monitoring, automated alerts, and service administration. The system has been developed and validated through real-world deployments in healthcare environments and continues to evolve through ongoing innovation activities. Competitive Differentiation Unlike conventional asset tracking systems, Wheely-go is not only designed to locate wheelchairs and scooters. It provides a complete self-service mobility ecosystem that combines: Asset location and monitoring. User management and traceability. Automated lending and return workflows. Security and compliance controls. Operational intelligence and fleet optimization. This integrated approach enables healthcare organizations to improve patient and caregiver experience while simultaneously reducing operational workload and increasing visibility of critical mobility assets. This wording is typically appropriate for public procurement portals because it highlights the value and innovation while protecting sensitive technical details from competitors.
Market Description
Market Validation: Olsztyn Regional Hospital Pilot Wheely-go was successfully validated through a real-world pilot deployment at the Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny Hospital in Olsztyn, Poland, a regional hospital serving approximately 140,000 consultations annually, with 326 beds and more than 25,000 patients treated each year. The pilot was designed to address a common challenge faced by healthcare facilities: ensuring the availability, control, and return of shared wheelchairs without increasing the workload of hospital staff. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of a fully automated self-service model: 100% self-service operation, with users independently borrowing and returning wheelchairs. 100% wheelchair return rate, eliminating the need for staff to search for or recover missing equipment. Zero theft or loss incidents during the pilot period. A reduction of approximately 60-70% in the number of wheelchairs required, with four Wheely-go enabled wheelchairs replacing a fleet of twelve conventional wheelchairs while maintaining service availability. High satisfaction levels among users, caregivers, and hospital staff. The pilot confirmed that the challenge is not simply providing wheelchairs, but ensuring they are available where and when they are needed. By combining self-service access, real-time location monitoring, user traceability, and automated return management, Wheely-go transformed wheelchair availability from a manual operational burden into a digitally managed service. The success of the Olsztyn deployment provides strong evidence that healthcare organizations can simultaneously improve accessibility for patients and caregivers, reduce operational workload for staff, and optimize the utilization of mobility assets through a connected and data-driven approach. Market Opportunity Following the successful validation in Olsztyn, Wheely-go is positioned to address a broader market need across hospitals, healthcare campuses, airports, transport hubs, museums, shopping centers, and other public infrastructures where mobility assistance services are critical to visitor experience and operational efficiency.
USP
Unique Selling Proposition (USP) Wheely-go is the only validated self-service mobility platform that combines automated wheelchair and scooter lending, real-time indoor and outdoor location, user traceability, and fleet optimization in a single solution, delivering 100% return rates while reducing the number of mobility assets required. Key Differentiators 1. Solves the Real Problem: Availability, Not Ownership Most organizations already own wheelchairs and scooters. The challenge is knowing where they are, ensuring they are available when needed, and guaranteeing their return. Wheely-go transforms unmanaged mobility assets into a controlled, visible, and measurable service. 2. Complete Self-Service Experience Unlike traditional wheelchair pools that depend on receptionists, porters, volunteers, or caregivers, Wheely-go enables users to independently borrow and return wheelchairs and scooters without staff intervention. 3. Integrated Location + Mobility Service Many competitors focus either on asset tracking or mobility equipment. Wheely-go combines: - Self-service lending - Real-time location - User identification and traceability - Security and anti-theft controls - Fleet management analytics - Communication with users into a single platform. 4. Proven Hospital Results The solution has been validated in a real hospital environment, achieving: -100% self-service operation -100% return rate -Zero theft incidents -Up to 60-70% reduction in the number of wheelchairs required -High satisfaction among patients, caregivers, and staff. 5. Improves Life for Three Stakeholders Simultaneously Most solutions are designed for either patients or hospital operations. Wheely-go creates value for: -Patients and visitors: immediate access to mobility assistance. -Caregivers and family members: reduced physical burden and stress. -Hospital staff: fewer interruptions, less time searching for equipment, and better operational visibility. 6. Scalable Beyond Healthcare allowing organizations to improve accessibility while maintaining operational control. One-Line USP "Wheely-go ensures that wheelchairs and scooters are always available, always traceable, and always returned—without requiring staff intervention."

Individual Attributes

General