Amrum Island

Amrum Island

“Islands are the frontal zones of the earth in which the main problems of development and environmental change become apparent” – Quote from Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the United Nations (United Nations 1999)

THE HEALTH CAPTAINS @ AMRUM ISLAND

“SÜNJHAID! an RÜNJHAID” – “HEALTH & WEALTH”
– (The Claim of the Seafarer Island of Amrum in the North Sea in Germany)

BLUE ZONE VISION FOR CAPTAINS ISLAND AMRUM

Transform Amrum Island into a European flagship for Blue Zone living, healthy longevity, and sustainable medicine—integrating science, community, innovation, and regional health resilience.

1. LOCAL STRATEGY INTEGRATION: THE ROLE OF THE FOUR INSTITUTES

I. INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGY STUDIES FOR UNIVERSITIES, ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTERS & HEALTH FOUNDATIONS

Objective: Build a research and education-based foundation for evidence-driven Blue Zone development.

Actions on Amrum:

  • Establish the Amrum Blue Zone Academic Hub, affiliated with The Health Captains Institute, Charité Berlin, UKE Hamburg, and Kiel University.

  • Launch longitudinal studies tracking lifestyle, biomarkers of aging, and social determinants of health among Amrum’s population.

  • Host an annual “Amrum Strategy Summit for Sustainable Medicine”, bringing together thought leaders, scientists, and regional authorities.

  • Partner with health foundations and universities to develop a Health & Longevity Fellowship Program on the island.

II. INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE MEDICINE FOR SUSTAINABLE HEALTH AS A REGIONAL COMPETITIVE FACTOR

Objective: Position Blue Zone health strategies as drivers of regional economic and social renewal.

Actions on Amrum:

  • Collaborate with local government to integrate Blue Zone guidelines into Amrum’s health, tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure policies.

  • Establish Amrum Blue Zone Clinics offering preventive care, lifestyle medicine, and age-friendly services.

  • Develop a “Health Tourism & Longevity Economy Cluster” focused on wellness tourism, local food systems, and integrative medicine.

  • Incentivize local businesses (e.g., food producers, schools, gyms) to become Certified Blue Zone Partners.

III. INSTITUTE FOR THE CONVERGENCE OF SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE, HEALTHY LONGEVITY, BLUE ZONES & ONE HEALTH

Objective: Foster cross-sector collaboration and ecosystem convergence for planetary and personal health.

Actions on Amrum:

  • Implement an Amrum One Health Taskforce linking healthcare providers, veterinarians, ecologists, and farmers.

  • Pilot community gardens, local food co-ops, and biodiversity initiatives as part of both sustainability and healthy diet interventions.

  • Promote mobility redesign (bike paths, walking zones) and public spaces for intergenerational socialization.

  • Introduce community-led programs on purpose-driven living, intergenerational mentorship, and mental health resilience.

IV. INSTITUTE FOR THE SYNCHRONIZATION OF REGIONAL, NATIONAL, AND GLOBAL INITIATIVES

Objective: Embed Amrum’s Blue Zone into a broader European and global transformation framework.

Actions on Amrum:

  • Position Amrum as the North Sea Flagship Site of the Global Blue Zone Alliance coordinated by The Health Captains Institute.

  • Align with the European Green Deal, WHO Healthy Cities, and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

  • Use Amrum as a training and replication site for other island and coastal regions across Europe.

  • Host an annual Amrum Global Lifecare Congress, bringing together public health leaders, philanthropists, academics, and innovators.

2. IMPLEMENTATION PHASES FOR AMRUM ISLAND

PHASE 1: FOUNDATION & STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT (0–12 MONTHS)

  • Establish the Amrum Blue Zone Steering Council with representatives from the island community, medical professionals, tourism, agriculture, and local government.

  • Conduct a baseline health and lifestyle audit (diet, movement, chronic disease, social engagement).

  • Map existing assets (clinics, walking routes, schools, food sources) that can support the Blue Zone model.

PHASE 2: PILOT PROJECTS & HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE (12–30 MONTHS)

  • Launch pilot projects:

    • “Eat Local, Live Long” food initiative with local producers

    • “Move Amrum” physical activity campaign (walking clubs, bike paths, nature gyms)

    • Longevity coaching and personalized prevention programs at health centers

  • Start certifying Blue Zone businesses and schools using The Health Captains’ criteria.

PHASE 3: EXPANSION & SCIENTIFIC MONITORING (30–60 MONTHS)

  • Expand successful pilot interventions across the island.

  • Open the Amrum Blue Zone Innovation Center, combining health analytics, biotech, digital medicine, and telecare.

  • Publish annual Amrum Blue Zone Impact Reports to track improvements in healthspan, chronic disease rates, well-being, and sustainability metrics.

PHASE 4: INTERNATIONAL CONVERGENCE (60+ MONTHS)

  • Fully integrate Amrum into the Global Lifecare Network of Blue Zone Islands (e.g., Sardinia, Okinawa).

  • Become a training site for European policymakers and health system leaders.

  • Scale digital twin tools for Blue Zone monitoring and replication across other North Sea islands and beyond.

3. KEY IMPACT AREAS FOR AMRUM

  • Public Health: Reduction in chronic diseases, increase in life satisfaction and longevity.

  • Healthcare System: Shift from treatment to prevention, lower long-term costs.

  • Economy: Boost in sustainable tourism, local food production, and health-tech innovation.

  • Environment: Stronger biodiversity, clean transport, and local circular economy.

  • Society: Increased social cohesion, purpose-driven community life, intergenerational bonding.

4. GOVERNANCE AND COORDINATION

Led by The Health Captains Institute, the Amrum Blue Zone initiative will operate under a multi-stakeholder governance model, including:

  • Island Municipality of Amrum

  • Regional Health Authorities (Schleswig-Holstein)

  • Academic Partners (e.g., Charité, UKE, Kiel University)

  • European Blue Zone Policy Group

  • Private Sector & Foundations

  • Amrum Community Members

5. COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT

  • Launch a multilingual Amrum Blue Zone Portal for public updates, research publications, and educational resources.

  • Develop a docuseries and educational campaigns documenting the transformation.

  • Host annual Amrum Blue Zone Festivals focused on food, health, nature, and community.

CONCLUSION

Amrum Island has all the core ingredients to become one of Europe’s first scientifically coordinated Blue Zones. Through its strategic geography, cultural cohesion, active medical community, and existing engagement with sustainability, Amrum can lead the way in demonstrating how small islands can become powerful models for large-scale, system-driven healthy longevity.

The Health Captains Institute, in partnership with academia, healthcare, government, and local communities, provides the structure to turn this vision into a replicable, impactful reality.

AMRUM Island

The Health Entrepreneurs (Sustainability)

The focus The Health Entrepreneurs @ THE HEALTH CAPTAINS CLUB is committed to the cultivation and activation of sustainable entrepreneurship in the Health Industry that is oriented towards patient benefit: Think-Tank and Network for the Future of value-based Health Sciences Entrepreneurship. Sustainable health entrepreneurship: from the desire to be a health entrepreneur …– we are looking for: “dynamic entrepreneurs“, “pioneering entrepreneurs“, “inventor entrepreneurs” and “company inventors“.

Academic definition: Entrepreneurship refers on the one hand to the exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities, as well as the creative and creative part in the entrepreneurial process, or a phase of active entrepreneurial change, and on the other hand to a scientific sub-discipline in business administration. The associated start-up research presents itself as an interdisciplinary research area.

THE HEALTH CAPITAINS CLUB promotes and disseminates the concept developed by Michael Porter & colleagues (e.g. Dr. Clemens Guth, MD, MBA & Bernd Altpeter) at Harvard Business School of a health economy geared towards “value-based healthcare”, i.e. the main economic incentive is patient benefit. SÜNJHAID! @ THCC would like to have “sustainable health entrepreneurship” and start-up personalities who are interested in the “value-based healthcare concept” by Porter & Kollegen, i.e. entrepreneurial actions geared towards patient benefit, orientate, actively promote and work with network partners, e.g. the club of the healthindustry and others strategically together. “The Health Entrepreneurs” are the latest format from SÜNJHAID ! Networking for the Future of Health Sciences.

The goal is to anchor “The Health Entrepreneurs Day” parallel to the “The Föhr Health Captains Days” on Amrum Island.

“WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WE DON’T KNOW”

EXPLORING THE UNEXPLORED

LEADERSHIP FOR EXPLORING SUSTAINABLE HEALTH

“360º NEXT GENERATION SUSTAINABLE VALUE-BASED LIFECARE POWERED BY NEW INNOVATIONS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND THE SUPER-CONVERGENCE IN MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES NAVIGATING US TOGETHER TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE HEALTH INDUSTRY”

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