Session 6

The heartbeat of health innovation

How networks & collective action can help us cope with crises and lead the way to a more resilient future

Organised by EIT Health

The COVID-19 crisis has acted as an accelerant of innovation in many areas, especially when it comes to the adoption of healthcare solutions such as digital platforms for care management. While the pandemic signaled a boom in areas such as telemedicine and AI, what remains clear is that our European frameworks were not wholly conducive to a context which demanded ‘fast innovation’, and many quick fixes needed to be introduced at speed to allow healthcare systems to provide solutions to patients that were so greatly needed.

From a lack of digitalisation and electronic records in many health systems, as well as legislative gaps and fragmentation among Member States in crisis management, to the inflexibilities of regulatory and reimbursement frameworks, to complexities around patient consent and the use of specific data, the stark reality is that the circumstances did not help us to react quickly.

Moving on from the pandemic, things must change. Innovation ecosystems like EIT Health, driving quick action connecting minds and organisations in business, research and education, as well as healthcare delivery, play a vital role for Europe’s recovery and response to current and future crises as well as dealing with the everyday realities of growing demand around healthcare due to challenges such as non-communicable diseases.

This session will build around three concrete examples of innovation and entrepreneurship as supported by EIT Health during the pandemic, to reflect on the trends driving health care transformation and innovation and explore – from the perspective of innovators, policymakers, patients, health care professionals and providers - how a whole of society, ecosystem approach may contribute to more a more resilient future.