Who are we?
Our specialists are a group of Network advisors with specific background and experience in the sector of Health who commit to work together to meet the needs of their clients operating in this area and who will contribute to the success of one of the 14 industrial ecosystems defined in the Updated 2020 EU industrial Strategy.
The EU health industries are key players although in terms of global sales, the relevant market segments are dominated by North America or Asia. While R&D is a critical factor in global competition, EU invests relatively less than trading partners: 19.2% of industrial R&D investments in the EU goes in health innovation, compared to 26.4% in the US. The EU pioneered on sophisticated biologic innovative medicines (and biosimilar), however, Asia and the US are rapidly catching up.
How we work
With the aim of making the health ecosystem, especially the industrial one, resilient, prepared to face current and future crisis, our specialists will use their own expertise for supporting clients and interact with experts from different industries in the EEN network.
Our expert group is expected to cover the following sectors: manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and their key inputs, medical devices and equipment and personal protective equipment, healthcare services (medical and residential care) and health tech and related services, focusing on those with more opportunities for SMEs as the industry structure of the Health ecosystem is very diffused, making it very difficult to SMEs to access to business opportunities.
The Specialist will also try to focus its activities and resources towards the priorities and main challenges of the EU Health ecosystem: strengthening supply chains, improving the resilience of health systems, ensuring accessibility to and affordability of medicines, medical devices, health technologies, health services and continuity of care in health emergencies, addressing public health and health systems’ needs and seizing opportunities of digital and green transition.
Recent developments
The COVID-19 crisis has exposed the main structural weaknesses of the sector: supply chain vulnerabilities, healthcare capacity constraints and fragmentation, due to demand peaks and coordination gaps at EU level. It has also highlighted the value of innovative health technologies, including in diagnostics and treatment, and the urgent need of strengthening research and innovation in the Health Sector. A key challenge is to build on this momentum and take major steps towards the digital transformation of health and care, building on digital technologies like AI and High Performance Computing while ensuring protection against cyber threats but answering the unmet needs at the demand site.
Our approach
To enhance the resilience of the health ecosystem, particularly the industrial sector, and ensure its readiness to confront both present and future challenges, our specialists will leverage their expertise to assist clients. Additionally, they will collaborate with other specialized groups and experts within the EEN network to foster interaction and knowledge exchange.
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