On April 16.-17. 2012, the European Commission organises the conference "Innovation in Healthcare without borders" in Brussels. This conference will bring together the key stakeholders involved in the innovation process of the healthcare sector in view of Europe 2020 and the Innovation Union Plan and will act as an innovation in healthcare policy forum. The main objectives of this conference are the identification of major challenges and build consensus to adress them, the development of initiatives and opportunities for Healthcare Innovation and to provide continuity with previous events. The conference sessions will develop two tracks: "Removing borders in the health supply chain - assesing priorities achieved to date and areas where additional effort are needed" and "Inequality and solidarity - exploring new challenges within EU and beyond".
Further information will be available in January 2012 on the following website:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/health/policy-issues-eu-policy_en.html
Additional information on previous "Innovation in Healthcare"-conferences, can be found on:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/health/innovation-in-healthcare-2011_en.html
Innovation in Healthcare
Innovation in Healthcare is of crucial importance to Europe. Key European goals as set out in the Europe 2020 strategy and relating to economic growth and development, European competitiveness, job creation, healthcare, and quality of life, all hinge on continued and increasing innovation in healthcare in Europe.
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Yet there are increasing challenges and obstacles to innovation in healthcare in Europe, and these must be addressed. Fostering innovation in healthcare is a particularly difficult process due to the escalating costs, long product development cycles, protracted regulatory approval, the structural inertia of healthcare systems and the peculiar nature of healthcare markets (e.g. private consumers and public payers). This often represents a "valley of death" for innovative Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). Many of these challenges are inherent to the sector, and can only be addressed through the development of new, better, more efficient and innovative models. Others are common to many sectors such as counter-productive policies, market failures, or inadequate funding cycles. All require solutions.
Therefore DG Research and Innovation launched in 2010 the first Innovation in Healthcare conference in a series of broad European stakeholders meetings with the support of DG ENTR, and driven forward in a broader programme in the 2011 edition, also in cooperation with DG SANCO, to address issues and challenges to innovation in healthcare in Europe.
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In 2011 the event yet becoming the European reference point for Innovation in Healthcare, was addressed by three Commissioners, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, responsible for Research, Science and Innovation, Vice-President of the European Commission Antonio Tajani, responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship, and Commissioner John Dalli, responsible for Health and Consumer Policy. The meeting was also addressed by representatives of the Council of the EU, Minister of State for Health of Hungary, Mr Miklós Sócska and member of the European Parliament , Mrs. Maria Da Graça Carvalho.
The programme was conceived bringing together the key stakeholders, namely high-level policymakers, industry representatives, patient groups, researchers and regulators, along with experts in the fields of venture capital, technology transfer and academia.
Participants were recipient of the latest EU and global policy in healthcare research, innovation, funding opportunities and new European initiatives that can make a real difference. They were able to have an in-depth look into major upcoming developments in healthcare innovation, as well as an overview of what has been achieved. They had the opportunity to provide their input during sessions and plenary speeches and debates. This valuable input has been summarized in an Outcome Report 2011 as was the case last year.
The outcomes of 2010 and 2011, the recommendations and proposals are summarised in two reports aimed to be reviewed and taken into account in policy discussions within the European Commission and for future shaping of European policy and research funding.
• You can find the reports here: 2010; 2011
• The summary of the outcomes of 2010 and 2011 is here
• The web streaming of the 2011 conference is here:
First day Wednesday 30 March 2011: View Video
Second day Thursday 31 March 2011: View Video
• Articles on the Innovation in Healthcare 2011:
o MedNous : How Europe can do better in life science.
o Scrip : EU Commission outlines plans for accessible & affordable healthcare innovation.
o Eucomed: Medical technology steps onto the EU stage at the Innovation in Healthcare conference.
o Edma: EDMA welcomes conclusions of Innovation in Healthcare Conference.
o Technology Transfer: European Commission focuses on technology transfer as key step in healthcare innovation.