Research & Innovation

On World Arthritis Day, we are reminded of over 40 million people in Europe, who live with osteoarthritis (OA), a condition affecting 15% of the global population over the age of 30. In France, for example, it is the second-leading reason for medical consultations, after cardiovascular conditions. As life expectancy increases, the burden of osteoarthritis […]

From robotic surgery and wearables to connected devices and AI-powered diagnostics, medical technologies are reinventing healthcare. Europe’s medtech sector is making unprecedented investments in research & innovation – and joining the Innovative Healthcare Initiative for the first time. I sense that something big is happening in healthcare research. A tectonic shift in Europe’s health innovation […]

The medical technology sector welcomes the European Commission’s 3rd edition of the EU Research and Innovation Days (R&I Days). This event could not have come at a more important time, as this year marks the official launch of Horizon Europe, the EU’s most ambitious research and innovation program to date. The response to the Covid-19 […]

For start-ups working in paediatrics, competitions can offer funding, exposure and invaluable access to mentorship.   Despite advances in medical technology, the fruits of progress are not shared equally across age groups. One of the biggest challenges we see in the paediatric domain, and especially among those younger in the age spectrum, is the lack […]

For decades, companies in the medtech and pharma sectors have delivered healthcare innovations separately – collaboration has been limited. However, we know that this is not how patients experience healthcare. In the real world, diagnostics, devices, medicines, vaccines and digital tools combine to keep people healthy and to treat those who are unwell.  This reality […]

One of my great frustrations is to see start-ups fall at the final hurdle. Too many early-stage companies with promising innovations spend their energy – and funds – answering crucial questions about the safety and effectiveness of their products, only to find that they have no answers to the additional questions asked by payers.   […]

What key health questions should EU Research & Innovation (R&I) funding aim to address? The Horizon Europe (2021-2027) Health Cluster has provided an answer – well, six answers – which will shape R&I for most of the coming decade. This will also drive my own work in leading the R&I Partnership Policy of MedTech Europe. […]

AI – Artificial Intelligence – sounds like another buzzword floating in the air of Brussels when we talk about future R&D priorities. There are many interpretations of what AI means, while some people are already grumbling that it’s just another fad. Personally, I believe that now is the time for practical examples of deployment of […]

  As European research and innovation funds extend their focus towards diagnostics, digital and medical technologies, medtech companies must be ready to engage. A major future EU public-private partnership in research and innovation is currently in gestation. I believe it could help to address some of the biggest challenges in modern healthcare – and its […]