Allied for Startups & MEP Brando Benifei are hosting a virtual event Digital health innovation & startups during COVID-19 and beyond on 9 December at 5 PM CET. 

This webinar will bring together key digital health stakeholders – award-winning digital health entrepreneurs and innovators, European policy makers and Patient Associations to discuss the opportunities and challenges the digital health sector is facing. 

The panelists will focus on what the digital health community needs from policy makers to thrive and scale innovation in Europe. It will also discuss recent EU initiatives and explore how startups, policy makers and patients can work together to reduce barriers to digital health innovation. 

Why?

Because great things can happen when policy makers talk to startup entrepreneurs and innovators! This is especially true for digital health startups during a pandemic. Indeed, COVID-19 has accelerated the digital transformation of healthcare in Europe, but it has also highlighted the barriers to health innovation and gaps in European health care systems. 

The development of a European Health Data space, the EU4Health programme and actions to enhance interoperability & standardisation in healthcare systems are some of the key European initiatives that have the potential to support the digitisation of healthcare and empower innovation. Startups can drive this change! 

As noted by our co-host MEP Brando Benifei, “digital health is one of the main issues Europe will face in the next few years. For the policy makers, debating with innovators and entrepreneurs is crucial in order to develop a wide approach to the topic, especially in the post-pandemic context”. 

Who?

We have invited the three winners of Patients’ Digital Health Awards, European policy makers and a Patient Association representative to speak and share their perspectives in a lively discussion. There will also be opportunities for audience participation. 

Our experts driving the conversation: 

Brando Benifei, Member of the European Parliament. Digital agenda, technology and health-related issues are some of his primary interests. Mr. Benifei is a member of IMCO and AIDA committees, member of intergroup on the Digital Agenda, intergroup on Disability and MEPs Against Cancer group.

Ceri Thompson, Deputy Head of the eHealth, Well-Being and Ageing Unit (DG CNECT). Ms Thompson has experience in a wide range of EU health policies, including the development of European Health Data Space. The aims of the eHealth unit include supporting innovative digitally-enabled solutions and policies as well as stakeholder cooperation.

Benedikt Blomeyer, Director EU Policy at Allied for Startups. Benedikt engages on policy files ranging from AI to online platform regulation. He is passionate about building legislation that empowers innovators.

René A.J. Loek, CEO of Orange M-Health BV.  Pinktrainer, an online platform for cancer patients’ care developed by the startup was awarded by the PDHA 2020 in Best Project category. 

Dr. Ettore Turra, Director of the Technology Department of the Trento Health Authority. He will represent TrentinoSalute4.0, a regional centre for digital health that has developed a telemedicine platform awarded by the PDHA 2020 in COVID-19 solution category. 

Pier Giuseppe Meo, co-founder of Hassisto, a spinoff from the National Research Council of Italy. Hassisto is developing Horpheus, an AI-powered system to monitor sudden nocturnal epileptic seizures. It was awarded by the PDHA 2020 in the Best Idea category. 

Antonella Celano, President of the National Association of People with Rheumatic and Rare Diseases, an Italian Patient Association. Ms Celano has been a member of the PDHA since the Awards’ first edition. She will share the Patient Associations’ perspective on the digital transformation and the value of stakeholder collaboration.

If you want to participate, register here and join the conversation on 9 December at 5 PM CET!