Our Priorities

Research and Innovation

Research & Innovation (R&I) is the lifeblood of Europe’s medical technology sector. Industry investment in R&I delivers life-enhancing devices, diagnostics and digital solutions. EU support for R&I offers valuable opportunities for academia and industry to generate new knowledge and use it to tackle the biggest challenges facing our societies. The quest for tomorrow’s healthcare innovations demands new, broad partnerships. R&I is most impactful when it is based on collaboration. MedTech Europe is committed to working with others in the public and private sectors to find shared solutions to our common challenges.

Research and Innovation

The medtech sector is defined by its strong history of research and innovation. Europe is an established leader in medtech innovation, delivering major advances in areas including cardiac pacemakers, deep brain stimulation and intravascular ultrasound. By turning scientific ideas into solutions for patients, health professionals and health systems, industry has contributed to better outcomes and greater efficiency in healthcare. In the process, Europe’s medtech companies have helped the region to be a world leader in a highly competitive sector.

EU R&I support instruments have played a key role in generating the knowledge and skills required to answer the major challenges facing society. As new challenges come into focus in healthcare, public and private investment in R&I will be essential. The EU’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme will invest €80-120 billion in R&I over the period 2021-2027. Approximately 8% of this budget should be dedicated to the health sector, covering topics ranging from basic science to market access[1].

In the past, the medtech sector did not engage with EU support instruments as actively as some other industries. That is changing. MedTech Europe is working with health stakeholders on the future EU Partnership on Health Innovation. For the first time, medtech companies are strongly encouraged to take an active role in shaping this EU research partnership to ensure it meets their needs and expectations. Together, we will help to design cross-sectorial R&I programmes on prevention, diagnostics, treatment, monitoring of patients, as well as socio-economic studies on value and digitisation of healthcare.

[1] Exact budget will be fixed by the Multiannual Financial Framework

EU Public Private Partnership on Health Innovation

Solving tomorrow’s healthcare challenges requires a broader coalition of stakeholders to explore new approaches that can combine devices, diagnostics, medication, digital tools and big data.

MedTech Europe has worked with other healthcare actors to develop a strategic research agenda for the next PPP on health innovation. Five areas of action have been prioritised:

  1. Harness advances in and synergies between genetics, biology and technology innovations for more precise and effective prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care
  2. Develop patient-centric, integrated care solutions along the entire healthcare continuum
  3. Collect Big Data in new ways and combine them with advanced analytics/artificial intelligence to enable research, development and business opportunities to enable new integrated healthcare approaches
  4. Empower citizens and patients to effectively engage and improve their health
  5. Reinforce value initiatives to guide investment and rewarding innovation in health and social care.

Resources

MedTech Europe will support members in engaging with EU funding schemes, equipping them with the knowledge and skills requires to play an active role in this new era of healthcare R&I. This will be achieved through webinars and training, access to a library of support tools, official templates, a calendar of calls and details of work programmes. We are committed to helping medical technology innovators of all sizes be a part of Europe’s R&I ecosystem.