MedTech Europe welcomes the proposal for a European Competitiveness Fund

MedTech Europe welcomes the proposal for a European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) as an important step toward a more coherent and strategic use of EU funding. The ECF has the potential to strengthen Europe’s industrial competitiveness, technological sovereignty, and health system resilience.

For the medical technology and digital health sectors, the ECF represents a critical opportunity to bridge the gap between research and large-scale deployment, maintain Europe’s leadership in health innovation, and support sustainable and resilient healthcare systems.

However, to realise this potential, the ECF must include clear, predictable, and operational mechanisms that:

1. Safeguard long-term health R&D&I investment, including continuation of public-private partnerships such as the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI);
2. Ensure effective deployment of health innovations at scale through tailored instruments for digital and medical technologies;
3. Reinforce health data, cybersecurity, and sustainability infrastructures;
4. Embed health resilience objectives in national and regional investment planning.

Without such mechanisms, consolidation under the ECF risks reducing visibility and continuity for the health sector, undermining the competitiveness of Europe’s medical technology ecosystem.