Health check for a competitive medical technology sector in Europe

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Sustainable Livelihoods

28Jan2025

starts 19:00

ends 21:30

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Europe is ramping up efforts to secure its place in the global economy, sharpening its focus on competitiveness as highlighted in the recent Draghi Report. The report sounds an alarm on the urgent need for Europe to reduce its dependency on foreign suppliers, untangle regulatory hurdles, and foster a high-value, innovation-driven economy capable of competing globally.

Central to this push is the European Commission’s Strategy for European Life Sciences, a policy framework championed by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It aims to drive innovation, promote green and digital transitions, and build resilience within Europe’s life sciences and healthcare sectors. The strategy envisions reshaping Europe into a competitive powerhouse in critical tech and healthcare industries by enhancing regulatory coherence and streamlining processes, which are crucial for attracting investment and fostering growth.

A closer look at Europe’s MedTech industry highlights the stakes of this policy overhaul. Employing nearly one million people and filing over 15,900 patents last year, the MedTech sector is a high-value driver of economic growth and innovation, yet it faces significant regulatory challenges. While the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) was crafted to ensure safety and quality, industry leaders argue that its rules are complex, costly, and inconsistently applied. These issues, combined with sometimes conflicting requirements under other legislations, have slowed the market entry of new products. This case underscores the importance of streamlining regulatory processes under the Strategy for European Life Sciences to enhance the competitiveness of the European Union.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock| UladzimirZuyeu

Schedule

19.30 21.30

POLICYMAKERS DINNER DEBATE – Health check for a competitive medical technology sector in Europe

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How can Europe streamline regulatory frameworks in the life sciences sector to enhance innovation and competitiveness while ensuring safety and quality?

What strategies should be implemented to strengthen Europe’s self-sufficiency in critical sectors, including MedTech, to reduce dependency on non-EU sources?

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Speakers

Cecilia Linde is a Professor in Cardiology at Karolinska University Hospital and the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. Her research focuses on devices such as cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT), cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) and epidemiology in heart failure. She chairs the Stockholm PREFERS studies and co-chaired the KaRen study which focus on epidemiology, imaging, biomarkers and implementation of therapies in heart failure. She is currently the President-elect of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), with special focus on advocacy. Linde contributed to many guidelines of the European Heart Rhythm Association and Heart Failure Association. She has authored over 300 papers, reviews and editorials covering a wide variety of topics and is the executive editor for the topic heart failure at the European Heart Journal.

András Tivadar Kulja is a Hungarian surgeon, accomplished digital health expert and politician of the Respect and Freedom Party (Tisza), who currently serves as Vice-Chair in the Committee of Environment, Health and Food Safety (ENVI) of the European Parliament and Vice-Coordinator for the European People’s Party (EPP), in the Public Health Committee (SANT). Previously, he was a professor of Health and Science Communication at Semmelweis University. Kulja’s social media posts and videos on health education, aimed to fight disinformation, notably prevailed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marnix van Ginneken is the Executive Vice President and Chief ESG & Legal Officer of Royal Philips. He is responsible for driving environmental, social and governance efforts across the company, including sustainability, and is also responsible for legal, intellectual property & standards, and government & public affairs. Marnix is also a member of the Board of Management and the Executive Committee, as well as Chair of the Board of the Philips Foundation. Before joining Philips, Marnix worked for Akzo Nobel, and as an attorney in a private practice. In addition to his role at Royal Philips, he has been a Professor of International Corporate Governance at the Erasmus School of Law in Rotterdam.