EIT Health Annual Report 2023

Foreword

Bold, successful healthcare innovation has the power to be truly transformative, offering the solutions Europe needs to alleviate the mounting pressures on our health systems and revolutionise care for patients and citizens. Radical new models to deliver healthcare are needed to meet the evolving health needs of an ageing population. And barriers to digital transformation must be broken down so its potential to make healthcare more effective and efficient can be realised.

By rising to meet these challenges, and striving for resilience and sustainability, EIT Health is working to re-imagine European healthcare; empowering healthier lives and fuelling a more competitive, future-ready economy. To do this, we need to unite knowledge, expertise and resources across the EU to accelerate medical advancement.

In 2023, embracing our motto “Together for Healthy Lives in Europe,” we joined forces with our incredible network of world-class partners to tackle Europe’s most pressing health challenges. Harnessing our collective knowledge and assets, we maximised on opportunities to propel healthcare innovation forward, creating positive societal impact across the continent.

Our achievements would not be possible without the passion and contributions of the brightest minds in healthcare innovation, who proudly form our network. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the exceptional organisations in business, education, research, and health service delivery, as well as the thousands of start-ups, entrepreneurs, and healthcare professionals we collaborate with across Europe every day. Thank you for working with us as we create a healthier, brighter future for all!

Introduction

Over the past year, our dynamic community of pioneering health innovators has united to take meaningful action to transform European healthcare. By connecting and enabling key players across borders, we’ve cultivated a thriving ecosystem where groundbreaking ideas can be realised, and life-changing solutions can emerge.

Together, we accelerated cutting-edge innovation projects to solve critical challenges in the healthcare sector and address unmet needs for patients and markets alike. Our efforts in business creation have elevated the value and impact of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in health throughout the EU, enhancing their global competitiveness. And through our educational initiatives, we’ve reduced the entrepreneurial skills gap and fortified the healthcare innovation ecosystem.

By bringing together diverse stakeholders, such as policy makers and healthcare providers, with organisations from all three sides of what we call the “knowledge triangle” – research, education, and business – we ensured we had the right expertise to drive measurable impact over the year.

In 2023, we launched our first “Flagships Call,” inviting our Partners and the broader healthcare innovation community to apply for funding for activities across four strategic focus areas recognised as EU health priorities. This new unified approach aims to address urgent healthcare challenges while delivering tangible socio-economic benefits to society.

EIT Health community in action in 2023

We supported 450 start-ups and scale-ups to grow their business

€284 million in investment attracted by our supported start-ups and scale-ups

We launched 10 innovations to market

We supported 51 early-stage start-ups through the Regional Innovation Scheme, a programme which accelerates start-ups from Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe, to bridge the innovation gap

We worked closely with the community and saw:

42 new industry jobs created as a direct result of projects we worked on

141,762 citizens benefitted from solutions developed or implemented

Trained 15,709 students and professionals through EIT Health education programmes

Addressing Europe’s health priorities

By funding groundbreaking projects and programmes in education, innovation, and business creation, we are catalysing the healthcare innovation essential for sustainable growth in Europe’s economy. To amplify our impact in 2023, we strategically concentrated our efforts on four key Flagships.

We look forward to further realising the impact of our Flagship strategy in 2024 and have put in place tangible metrics to measure the real-life benefits of activities for patients and their impact on healthcare systems. Each of our Flagships focuses on an area recognised as a pressing EU health priority – here’s to driving meaningful, measurable change in the areas that matter most!

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Defining new models to deliver healthcare

Activities under this Flagship aim to define new models of healthcare delivery that prioritise patient outcomes and shift the focus from treatment to prevention. Examples of existing activities aligned with this include the EIT Health innovation projects HARMONICS which is working to harmonise data collection to deliver high value stroke care and DigiPrevent which creates a digital screening procedure to provide personalised prevention and early treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
2

Facilitating the uptake of digital medical devices

Activities under this Flagship aim to support the development of and access to digital health medical devices across Europe. Examples of existing activities aligned with this include EIT Health innovation projects ASSIST which is developing the first AI-based solution for the early detection and accurate triage of acute coronary syndromes and ProHeart, a therapy companion designed to improve survival rates and quality of life for patients with heart failure.
3

Supporting the deployment of Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) to address market failures

Sixteen countries have committed to the deployment of IPCEI to address potential market failures impeding innovation, and improve the quality of, and access to, patient healthcare. In 2023 we carried out preparatory work to this with a view to launching a related call in 2024.
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Harnessing the full potential of health data for innovation

Activities under this Flagship support the implementation of the European Health Data Space. An example of an existing innovation project aligned with this is EHR2EDC which aims to enable the collection of clinical data from the electronic health records (EHRs) of several hospitals, to develop a system that can improve the efficiency of medical research, including research involving real world data.

Accelerating solutions to unmet health needs

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Launching products to market

In 2023, we proudly launched 10 game-changing products to market that addressed urgent, unmet health needs. These innovative solutions emerged from ambitious projects we funded to enhance healthcare delivery, disrupt industry norms, and maximise positive health outcomes for patients.

Over 140,000 citizens and patients directly benefited from the solutions we helped develop and implement. And the start-ups we supported through these projects attracted an impressive €1.132 million in investment, to accelerate their life-changing innovations, contributing to a healthier future for all.
2

EDIT-B launches new test for bipolar disorder

An inspiring example of an EIT Health innovation project which achieved market launch in 2023 is EDIT-B. Bipolar disorder is often confused with depression and an accurate diagnosis in many countries can take as long as 8 years.

The EDIT-B consortium, led by ALCEDIAG, developed a revolutionary blood diagnostic test to drastically reduce this diagnostic delay to just four weeks. It differentiates bipolar disorder from depression using RNA editing biomarkers and artificial intelligence.

Through EIT Health’s support, strategic guidance, and assistance in navigating recent regulatory changes, the consortium brought its ground-breaking test to market in 2023, a full two years ahead of the projected launch date of 2025.

Contributing to a sustainable health economy in Europe

Increasing the value of Europe’s top start-ups

As well as launching products to market through innovation projects, we empowered top European start-ups to achieve outstanding European and global commercial success. In 2023, our programmes actively supported 450 start-ups and scale-ups, helping them attract €284 million in investment.

Our business creation activities also led to 42 new industry jobs, the creation of which contributes to our goal of supporting a sustainable health economy in Europe.

We have also been pioneering new ways of working with European institutions to strengthen connections and ensure a continuous flow of high-quality deals and investments from which the whole ecosystem prospers.

Spurring the creation of new start-ups

As well as nurturing the growth of existing start-ups and empowering them to bring their innovations to market faster, our programmes also foster the creation of new start-ups.

Notably, the Wild Card programme, a challenge-based programme that builds transformative life science companies, sparked the launch of three new start-ups and at least 18 new jobs as a result. We’re proud to be igniting innovation and fuelling a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem that empowers the next generation of changemakers.

Educating the innovators of the future

Reducing the entrepreneurial skills shortage

Over the last twelve months, our education activities have been instrumental in upskilling and reskilling current and future healthcare innovation talent, reducing the entrepreneurial skills gap and helping to fill competence gaps in deep tech.

In 2023, we successfully trained over 15,000 students and professionals. 79 students successfully graduated from EIT Labelled programmes and 10 EIT Labelled students and graduates joined start-ups. The EIT Label is a a certificate of quality awarded to excellent educational programmes that focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity, and leadership and are based on the knowledge triangle – the integration of business, education and research.

By equipping the healthcare workforce with the right new skills, we’ve enabled them to develop and adopt groundbreaking innovations and solutions that promote better health for all.

Closing the innovation gap

The Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) empowers the next generation of healthcare innovators from regions across Europe where the pace of innovation is more moderate, ensuring equal opportunities for all. To help bridge the innovation gap, we set ambitious targets to increase the participation of RIS participants in our educational programmes.

Remarkably, the number of RIS participants in EIT-labelled programmes reached 30%, while participation in non-labelled programmes soared to 80%, effectively doubling our original 2023 target.

A highlight of our efforts, the ‘Science4Pandemics’ programme, a digital platform which teaches students about infectious diseases, successfully educated and engaged over 8,000 students from RIS countries in pandemic prevention and management, fostering collaborative research that has the potential to transform public health.

i-Days success

i-Days are dynamic challenge-based learning events designed to inspire creativity and foster collaboration among the next generation of health innovators. Students from diverse academic backgrounds receive hands-on training in innovation, entrepreneurship, design thinking, and pitching, competing in teams to address real-world health challenges presented by EIT Health, local organisations, private corporations, and start-ups.

In 2023, we proudly welcomed 700 learners to i-Days across 23 European cities, with the winning teams earning the opportunity to showcase their brilliance at the prestigious Winner’s Event in Austria. By nurturing the leaders of the future, we are collectively paving the way for a healthier, more innovative world.

Healthcare Transformation Academy looks to scale-up

The “Healthcare Transformation Academy,” designed by EIT Health and partners from the European University Hospital Alliance (EUHA), equips professionals with the vital competencies and skills needed to drive innovation in healthcare. In 2023, the Academy trained 700 individuals across 20 inspiring courses in Innovation Management, Leadership, High Value Care, Precision and Personalised Medicine, and Digital Health Transformation.

With ambitious plans to expand and reach even more learners in the coming years, this programme is shaping careers and cultivating a new wave of healthcare leaders ready to revolutionise the future of health for everyone.

Growing the EIT Health Innovators Community

Since its establishment in 2017, the EIT Health Innovators Community has grown into a dynamic collective of over 4,500 innovators from 65+ countries, dedicated to transforming healthcare through collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship.

This year, we streamlined the onboarding process for new members, clarifying our community’s mission. We’re proud to be connecting with more innovators than ever, eager to share ideas and explore opportunities in European healthcare. Exciting partnerships, like our collaboration with MedTech Malta, and initiatives such as the ‘Healthcare Disruptors’ podcast are making the EIT Health Innovators Community an even more compelling hub, uniting healthcare innovators across Europe in a vibrant network.

Informing policy decision-making

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Driving change through thought leadership

In 2023, our thought leadership platform, the EIT Health Think Tank, brought together influential thought leaders and subject matter experts across borders and disciplines to discuss pressing issues facing our healthcare innovation ecosystem. We widely disseminated our analysis of these discussions and insights, presenting policy focused recommendations and solutions to drive meaningful change.

In March 2023, we published a report, ‘Digital Medical Devices: Paths to European Harmonisation’, which reflected on the lessons learned from Germany’s DiGA FastTrack process to integrate digital health applications into standard care pathways. This report not only highlighted best practices but also provided a roadmap for other EU countries to enhance their healthcare systems.

By sharing critical insights and recommendations, the EIT Health Think Tank is not just sparking conversations; we are catalysing actionable change that can shape a more efficient, accessible, and innovative healthcare landscape across Europe.
2

Collaborating with EU stakeholders

In 2023, we significantly elevated our interactions with EU-level stakeholders, cementing our position as an important player with the necessary skills and expertise to provide strategic insight, and implementation capability to meeting key policy priorities.

We proudly collaborated with DG Grow to launch a new industry-led Pact for Skills, a formalised large-scale partnership under the European Skills Agenda aimed at fostering sustainable competitiveness, social fairness, and resilience. We also joined the European Partnership for Personalised Medicine (EP PerMed) consortium, which synergises European Commission, national, and regional funding to enhance healthcare for all citizens through personalised therapies, diagnostics, and prevention strategies.

By forging these strategic alliances, we are actively shaping the healthcare landscape in Europe for everyone’s benefit.

Looking forward

In 2024, we are excited to deepen our commitment and collaborate with stakeholders across our network and throughout Europe to achieve our ambitious strategic goals of:

Strengthening healthcare systems

Promoting better health of European citizens and patients

Contributing to a sustainable health economy

To achieve these goals, we will continue to work with the community to:

Rapidly accelerate the development of needs-based health innovations for widespread market adoption across Europe

Elevate the value and impact of EU-based SMEs in the health sector, empowering them to compete on the global stage

Enable healthcare providers, professionals, and payors to revolutionise care with outcomes that truly matter to patients

Attract and upskill the brightest minds to design, develop, and harness groundbreaking healthcare innovations

Shape and drive transformative healthcare innovation policy in Europe, grounded in the insights and experiences gained from EIT Health activities

In 2024, we will start to realise the impact of our Flagship strategy, accelerating healthcare innovation and fostering meaningful societal change in the critical areas that matter most to Europe.

Dive into our 2023 – 2025 Business Plan to find out more about what we hope to achieve in 2024 and beyond.

If you are looking to deliver societal impact, find out how to join us as a Partner of EIT Health, so together, we can transform healthcare that will change lives.

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