EIT Health advocates for improving the participation of all players in the PERTE for Health

• Izabel Alfany, Head of Operations at EIT Health Spain, believes that PERTE should go beyond injecting money and focus on the transformation of the healthcare model.
• EIT Health calls for a collaborative approach that integrates all actors in the value chain and welcomes Spain’s commitment to the IPCEI as an opportunity to reindustrialise Europe.
• Agility, territorial cohesion, public-private collaboration and the generation of innovative talent are other key aspects for the success of PERTE.

Barcelona, 17 February 2023.-EIT Health Spain, a Co-Location centre (regional hub) of EIT Health, which is part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, has called for an improvement in the participation of all players in the  Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) for Vanguard Health and considers that it should be focused on creating value “that goes beyond the purchase of technology” during a round table discussion held at the Transfiere in Malaga.

“In the PERTE for Vanguard Health, the T for transformation is key, but we need to know towards which direction we want to transform, thus a model based on the generation of value translates into improving the health of the population, the patient experience and the satisfaction of professionals”, says Izabel Alfany, Head of Operations and Business Development at EIT Health Spain.

EIT Health Spain’s Head of Operations acknowledges that the mere purchase of technology does not ensure the potential for transformation, but that European funds must provide the necessary strategic framework “to guide and coordinate what innovation needs to be promoted”.

“To ensure a real transformation, injecting money is not enough, we also need to guarantee that disruptive innovation reaches the system, that professionals and organisations adopt it, and that it impacts the patient,” she adds.

She is therefore advocating a collaborative and inclusive approach that incorporates all actors in the value chain. “It is essential to attract the necessary private funds, especially in projects of considerable importance, such as those related to bioproduction and the reindustrialisation of Spain and Europe,” she says.

In this sense, she valued Spain’s commitment to the IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Interest) aimed at the reindustrialisation of Europe. “It is a good idea to incorporate this significant project of common interest into the country’s recovery strategy”, she admitted.

Agility, territorial cohesion and talent

Furthermore, Alfany considers that to take advantage of the unique opportunity of the funds, agility, speed and knowledge in the management of the calls for proposals are necessary. “We should have metrics focused on the generation of value,” she says.

“It is necessary to collaborate at the public-private level and guarantee territorial cohesion, especially in one of PERTE’s flagship projects such as the creation of the Health Data Lake, a common space for data for clinical use and especially as a source of innovation,” explains Alfany.

At the same time, EIT Health Spain is in favour of leadership, training and talent retention. “For the PERTE for Vanguard Health funds to have a real impact, we must address aspects such as the training of professionals, the generation of talent, the adoption of regulation and data governance,” explains Izabel Alfany. “We need leadership to define the healthcare model and align all actions,” she stresses.

Finally, she warns of the regulatory barriers that create obstacles for innovators. “A lot of innovation is lost along the way because startups and SMEs, which represent the majority of our business sector, do not receive adequate support”, concludes Alfany.