EIT Health Spain reinforces its commitment to patient-centred innovation by integrating the POP into its partnership

• The incorporation of the Platform of Patient Organisations (Plataforma de Organizaciones de Pacientes – POP) completes and strengthens the EIT Health ecosystem, which brings together all public and private stakeholders in the health innovation value chain.
•  The patient’s voice must be integrated from the beginning of the health innovation process to ensure impactful and meaningful solutions.

The Platform of Patient Organisations (Plataforma de Organizaciones de Pacientes – POP) has joined the EIT Health Spain ecosystem. EIT Health Spain is 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. This new collaboration strengthens EIT Health Spain’s commitment to driving innovative solutions tailored to real patient needs and further highlights the central role of patients in creating value in healthcare.

POP, a leading organisation representing patient associations in Spain, advocates for actively representing people with chronic conditions and long-term symptoms. Its entry consolidates the collaboration that has been developing for some time now, in events and spaces for debate such as the Think Tank. This integration will ensure the patient perspective is incorporated into the design and development of innovation projects, guaranteeing that solutions genuinely address unmet needs.

Innovation by – and for – the patient

“The patient’s voice must be present from the beginning of the innovation process. Their perspective and experience bring a unique value complementing the expertise of healthcare professionals and innovators,’ emphasises Izabel Alfany, Managing Director of EIT Health Spain. “By welcoming POP as a partner, the hub gains a key perspective to advance the personalisation, accessibility and efficacy of healthcare innovations.”

POP brings a strong track record in research, social innovation and education, including involvement in driving clinical trials, promoting patient registries and educating policy-makers and health associations. Its mission not only encompasses improving the quality of life of people with chronic diseases but also striving for more equitable healthcare, values it shares with EIT Health.

“To POP, innovation and technology are fundamental keys to improving the lives of chronic patients. Being connected to the innovation ecosystem through this important alliance and giving patients a voice at every stage is a great opportunity to make further progress,’ explains Carina Escobar, president of POP.

A growing ecosystem with diversity and purpose

With this new addition, EIT Health Spain “reaffirms its mission to act as a catalyst for relevant changes in the healthcare system, fostering strategic collaborations between companies and start-ups, public and private healthcare centres, research institutions, universities, and now patient organisations,” notes Izabel Alfany. “The future of innovation must be collaborative and human-centred. We are convinced that patients are not only beneficiaries of innovation but essential co-creators. Including them in the process ensures that the solutions developed have a real and lasting impact on their lives,” she adds.