Health Research

The Health Research Committee focuses on advocating for stronger funding for health research in the EU as well as working together towards a harmonised regulatory system which supports research and better health in Europe.

Description

Biomedical health research is at the heart of the BioMed Alliance’s mission. With
its Health Research Committee, the Alliance monitors EU Health research policy and related policies, informs its members about developments, provides a
platform for discussions and conveys the position of members to policymakers
and stakeholders. We strive to address bottlenecks and call for more support and
coordination health research.

Chair

The Committee is chaired by Prof. Wilfried Ellmeier.

Board Representatives

The Board Representatives for the Committee is Prof. Craig Wheelock.

Highlights

Key opinion leaders call for a strong EU health budget

More than 490 healthcare experts, researchers, academics, and patient advocates from across Europe have signed a joint letter calling on EU leaders and national governments to make health a strategic priority in the European Union’s next long-term budget. The letter comes at a key moment in the negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), as the EU focuses on competitiveness, resilience, and economic security. The signatories stress that these ambitions cannot be achieved without strong investment in health, prevention, and healthcare systems. According to the World Health Organization, avoidable deaths linked to non-communicable diseases result in an estimated €442 billion in lost productivity every year across Europe. The joint call urges EU institutions and Member States to support a dedicated and protected EU health budget that reflects the needs of citizens and strengthens Europe’s long-term resilience. The European Parliament has already adopted a position supporting dedicated health investment, while discussions among Member States are ongoing. BioMed Alliance is proud to be among the signatories supporting this important initiative to place health at the centre of Europe’s future. This builds on our recent position on the future EU research framework, where we supported MEP Christian Ehler’s draft ITRE report on the next Horizon Europe (FP10) regulation and called for an ambitious, well-structured EU research budget.

‘Investment in health is undeniably fundamental to Europe’s resilience, prosperity, and global competitiveness. As the EU prepares the next MFF, policymakers must safeguard a strong, ring-fenced health budget to drive biomedical research, strengthen preparedness against future health threats, and improve patient outcomes across Europe’, said Tom Hemming Karlsen, BioMed Alliance President

03 June 2026Read more

Digital transformation in healthcare workshop: empowering professionals with the necessary skills for the future

On 29 April 2026, BioMed Alliance, in collaboration with the BeWell Project, co-organised the online workshop ‘Digital transformation in healthcare: empowering professionals with the necessary skills for the future’. This workshop aimed to explore how healthcare professionals can strengthen their digital skills in response to the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, including the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital tools, and the upcoming implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS). Workshop overview

The session on perspectives on digital skills for healthcare professionals and researchers included Presentations on the necessary competencies for the use of AI in healthcare and the implementation of EHDS, featuring Merel Huisman (ESR) and Susan Evans Axelsson (EAU).
Afterwards, we continued with a session on Lessons from BeWell which focussed on insights on the project’s lessons learned and key outputs aimed at improving digital skills in healthcare, presented by Maral Aghababai (EHMA).
We ended the workshop with an interactive discussion where participants discussed existing gaps in digital skills, strategies to close them, and ways to enhance digital literacy across healthcare and research sectors.

Discussion and key themes The workshop emphasised the importance of digital literacy for both healthcare professionals and researchers in today’s technology-driven environment. As AI becomes more integrated into clinical practice, professionals must develop key competencies in areas such as performance assessment, regulation and governance (e.g. EU AI Act, MDR), and clinical implementation. They must also be equipped to provide adequate oversight and address issues like bias, while navigating ethical and legal challenges to ensure AI is used responsibly in both patient care and research. Similarly, the EHDS, designed to facilitate secure access to health data across the European Union for healthcare and research, requires new skillsets and expertise in data governance. This includes understanding the primary and secondary uses of health data, ensuring compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and safeguarding patient privacy. Healthcare professionals and researchers must also be able to explain these concepts to patients and participants, empowering them to understand how their data is managed, shared, and protected. Despite the growing need for these skills, several gaps were identified. There is a lack of systematic digital skills training, and many healthcare professionals and researchers are not sufficiently involved in the design and implementation of digital health solutions. Additionally, many remain unaware of the specific requirements needed to engage with these tools effectively. Furthermore, organisations face challenges such as time constraints, insufficient incentives, and a lack of support for continuous training. In line with the findings of the BeWell Project, the workshop stressed the importance of embedding digital and sustainability skills into medical, nursing, and research curricula, while also supporting continuing professional development (CPD and CME). Discussions also highlighted the need for cross-sector collaboration, ensuring cooperation between healthcare providers, technology developers, and policymakers to prepare a workforce capable of managing the digital transformation in both healthcare and research. Main takeaways and recommendations:

Promote training and continuing digital education for healthcare professionals and researchers, enabling them to adapt to new technologies.
Embed digital and sustainability competencies within educational frameworks to better prepare future professionals.
Involve clinicians in the design and implementation of digital health solutions to ensure these tools are practical, effective, and user-friendly.
Foster cross-sector collaboration to ensure a healthcare workforce that is future-ready and capable of addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital transformation.
Provide organisational support and incentives to ensure professionals have the necessary resources and time for continuous digital training and skills development.

04 May 2026Read more

BioMed Alliance calls for strong reforms in the next Horizon Europe (FP10) regulation proposal

BioMed Alliance has published a new position statement in support of MEP Christian Ehler’s draft ITRE report on the next Horizon Europe 2028-2034 (FP10) regulation proposal. As the legislative process on FP10 advances, MEPs are currently proposing amendments to the draft report, and the ITRE Committee is aiming to reach a compromise agreement by September 2026. This is therefore a crucial moment to ensure that the biomedical community’s perspectives are represented in shaping the future of EU research funding. This draft report introduces important improvements to the EU’s research and innovation framework, particularly in addressing longstanding challenges in the health research sector, such as bureaucratic inefficiencies, fragmented decision-making, and delays in translating research into clinical applications. In our statement, we call for the adoption of the proposed €220 billion FP10 budget, the creation of expert-led Councils to enhance coordination, a standalone health research programme, initiatives to attract and retain early-career researchers, simplified participation processes, and enhanced transparency in funding mechanisms.

21 April 2026Read more

2023 Report Highlights the importance of Life Science Investments in Europe

The report, "Attracting Life Science Investments in Europe," has been published in 2023 as an initiative by BioMed Alliance, EuropaBio, and Johnson & Johnson. The report consists of an analysis of the life science sector within Europe, providing a set of indicators on the importance of life science investments. The report identifies existing gaps within the European life science ecosystem compared to the US and China and provides strategic recommendations to address these disparities. Key recommendations include:

Stronger policy efforts from the EU to establish a long-term vision and enhance Europe’s position in life sciences.
Increased and more focused public funding for research and education, both at the EU level and within individual member states, to avoid the inefficiencies caused by fragmented resources

22 May 2024Read more

New statement shares the concerns of the scientific community on a recent Citizens Initiative proposing to phase-out animal testing

The medical & scientific community represented within the BioMed Alliance has published a new statement expressing its strong concerns about the consequences of the European Citizens Initiative ‘Save cruelty free cosmetics - Commit to a Europe without animal testing’ for biomedical research. While the first two parts of the Citizens’ Initiative refer to protecting the animal testing ban for cosmetics and to transforming the chemicals regulation (the BioMed Alliance has no official position on this), the third part on modernising science could affect the European health research sector. This Citizens Initiative calls on the Commission to introduce a ‘legislative proposal plotting a roadmap to phase-out all animal testing in the EU before the end of the current legislative term’ and is currently being considered by EU policy makers. The initiative was also discussed in a hearing in the European Parliament on 25 May and the Commission is preparing a response. The proposed phase-out will have a detrimental effect on biomedical research and will significantly hinder the search for new insights into the characteristics and progress of diseases and the development of life saving treatment options for patients.

23 May 2023Read more

Workshop European initiatives for health research and development

The "European initiatives for health research and development” workshop was held at the World Health Summit in Berlin on Sunday 29th October 2019. The workshop was hosted by the BioMed Alliance, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the M8 Alliance. The report summarises the speakers’ perspectives and views on the future design of European health research and global partnerships.

10 February 2020Read more

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