On March 6 2025, ECHAlliance and AQuAS (Agència de Qualitat i Avaluació Sanitàries de Catalunya) organized the Health Procurement Thematic Innovation Ecosystem (TIE) Event, an interactive forum that brought together key stakeholders to explore the procurement and adoption of AI-driven solutions in healthcare. InnoHSupport participated in the discussions, reinforcing its mission to support healthcare innovation procurement across Europe.
Held just after the Digital Health & Wellness Summit, the event focused on how value-based procurement can facilitate the successful implementation, adoption, and scaling of AI technologies in healthcare.
The session focused on the practicalities of AI procurement and adoption, addressing the barriers to implementation and strategies for effective integration. Discussions centered on:
- AI in primary care, social care, and hospitals – exploring current applications and use cases.
- Procurement challenges and opportunities – identifying best practices for public and private sector collaboration.
- Strategies for scaling AI innovations – ensuring AI-driven solutions provide tangible value to patients, healthcare professionals, and systems.
Speakers included Ramon Maspons, Chief Health Innovation Strategist at the Ministry of Health of Catalonia, and Andy Bleaden, Communities Director at ECHAlliance, who welcomed participants and set the stage for an engaging exchange. Additional insights were provided by Bertrand Wert, Innovation Procurement Lead at the European Innovation Council (EIC), Maria Sanchis Amat from EIT Health, and Rossana Alessandrello, Value-Based Procurement Director at AQuAS.
Insights from the European Innovation Council (EIC)
One of the highlights of the event was the intervention by Bertrand Wert, PhD, from the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). He provided valuable insights into the EIC Business Acceleration Services (BAS) and their role in supporting both healthcare procurers and suppliers.
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His presentation emphasized the importance of strategic procurement approaches and the role of funding opportunities in enabling the adoption of AI-driven solutions in healthcare. These insights underscored the need for collaboration between innovators, healthcare institutions, and procurement professionals to ensure that emerging technologies are effectively integrated into healthcare systems.
Collaboration and Future Synergies
The event provided a unique opportunity for networking and collaboration, enabling participants to explore potential partnerships that could advance AI adoption in healthcare procurement. It was particularly valuable for fostering synergies between EU-funded initiatives, such as InnoHSupport, InnoMatch, and Health Innovation Procurement Support Services (HIPSS).
Reflecting on the discussions, Andy Bleaden, Communities Director at ECHAlliance, said that:
“Following this Thematic Innovation Ecosystem led by our ECHAlliance Ecosystem in Catalonia AQUAS it is clear that AI can have the potential to transform healthcare, but its impact depends on how well we integrate it directly into health and care procurement processes. Ecosystems like these are crucial for bringing together key stakeholders to explore best practices, break down silos, connect the dots, and ensure AI-driven solutions deliver real value to patients, professionals, and healthcare systems. Collaboration is the key to driving sustainable innovation in healthcare procurement..
However it must also be noted that to forget the value of AI already being deployed at scale across the globe especially in social care. shows that Europe again has some learning to do to prevent us reinventing the wheel – yet again. This is indeed the value of the Global Health Connector that ECHAlliance brings”
The Health Procurement Thematic Innovation Ecosystem Event served as a key platform for knowledge exchange, reinforcing the role of initiatives like InnoHSupport in shaping the future of healthcare procurement and AI adoption.
Moving forward, InnoHSupport will continue to support public procurers, innovators, and healthcare professionals by providing resources and fostering collaboration to ensure that AI-driven solutions contribute to more efficient and patient-centered healthcare systems.
Stay engaged with InnoHSupport’s work in innovation procurement. Visit the website for the latest updates, upcoming events, and opportunities to collaborate.
