CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO STRENGTHEN THE EU COMPETITIVENESS IN LIFE SCIENCES

Project Information

LIFESCIENCE4EU

Grant agreement ID: 101217685

DOI

10.3030/101217685

Project closed

EC signature date 12 February 2025

Start date 1 January 2025

End date 30 June 2025

Funded under

• Health

Total cost

€ 343 250,00

EU contribution

€ 300 000,00

Coordinated by

FUNDACJA KLASTER LIFESCIENCE KRAKOW
Poland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LIFESCIENCE4EU (CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO STRENGTHEN THE EU COMPETITIVENESS IN LIFE SCIENCES)

Reporting period: 2025-01-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The “LifeScience4EU” project takes shape as a flagship conference organised under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union (15–16 May 2025, Kraków), set against a backdrop of growing healthcare challenges, rapid technological transformation, and the strategic imperative to enhance EU competitiveness in the life sciences. Europe is currently at a crossroads: while it fosters cutting-edge innovations in biotechnology, AI, and digital health, systemic barriers in regulation, market access, and collaboration still hinder their full-scale deployment and global impact.

This project responds directly to these needs by bringing together a wide spectrum of stakeholders—from researchers and companies to policymakers and patients—to engage in forward-looking dialogue on the future of health innovation in Europe. The conference aims to align with EU strategic goals, particularly those prioritising health resilience, digitalisation, and autonomy in critical technologies and supply chains.

By fostering cross-sector partnerships, promoting knowledge exchange, and spotlighting best practices from across Europe, the project seeks to unlock synergies and drive systemic change. The anticipated impact includes not only strengthening Europe’s position as a leader in medical innovation but also improving health outcomes and quality of life through more effective, inclusive, and sustainable healthcare systems.

Moreover, by integrating perspectives from the social sciences and humanities, the project will explore the societal, ethical, and behavioural dimensions of healthcare innovation—ensuring that the technological advancements discussed are inclusive, patient-centric, and socially responsible.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The LifeScience4EU project, implemented under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, was centred around the organisation and execution of a high-level scientific conference (15–16 May 2025, Kraków), focused on leveraging technology to strengthen the EU’s competitiveness in life sciences. The project’s core scientific objective was to create a platform that would catalyse interdisciplinary collaboration, address regulatory and systemic challenges in health innovation, and define actionable strategies for research and development across Europe.


The project adopted a systems-thinking framework to structure the conference programme around three sequential thematic pillars: (A) defining desired outcomes in European healthcare innovation, (B) identifying success metrics and barriers, and (C) proposing actions for closing the gap between the current state and future vision. This methodology ensured coherence, depth, and forward-looking orientation in the discussions.

Key technical and scientific components included:

- Pre-conference knowledge capture: workshops involving 50+ stakeholders from across academia, industry, and regulatory fields helped frame the agenda by surfacing critical issues and challenges to be tackled during the main event.
- Expert-driven programme: The conference featured over 35 international experts and high-level EU/national officials participating in keynote lectures, expert panels, and fireside chats. These sessions covered: AI and digital health, biotechnology integration, HTA harmonisation, KPIs for innovation impact, and personalised care models.
- Evidence-based agenda building: Topics were aligned with active R&D projects (e.g. EDITH, Digital Health Europe, Innovative Health Initiative) and linked to strategic EU policy frameworks (Horizon Europe, EU4Health, EHDS), ensuring technical and scientific relevance.
- Multistakeholder innovation ecosystem: Over 300 stakeholders representing research, industry, public health authorities, and patient groups were brought together to share perspectives, generate recommendations, and explore future-oriented health innovation pathways.
- Knowledge openness and reuse: The conference promoted Open Science by publishing its proceedings, recordings, and post-event materials on the LSOS platform. Key findings were synthesised into an openly accessible post-conference report.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Potential Impacts

The project generated short- and long-term impacts in the following dimensions:

- The conference facilitated cross-pollination of knowledge among disciplines (e.g. AI, biotechnology, health economics) and sectors (public and private), enhancing the visibility of cutting-edge innovations and emerging research priorities across the EU.
- The project offered concrete recommendations for aligning innovation policy with EU strategic goals, especially in the areas of regulatory harmonisation, health data governance, and patient-centred R&I agendas.
- By emphasising inclusive design and collaboration with patient groups, the project promoted more accessible, equitable, and needs-responsive healthcare innovation pathways.
- The LifeScience4EU platform helped stimulate new partnerships and investments by showcasing success stories and building trust among stakeholders, ultimately contributing to Europe’s global competitiveness in life sciences.