Event: Innovation in healthcare without borders

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The EFPIA view

Event: Innovation in healthcare without borders

19.04.12

As we experience the impact of the financial crisis where Member States are cutting back on healthcare expenditure, it is important that we keep stimulate innovation and keep it at the top of the agenda. Innovation is what is going to make healthcare systems more sustainable in the future. And as Sir Andrew Witty, CEO of GSK and President of EFPIA, says in the video above:

“Innovation is a key deliverable that everybody in Europe should striving forward”.

The Innovation in Healthcare Without Borders conference held this week in Brussels, organised jointly by the European Commission’s DG Research and Innovation, Enterprise and Industry, Health and Consumers and Regional Policy, Development and Cooperation, brought together key actors and policymakers in order to develop initiatives and opportunities for innovation in healthcare.

The 2012 conference provided the opportunity to contribute shaping the next steps forward, including the adoption of the European Commission’s new framework for research and innovation: Horizon 2020.

EFPIA was pleased to chair the “EU Research and Innovation Funding” session where the EU Commission presented the Horizon 2020 programme.

The proposed budget for this next framework programme for research and innovation is €80 billion. According to the EU Commission: “Innovation is essential to ensure competitiveness, growth and job”. Thanks to Horizon 2020, the EU hope to reach 3% of GDP investment by 2020.

Compared to FP7, Horizon 2020 will bring the following novelties

Simpler programme architecture
Less paperwork in preparing proposals
A more inclusive approach
Renewing successful partnerships like EDCTP and IMI.

EFPIA members are committed to the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). In IMI the EU Commission contributes 1 Billion Euro in cash and EFPIA member companies add an equal 1 Billion Euro as in-kind contributions. This is a unique and first of its kind public private partnership where cooperation between academia, SMEs and the industry has changed the understanding and perspective of public private partnerships within life science. There is therefore a desire to build on the success and positive learnings from IMI to develop a new Partnership Framework with the European Commission focused on pharmaceutical R&D.

To understand more how IMI is participating to innovation in Europe watch the video below of Roch Doliveux, CEO of UCB and chairman of the IMI Governing Board:

For further information on the Innovation in Healthcare Without Borders event, click here.

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