💡 Last week, The MedTech Forum came to Stockholm and Swedish Medtech was a proud partner organisation to the event. Together with MedTech Europe, we had the opportunity to welcome colleagues from across Europe and all the way to Australia to an inspiring conference, bringing policy‑makers, healthcare leaders, industry and patient representatives together. The opening session set a strong tone. Jakob Forssmed, Sweden’s Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health, highlighted the importance of resilient, innovative and patient‑centred healthcare, where medtech is a key factor. Across the programme, several key insights stood out: 🔸 Europe urgently needs simpler and more predictable regulatory frameworks, and fewer barriers to market access. Innovation must reach patients faster, and Europe must strengthen its global competitiveness for investments. 🔸 Health system resilience and preparedness are now strategic priorities. 🔸 There is a growing importance of AI in healthcare and AI was a recurring theme in many discussions. 🔸 Sustainability is emerging as a core strategic lever, with climate resilience, circularity and sustainable finance strengthening healthcare systems, competitiveness and long‑term patient value. 🔸 The importance of strengthening efforts in women’s health was also clearly emphasised. Swedish Medtech was also pleased to contribute to the programme with two seminars. 💡 From Battlefield to Preparedness: What Europe Must Learn from Ukraine – and How the Nordics Are Strengthening Health Security Ukraine’s experience shows that healthcare resilience depends on decentralisation, digital continuity, diversified supply chains and strong civil–military coordination. Despite sustained attacks, adaptive governance and international collaboration have safeguarded continuity of care. The Nordics highlight the value of cross‑sector preparedness, resilient infrastructure and interoperable digital systems. Together, these lessons point to a necessary mental shift: preparedness by design to protect health systems, democracy and society in prolonged crises. 💡 Advancing Strategic MedTech Stockpiling to Build Health System Resilience This session focused on how preparedness and stockpiling must be designed in close alignment with real‑world supply chains, production and logistics. Lessons from Ukraine reinforced that systems built for “just‑in‑time” delivery need to evolve towards “just‑in‑case” and that preparedness comes at a cost we must be willing to acknowledge. A key message resonated: what works in normal times will also have the potential to work in times of crisis. A big thank you to MedTech Europe for a well‑organised and forward‑looking conference. Oliver Bisazza, Christopher Breyel, Claudia Peters, Jesus Rueda Rodriguez, Teresa Barcina Lacosta, Davidson L. and all the rest of the great team at MedTech Europe. See you in Rome 2027!
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