Europe has excellent research in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), innovative companies and strong scientific expertise. Today, however, the challenge lies less in developing new AI applications than in creating the conditions for their widespread use in healthcare. As the European Commission seeks to accelerate the use of AI through initiatives such as the AI Continent Action Plan, the Apply AI Strategy, the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and the Data Act, these framework conditions are becoming increasingly important.
Against this background, the European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO) has published the position paper “Accelerating AI Adoption in Healthcare through European SMEs”. It was developed by the EARTO Working Group Emerging Technologies for Healthcare, chaired by Dirk Holste of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. The working group brings together more than 100 experts from almost 40 research and technology organisations (RTOs) across Europe. The position paper analyses the structural barriers to the broader use of AI in healthcare and sets out seven recommendations for further developing the EU framework for the validation, implementation and scaling of AI-supported healthcare solutions.
From Development to Healthcare Delivery
AI can, for example, support medical decision-making, identify health risks at an earlier stage and improve processes in healthcare institutions. However, technical performance alone is not sufficient for long-term use. AI solutions must be integrated into existing IT systems and clinical workflows, validated under real-world conditions and continuously evaluated after their introduction. At the same time, they must comply with stringent requirements such as data protection, medical device regulations and AI regulation.
The position paper makes clear that Europe is not primarily facing a technological challenge today. Rather, the greatest barriers lie in successfully validating AI solutions, integrating them into existing healthcare systems and scaling them across different healthcare systems. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular, which generate a substantial proportion of innovations in digital health, medical technology, biotechnology and diagnostics, frequently encounter structural barriers. Clinical validation, regulatory requirements, interoperability, access to data and integration into existing healthcare processes require expertise and infrastructure that many companies cannot provide themselves. “What matters now is creating the right framework conditions so that SMEs in particular can successfully validate their innovations, integrate them into healthcare systems and scale them across Europe,” says Dirk Holste, Deputy Head of the AIT Center for Health & Bioresources and Chair of the EARTO WG Healthcare.
Two Areas of Action for Broader AI Adoption
The position paper groups its recommendations into two strategic areas of action.
- The first area of action strengthens continuity across the entire innovation and implementation pathway. Funding, technical and clinical validation, regulatory processes and practical implementation should be better interconnected so that AI solutions can enter healthcare delivery without repeated interruptions or revalidation.
- The second area of action focuses on the infrastructural conditions required for the successful use of AI in healthcare. These include, in particular, system integration, access to suitable AI infrastructure and the practical usability of health data. Together, these measures create the conditions for European SMEs in particular to validate and integrate their AI innovations more successfully and scale them across Europe.
Research Organisations as a Link
Research and technology organisations such as AIT operate at the interface between science, companies, healthcare institutions and public administration. They support technical validation, interoperability, system integration and testing under real-world conditions. This function is particularly relevant for small and medium-sized enterprises, which often cannot maintain their own clinical partnerships, specialised infrastructure and regulatory expertise.
The position paper is therefore addressed to European research, health, digital and industrial policymakers. It outlines how European programmes can further develop the framework conditions for the validation, implementation and scaling of AI-supported healthcare solutions, enabling innovations, particularly those developed by European SMEs, to find their way into different healthcare systems.
Europe has the scientific and industrial foundations required for the broader use of AI in healthcare. The key now is to connect research, regulation, access to data and clinical practice in such a way that successful developments become solutions that can be used sustainably over the long term.
The full position paper, “Accelerating AI Adoption in Healthcare through European SMEs”, is available for download on the EARTO website: https://www.earto.eu/our-publications/