AI's Role in Europe's Digital Health Transformation

Published Date : 6/9/2025 

By supporting the diffusion of digital health technologies, Europe aims to achieve better healthcare outcomes, more sustainable systems, and a competitive economy. 

By supporting the diffusion of digital health technologies, Europe can achieve a triple win: better healthcare outcomes for citizens, more financially sustainable healthcare systems, and a stronger, more competitive economy.

The European Commission is recognizing healthcare as a strategic sector in both the Competitiveness Compass and the AI Continent Action Plan. This reflects the priorities set out by President von der Leyen in her political guidelines and echoes the Letta and Draghi reports.

To secure European leadership in trustworthy AI and cutting-edge medical technologies, the European Union is investing across the entire AI value chain:

Infrastructure for AI

Supercomputing

The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking has launched 13 AI Factories to give start-ups and SMEs access to supercomputing resources for AI development, with 10 focusing on healthcare, among others. The Commission will also invest in AI Gigafactories, large-scale facilities that train the most complex AI models.

Chips

The review of the Chips Act will strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in the design and production of AI semiconductors. These are essential for a wide range of healthcare applications, such as AI-powered wearable technology, implantable sensors, miniaturized and connected devices, innovative diagnostic tools, and AI-enabled medical robots.

Cloud

To boost private investment in cloud capacity and data centers, the Commission will propose a Cloud and AI Development Act. This act will support innovation and disruptive technologies within healthcare, enabling the uptake of AI-powered diagnosis and decision systems, new care models involving patients’ active participation in treatment decisions, preventive and behavioral health, and more.

Robust and Trustworthy AI Models

Data

Data is essential to develop robust and trustworthy AI models. To harness the untapped potential of data, the Commission will launch a Data Union Strategy focusing on scaling up data use for AI in Europe, streamlining and simplifying existing data legislation, and international data flows.

Health data infrastructures funded through the DIGITAL Programme will accelerate AI innovation and deployment, providing secure and interoperable access to high-quality data. They will link to AI Factories and Gigafactories and meet the aims of the Apply AI Strategy and the European Health Data Space:

- The European Cancer Imaging Initiative aims to accelerate deployment of innovative AI solutions and algorithms based on imaging data for personalized cancer prevention, treatment, and care. The Cancer Image Europe infrastructure will provide access to 60 million cancer images by the end of 2026.

- The 1+ Million Genomes Initiative is enabling secure access to genomic and corresponding clinical data across Europe. 26 Member States are building the Genomic Data Infrastructure, and by 2026, 15 Member States will have an operational infrastructure in place.

- The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) data infrastructure will facilitate the deployment of predictive models, decision support tools, and AI models for risk prevention in six clinical use cases.

- The European Virtual Human Twins (VHT) Initiative supports the emergence and adoption of the next generation of VHT solutions in health and care. The cornerstone of the initiative will be an EU-funded advanced platform for VHT modelling, integration, and validation.

Enabling Regulatory Framework

The AI Act, together with the Medical Devices Regulations, creates a clear framework for the safe deployment of AI in healthcare. It fosters innovation while ensuring that AI solutions entering the European single market are safe and trustworthy. By providing legal certainty to market players and harmonizing rules across Member States, the AI Act strengthens trust among end users like patients and healthcare professionals.

Real-World AI Applications

The Commission is supporting the uptake of innovative AI-driven solutions in health and care across Europe in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment:

- The forthcoming Apply AI Strategy will translate the ambitions of the AI Continent Action Plan into concrete measures, scaling up industrial uses of AI in key sectors like healthcare, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. For example, AI can help enhance personalized medicine, speed up the discovery of new drugs and devices, and increase efficiencies in healthcare provision.

- GenAI4EU aims to deploy Generative AI in Europe’s strategic sectors, including healthcare. Over EUR 700M have been committed to this flagship initiative under the Horizon Europe and DIGITAL programmes.

- The Commission is co-funding a Testing and Experimentation Facility for Health under the DIGITAL programme, enabling SMEs to test their AI solutions in real-life environments. Through regulatory sandboxes, TEF-Health helps ensure that products meet safety and regulatory requirements, including those of the AI Act and Medical Device Regulations.

Building the Digital Health Ecosystem

The Digital Decade target of giving 100% of EU citizens online access to their electronic health records by 2030 is an important driving force in the digital transformation of health and care.

The Commission has been fostering robust digital health ecosystems involving industry, researchers, innovators, SMEs, healthcare providers, patient representatives, and Member States. This is showcased by the growing number of partners from multiple EU countries joining the Cancer Image Europe and Genomic Data infrastructures. Moreover, the European Virtual Human Twins Initiative builds on the Virtual Human Twins Manifesto signed by over 100 organizations.

The European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) Network plays a crucial role within the AI innovation ecosystem: of the 163 EDIHs funded under the DIGITAL programme, 82 cover healthcare. They help innovators and SMEs bring novel solutions to market through services such as “test before invest,” enabling end-users and companies to explore and adopt new technologies.

Healthcare professionals need strong digital skills to harness the potential of digital health technologies. Through the DIGITAL and EU4Health programmes, the Commission is supporting advanced up- and re-skilling opportunities in digital health and AI, co-designed by higher education institutions, research organizations, and the industry.

Healthcare systems increasingly become targets of cyber and ransomware attacks. The Commission adopted an Action Plan on the cybersecurity of hospitals and healthcare providers to strengthen the security of our health systems. The Action Plan will be implemented hand in hand with healthcare providers, Member States, and the cybersecurity community. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the European Commission's role in digital health transformation?

A: The European Commission is playing a crucial role in the digital health transformation by recognizing healthcare as a strategic sector, investing in AI infrastructure, and creating a robust regulatory framework to ensure the safe and effective deployment of AI in healthcare.

Q: How does the European Union plan to secure leadership in AI and medical technologies?

A: The EU plans to secure leadership by investing across the entire AI value chain, including supercomputing, chips, and cloud infrastructure. It is also focusing on developing robust and trustworthy AI models, fostering a strong regulatory framework, and supporting real-world AI applications in healthcare.

Q: What is the European Health Data Space and how will it impact AI in healthcare?

A: The European Health Data Space is an initiative that aims to provide secure and interoperable access to high-quality health data. It will significantly impact AI in healthcare by accelerating the development and deployment of AI solutions, enhancing data-driven research, and improving patient care.

Q: How is the European Commission supporting the development of digital skills in healthcare?

A: The European Commission is supporting the development of digital skills in healthcare through the DIGITAL and EU4Health programmes. These initiatives offer advanced up- and re-skilling opportunities, co-designed by higher education institutions, research organizations, and the industry, to help healthcare professionals harness the potential of digital health technologies.

Q: What measures is the EU taking to protect healthcare systems from cyber attacks?

A: The EU has adopted an Action Plan on the cybersecurity of hospitals and healthcare providers to strengthen the security of health systems. This plan involves collaboration with healthcare providers, Member States, and the cybersecurity community to implement robust security measures and protect against cyber and ransomware attacks. 

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