Summary of "HaDEA Showcase Event 2026"

Summary of “HaDEA Showcase Event 2026”

The HaDEA Showcase Event 2026 highlighted EU-funded projects managed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) that contribute to enhancing the EU’s competitiveness, preparedness, and resilience across digital technology, industry, space, and health sectors. The event featured keynote speeches, panel discussions, and testimonials focusing on the impact of four main EU funding programs:

Horizon Europe (Clusters 1 & 4): Supports cutting-edge research and innovation in health, digital industry, and space; accelerates innovation and development of emergency tools including medical countermeasures.
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) - Digital: Funds deployment and upgrade of key digital networks (fiber, 5G), enabling secure, reliable, and fast connectivity essential for modern business and crisis resilience.
Digital Europe Program: Accelerates deployment and uptake of advanced digital technologies (AI, cybersecurity, cloud) and develops digital skills crucial for competitiveness and crisis response.
EU4Health Program: Strengthens health systems’ sustainability and preparedness for health crises, supporting medical countermeasures and stockpiling critical supplies.

Key Technological Concepts and Product Features

Digital Infrastructure & Connectivity

Deployment of submarine fiber optic cables (e.g., Polar Connect) to ensure resilient, low-latency global data routes, reducing dependency on non-EU controlled infrastructure.
5G corridors (e.g., 5G A2A project) enabling cooperative, connected, and automated mobility with uninterrupted cross-border connectivity.
Private 5G networks in hospitals (EU Holla 5G Olu) for real-time data, remote diagnostics, augmented reality applications, and workflow efficiency.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High-Performance Computing (HPC)

Europe’s AI ecosystem includes the largest public computing grid and AI factories supporting startups and industry.
AI applied in healthcare for early diagnosis, personalized medicine, and screening (e.g., European cancer image database).
AI-enabled manufacturing and industrial automation projects focusing on human-robot collaboration and smart production systems (Converging project).
AI tools for detecting mental health issues and managing chronic diseases via telemedicine (THCS project).

Space Technologies and Dual-Use Applications

EU Space Program includes Earth observation (Copernicus), satellite navigation (Galileo), secure satellite communications (IRIS²), and space situational awareness (EU SST).
Development of critical space technologies and European supply chains to reduce dependencies and ensure strategic autonomy.
Space-based data supports crisis management, environmental monitoring, and security.

Health Technologies and Biotech Innovations

EU Biotech Act aims to simplify regulations, boost investment, and retain biotech startups in Europe.
Medical device regulations are being revised to reduce administrative burdens while maintaining high safety standards.
European Vaccines Hub (EVH) and EU FAB network maintain “warm” vaccine manufacturing capacity for rapid response to health emergencies.
European Health Data Space (EHDS) enables secure, interoperable health data sharing, fostering research and personalized care.

Raw Materials and Circular Economy

Critical Raw Materials Act and Resource EU action plan aim to reduce EU dependencies on foreign raw materials, improve stockpiling, and foster innovation in recycling and sustainable supply chains (Reproduce project).
Closed-loop recycling technologies for rare earth magnets and other critical components are being developed and piloted.

Regulatory Innovation and Safety by Design

Projects working on regulatory risk and impact assessment to streamline approvals, digitalize toxicology testing, and promote safe-by-design materials and products.

Reviews, Guides, and Tutorials Highlighted

Policy and Strategy Overviews

Detailed presentations of EU policies such as the Competitiveness Compass, EU Preparedness Union Strategy, Industrial Accelerator Act, and Digital Decade Strategy.
Insights into how these policies translate into funding priorities and project mandates.

Project Showcases and Case Studies

Demonstrations of practical project outcomes like smart 5G corridors, AI-enabled manufacturing, vaccine readiness networks, and space surveillance systems.
Examples of cross-sector collaboration and synergies between projects funded by different programs.

Challenges and Recommendations

Panel discussions identified key challenges including fragmentation of markets and regulations, slow adoption of digital skills and technologies, permitting delays, and the innovation-to-market gap.
Recommendations emphasized the need for better coordination, faster execution cycles, enhanced trust and data sharing, and awareness raising among industries and citizens.

Main Speakers and Sources

HaDEA Leadership

Marina Zanki, Director of HaDEA
Jennifer Baker, MC and event host

European Commission DG Representatives

Roberto Viola, Director General DG Connect (Digital & AI)
Valer Mutalier, Deputy Director General DG Grow (Internal Market, Industry)
Maya Matthews, Head of Unit DG Sante (Health Technology Assessment)
Susanna Mazanova, Head of Unit DG Defies (Defense Industry and Space)
Lauron Michelle, Director DG HERA (Health Emergency Preparedness)
Doris Shrucker, Head of Unit DG RTD (Research and Innovation)

Testimonial and Project Speakers

Nicholas Baban, EU Digital Ambassador (AI, 5G, Digital Transformation)
Representatives from projects: Polar Connect, 5G A2A, EU SST, European Vaccines Hub (EVH), Converging, Syntax, Reproduce, THCS, Thea, Holla 5G Olu, BEST2, EU FAB
Dr. Stephie Friedrix, Nanotechnology Industry Association (Regulatory Innovation)
Tim Weber, University Hospital Frankfurt (Digital Healthcare)
Betty Haram Papalu (Thea project, remote sensing and crisis management)
Andrew Conway (Balden Networks, private 5G networks)
Annette Norman (BEST2, media literacy and misinformation)
Marta Figabos (EU FAB, vaccine manufacturing readiness)

Key Takeaways

Synergies and Coordination: The event emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration, breaking silos, and leveraging synergies between different EU programs and projects to enhance competitiveness and preparedness.
Strategic Autonomy and Resilience: Europe must build and maintain technological sovereignty in digital infrastructure, AI, space, health, and raw materials to ensure resilience against geopolitical and supply chain risks.
Investment in Infrastructure and Skills: Continued investment in digital and physical infrastructure, combined with training and upskilling, is critical for accelerating innovation adoption and crisis readiness.
Trust and Data Sharing: Building trust in digital technologies and ensuring secure, interoperable data sharing frameworks (e.g., EHDS) underpin effective innovation and societal resilience.
Regulatory Innovation: Streamlining regulations and promoting safe-by-design approaches help speed up market access while maintaining high safety and quality standards.
EU Funding’s Unique Role: Beyond financial support, HaDEA and EU funding provide a collaborative platform, de-risking mechanisms, visibility, and a unifying framework that enables large-scale, multidisciplinary projects with societal impact.

This comprehensive showcase underlined HaDEA’s pivotal role in managing diverse EU funding programs that drive innovation, competitiveness, and preparedness across key strategic sectors, reinforcing Europe’s position as a resilient and technologically sovereign global leader.

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Summary of "HaDEA Showcase Event 2026"