Clust-ER Health in Brussels: institutional and strategic dialogue with European institutions for the Emilia-Romagna health ecosystem

From 1st to 2nd April 2025, a strategic mission of the Emilia-Romagna Clust-ER Health took place in Brussels, with the aim of strengthening the positioning of the regional health ecosystem in the European research and innovation landscape. The mission, organised with the support of ART-ER and the Emilia-Romagna Region Delegation to the EU, involved a large delegation composed of institutional representatives, research centres, IRCCS, universities, businesses and technology parks.

The day of 1st April began at the headquarters of the Emilia-Romagna Region Delegation in Brussels with speeches by Lorenza Badiello, Morena Diazzi and Paolo Bonaretti, who outlined the meaning and objectives of the mission.

This was followed by important closed-door discussions with representatives of the Permanent Representation of Italy to the EU, including Michele Guerrini (research and innovation) and Pasquale Simonetti (health and pharmaceuticals), who provided valuable insights into opportunities and strategic priorities for Italian involvement in European programmes.

During the morning, the following speakers took the floor:

• Alessandro Chiodini, Call Coordinator of the Innovative Health Initiative, who outlined the priorities and tools of the European public-private partnership on health;
• Alina Maria Tomoiaga (EISMEA), who explored the opportunities offered by the European Innovation Council (EIC), particularly for innovative SMEs and deep tech companies.

The afternoon saw the involvement of HaDEA, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency, with prominent speakers such as:

• Angelo Marino, Head of Department at HaDEA;
• Chiara Tripepi, Head of Sector for the EU4Health programme;
• Stéphane Hogan, Head of the Health Cluster in Horizon Europe.

Networking Event & Cocktail: the strength of the Emilia-Romagna system in Europe

Yesterday evening, in Brussels, Clust-ER Health organised a Networking Event & Cocktail in collaboration with ART-ER S. cons. p. a. and the Emilia-Romagna Region: an important opportunity to present the innovation ecosystem in the life sciences sector in our region and part of the mission currently underway with our partners.

The initiative brought together institutional representatives, members of the European Commission and development agencies, research centres and businesses to strengthen ties with European institutions and promote our region’s excellence in the field of health.

After institutional greetings from Morena Diazzi, Director of the Directorate-General for Knowledge, Research, Labour and Business of the Emilia-Romagna Region, from Clust-ER Health President Paolo Bonaretti and Manager Sauro Vicini, representatives of the main regional BioHubs presented their projects:

• BioFood Hub – Augusta Caligiani, Vice President of Clust-ER Agrifood
• 3D Bioprinting & Membrane Hub – Giuliana Gavioli, Director of the Mario Veronesi Technopole in Mirandola
• BioInformatics Hub – Elisa Ficarra, Full Professor at UNIMORE and Chair of the Value Chain Big Data and Digital Health, and Tommaso Pippucci, Director of the Computational Genomic Department at IRCCS Policlinico di Sant’Orsola – Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Bologna
• BioElectronics & Materials Hub for Health & Space – Valentina Benfenati, Research Director at CNR-ISOF and Chair of the Value Chain Materials
• Translational BioHub – Laura Calzà, Scientific Director of the IRET Foundation
• Advanced Diagnostic & Theranostic Hub – Nicola Normanno, Scientific Director of IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori ‘Dino Amadori’ – IRST Srl

The activities of the project for precision medicine were also presented by Cecilia Maini, Senior Innovation Manager at ART-ER, and Clémence Foltz, EU Programme Manager at Clust-ER Health – Emilia-Romagna.

Strategic insights and new perspectives

The morning of 2nd April was dedicated to more specific topics, with a focus on the future of European research policy in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), presented by Francesco Palumbo (APRE Brussels), and on European initiatives in the field of biotech and bioproduction, illustrated by Linda Perina (DG GROW, European Commission).

The closing session saw the participation of EUREGHA, the European network of regional and local health authorities, with Michele Calabrò and Marco Di Donato, who discussed regional health policies and opportunities for interregional cooperation.

This mission confirmed Emilia-Romagna’s ability to play a leading role in the European healthcare innovation landscape, creating strategic connections and positioning its regional players in key European programmes for health, technology and well-being. The quality of the delegation, composed of scientific excellence, technology transfer centres, institutions and leading companies in the sector, made it possible to present the integrated approach of the regional ecosystem in a cohesive and credible manner, based on collaboration between research, industry and the healthcare system. Emilia-Romagna has proven to be an advanced model of territorial innovation, capable of engaging on equal terms with European institutions and actively contributing to the development of policies and programmes that will guide the future of healthcare.

The vision expressed through the project dedicated to the BioHubs network in support of the European STEP programme and the Regional Innovation Valleys is a concrete example of how the region is addressing the global challenges of personalised medicine, digitalisation, sustainability and equitable access to innovation.