Clust-ER Health at the “Fit for the Future” Leaders meeting

On 9 and 10 February 2026, the second edition of the “Leaders Meeting – Fit for the Future” took place at the Euskalduna Conference Centre in Bilbao. Organised by the Basque Government, the event brought together representatives from numerous European regions with the aim of strengthening industrial cooperation and the European Union’s strategic autonomy.

Over the course of the two-day event, participants addressed key issues for the future of European industry, such as competitiveness, innovation and technological sovereignty, resulting in the Bilbao Joint Declaration, entitled “Driving Europe’s Industrial and Innovation Renaissance”. This strategic document represented a concrete commitment by European regions across three priority areas: BioHealth, Artificial Intelligence and GreenTech, with the aim of translating European policies into tangible results at local level.

Clust-ER Health took part in the event, represented by cluster manager Sauro Vicini, who spoke during the BioHealth session. In this context, cluster leaders, policymakers and innovation stakeholders discussed the most pressing challenges facing the health sector in Europe: improving the translation of research into industrial impact, supporting the scalability of innovations, expanding access to advanced therapies and developing integrated ecosystems capable of competing globally.

The BioHealth sector is not only strategic for the wellbeing of citizens, but also represents a cornerstone of Europe’s economic resilience and technological sovereignty. The discussions in Bilbao highlighted the urgent need for regions, sectors and supply chains to work together to turn excellence into competitiveness.

Of particular note on this subject was the contribution made by Elisabetta Bracci, who, as a representative of Clust-ER Innovate, took part in the working groups focusing on the challenges and strategies required to ensure Europe’s competitiveness and digital sovereignty.

The Bilbao Declaration highlighted the crucial role of regions and innovation clusters in strengthening European technological sovereignty, not least with a view to economic resilience. In line with European directives such as the AI Act, the declaration focused on ‘putting things into practice’: how to translate scientific excellence and technological capabilities into well-being for citizens and competitive advantages for regional businesses.

The event included site visits and networking opportunities, showcasing concrete examples of European technological and healthcare excellence, as well as working sessions in which the regions finalised their contributions and strategic priorities for inclusion in the Final Declaration. Clust-ER Health’s contribution highlighted the importance of cross-regional collaboration in promoting an integrated and competitive BioHealth ecosystem capable of combining scientific innovation, industrial development and social sustainability.

The Bilbao Declaration thus stands as a cornerstone for Europe’s technological and healthcare future, strengthening collaboration between regions and sectors and paving the way for more effective, inclusive and globally competitive European innovation.