Issue/Problem: Robust preparedness for unexpected health threats depends on timely, secure access to high-quality, interoperable data across national and EU systems. Yet, countries like Greece face barriers to developing effective Health Data Spaces. Fragmented infrastructures, weak governance coordination, and inconsistent legal frameworks limit data use for for decision-making, research, and cross-border collaboration—key goals of the European Health Data Space (EHDS). Description: Drawing on the VELES Excellence Hub initiative (veleshub.eu), this study explores Greece’s digital health ecosystem through stakeholder interviews across the public sector, industry, academia, and civil society. Six dimensions were analyzed: technical infrastructure, data readiness, governance, regulation, workforce, and stakeholder roles—focusing on national capacity to support EHDS and health data use in emergencies. Results: Despite notable progress Greece faces major challenges. These include interoperability gaps, the lack of centralized data governance, unclear regulations on secondary data use, and workforce skills shortages that undermine Greece’s readiness to contribute to EHDS goals and EU-level preparedness. Lessons: Building Health Data Spaces is not just a tech challenge, but a complex, multi-dimensional endeavor. Key lessons include (i) the necessity of a unified, transparent governance framework; (ii) harmonized legal provisions for ethical and efficient secondary data use; (iii) investment in interoperable digital infrastructure; and (iv) capacity-building for digital and data literacy. The findings illustrate that without integrated planning and sustained stakeholder engagement, national health data ecosystems will remain fragmented and unprepared to contribute effectively to EU-wide health resilience. Key messages: • EHDS is essential for EU safety. National -level readiness must align infrastructure, policy, and regulation to ensure health systems can act swiftly and securely in times of crisis. • Preparedness requires more than data, it needs governance, interoperability, and trust to enable timely, coordinated responses across national and EU health systems. Topic: Stakeholder Collaboration, Interoperability, Data Governance.

Background/Objectives: Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is recognized as a key component of health system transformation in Europe, in the context of vulnerable populations. However, its large-scale adoption remains uneven across countries. The research explored how technical infrastructure, governance and regulation, interoperability, and ecosystem readiness influence RPM adoption and scale-up in seven European country contexts. Methods: An exploratory qualitative cross-country study combined targeted desk research with semi-structured interviews conducted between February and March 2025. The interviews were recorded with consent, manually transcribed, anonymized, and analyzed using a manual hybrid deductive–inductive thematic approach. The desk research provided contextual information and remained distinct from the interview-derived findings. Results: The analysis was organized around four higher-order themes including digital infrastructure and RPM technologies; governance and regulatory frameworks; interoperability and health-data integration; implementation barriers and ecosystem readiness. RPM technologies were present in all examined contexts, but their integration into routine care remained uneven. Recurrent barriers included fragmented reimbursement pathways, uneven operationalization of EU rules, limited interoperability, weak integration with Electronic Health Records and clinical workflows, digital-literacy gaps, and insufficient mechanisms for progressing from pilots to sustained implementation. Conclusions: Stakeholders more frequently identified system-level implementation conditions, including governance, reimbursement, interoperability, and workforce readiness, than technology availability alone as barriers to RPM scale-up. The European Health Data Space may provide an enabling framework, but its impact will depend on national and regional implementation capacity.

Issue/Problem: Europe faces rising long-term care demands and unequal access to advanced remote healthcare, especially in Less Developed Regions (LDRs). While AI-enabled MedTech for Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is advancing, its fragmented adoption, limits its potential to improve outcomes, enhance safety, support emergency care, and reduce costs. Description: The IRHIS project addresses these challenges by establishing the first EU-wide Advanced Remote Care Demonstration Chain, focusing on three critical areas: musculoskeletal rehabilitation, neurological disorder treatment, and critical care monitoring. These domains are vital for both chronic care and acute emergency response scenarios. IRHIS scales AI-powered MedTech solutions from LDR-based SMEs through three Interregional DemoScale Labs, promoting cross-border innovation and investment synergies. Over 1,000 patients will participate in real-world testing, enabling continuous improvement of AI-driven solutions, emergency responsiveness, and safety in remote care delivery. Results: IRHIS maps remote care innovations across Europe, identifying key stakeholders, innovation trends, smart specialization strategies (S3), and relevant regulatory frameworks. The analysis reveals major adoption gaps and the need for tailored regional strategies that prioritize emergency preparedness, and patient safety. Key enablers include integration models, modern reimbursement schemes, cross-border interoperability standards, and user-centered design. Lessons: Widespread adoption of remote care technologies requires (i) investment in interoperable digital infrastructure; (ii) collaboration among patients, providers, innovators, and regional authorities; (iii) supportive regulatory and policy environments that promote interregional innovation investments; and (iv) Sharing of good practices to overcome technical barriers. Key messages: • Remote care innovation provides a viable path towards alleviating pressures of long-term care systems, if supported by coherent policy, regional synergies, and integrated digital ecosystems. • IRHIS offers a strategic and scalable roadmap for promoting accessible, effective, and sustainable AI-powered remote healthcare services, helping Europe become more health-resilient, equitable, and digitally empowered. Topic: AI-powered MedTech, Remote Patient Monitoring, Regional Innovation.