While the European Health Data Space, the AI Act and other regulatory advancements represent significant strides in shaping the future of healthcare, many systems remain unprepared to translate these policies into practice. The track Bridging Policy & Practice brought together leaders and innovators to discuss the gap between digital health policy and implementation.

Discussions revealed that fragmented digital infrastructure, procurement complexity, and a lack of user-centered design remain major barriers to implementation. Smaller countries face acute challenges in scaling solutions and securing access to robust vendor ecosystems, often lacking the leverage and resources of larger markets. Despite these constraints, several case studies highlighted effective strategies to close the policy-to-practice gap.

The dialogue also highlighted the critical need to align emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence and cloud computing, with strong governance models and comprehensive data strategies.