Category: innovative technologies

Digital Health Technologies in Europe: New European Commission Report Highlights Opportunities and Challenges

Digital health technologies in Europe are a key pillar in transforming care systems, as highlighted in the new European Commission report (published in 2026), titled “Observatory for Digital Health Technologies in Europe”. The report, prepared for the Directorate-General CONNECT (DG CNECT) by Capgemini Invent and IDC, provides a comprehensive overview of the EU27 digital health market, analyzing both the technology ecosystem and its economic impact.

The report is structured in three main sections. The first focuses on the creation of the Digital Health Technologies Observatory, a strategic tool for monitoring adoption, innovation, and investment in the sector. The second part presents the economic analysis of five selected technologies, while the third contains conclusions and policy recommendations.

The analysis draws on extensive data, including pan-European surveys of healthcare providers and technology companies, expert interviews, mapping of hundreds of providers, and analysis of tens of thousands of investment records. The findings depict a rapidly growing yet fragmented digital health market in Europe.

Artificial intelligence plays a central role in this transformation, with 94% of healthcare providers already adopting or planning to integrate it. Technologies such as Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS), automated medical imaging analysis, and digital mental health platforms are highlighted as particularly important for improving care quality and enhancing health system efficiency.

The economic benefits are substantial. CDSS are estimated to enable savings of up to €252 billion over a decade, while automated medical imaging analysis could save up to €192 billion. Similarly, digital mental health platforms support early intervention and reduce the burden on healthcare services, providing significant social and economic benefits.

The report also identifies critical challenges, such as market fragmentation, interoperability issues, and dependence on non-EU providers in strategic areas. Additionally, issues related to digital skills, regulatory frameworks, and equitable access continue to affect the widespread adoption of these technologies.

To address these challenges, the report recommends measures such as strengthening interoperability, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, promoting innovation in cutting-edge fields (such as AI and genomics), and integrating principles of sustainability, accessibility, and equity.

The positioning of digital health technologies in Europe as a key pillar for the future of care systems is closely linked with initiatives developed at the national level. In this context, Kapa3 invests in digital tools that enhance information, accessibility, and empowerment of oncology patients, such as the “Myrto” Health Navigator. You can read more about it here.

As Europe seeks to build a more resilient and inclusive health system, leveraging digital technologies emerges as a decisive factor in improving patient quality of life and the effectiveness of healthcare services.

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Text/Adaptation: Ifiyenia Anastasiou for Kapa3

Webinar: “Cancer, Patient Navigation & Health Management: From Prevention to Coordinated Care” in collaboration with the Kapa3 Cancer Guidance Center

On the occasion of World Cancer Day, we invite you to join the webinar on cancer and patient navigation, organized in collaboration with René Descartes College and the Kapa3 Cancer Guidance Center. This webinar aims to open a meaningful dialogue around cancer, not only as a medical diagnosis but as a complex life journey.

Today, cancer requires holistic health management, proper guidance within the care system, coordination among professionals and services, and a patient-centered approach that considers the individual, their family, and social environment.

The webinar aims to highlight the importance of Patient Navigation and Health Management in cancer care, to illuminate the role of technology and innovation in oncology, and to raise awareness around prevention, quality of life, and continuous patient support.

Target Audience:

  • Patients and individuals at diagnosis, undergoing treatment, or in follow-up

  • Caregivers and family members

  • Health professionals, Health Management staff and students

  • Policy and quality of care professionals

  • Anyone interested in prevention, screening, organization of oncology services, and patient-centered healthcare approaches

Participants Will Gain:

  • Understanding of cancer as a holistic life issue

  • Knowledge of modern patient navigation and care coordination models

  • Insights into the role of technology in oncology

  • Practical information for better management within the healthcare system

  • Inspiration for more humane, coordinated, and high-quality care

Speakers:

  • Maria Gazouli, PhD – Professor of Biology-Genetics-Nanomedicine, Laboratory Geneticist

  • Dr. Christos A. Frantzidis – Assistant Professor, Computer Science / Machine Learning, School of Computer Science, University of Lincoln, UK

  • Dr. Maria Lavdaniti, MSc, PhD – Professor of Clinical Nursing, Director of the University Laboratory of Adult Cancer Patient Care, International Hellenic University (IHU)

  • Evangelia Mpista, PhD, MBA, MSc, BSc – Co-Founder, Kapa3

  • Dr. Vasiliki Kapaki – Postdoctoral Researcher in Health Economics, Professor of Health Economics, René Descartes College

Participation Details:

  • Duration: 2.5 hours (18:30 – 21:00)

  • Date: 06/02/2026

  • Attendance: Online

  • Participation is free

  • Certificate of attendance will be issued by René Descartes College and Kapa3

  • Registration form and participation declaration: Here

Text/adaptation: Ifiyenia Anastasiou for Kapa3

Cancer is increasingly becoming a highly manageable disease

In the Sunday edition of To Vima newspaper and Vita magazine (25 January 2026), the views of Ms Evangeli Bista, co-founder of Kapa3, were featured, shedding light on the landscape of modern oncology and the challenges emerging within the current Greek healthcare reality.

Ms Bista addressed the Greek context and highlighted the importance of digital technology as a cornerstone of modern health policy, particularly in the field of cancer care, where treatment pathways are complex, long-term, and deeply person-centred. As she noted, Greece has already made measurable progress: electronic and paperless prescribing, oncology registries, the National Electronic Health Record, and applications such as MyHealthApp are creating the conditions for more coordinated and transparent care. When healthcare professionals, as well as patients themselves, are equipped with appropriate digital skills, patient autonomy is strengthened, treatment outcomes improve, and inequalities—especially those affecting vulnerable population groups—are reduced.

The article is co-authored by distinguished scientists and collaborators: Maria Gazouli, Professor of Biology, Genetics and Nanomedicine at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and national representative on the Committee for Advanced Therapies of the European Medicines Agency; Manolis Saloustros, Associate Professor of Oncology at the University of Thessaly and President of the Hellenic Society of Medical Oncology (HESMO); and Christos Frantzidis, Assistant Professor of Informatics and Machine Learning at the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom.

The contributing experts underline that modern oncology increasingly approaches cancer as a largely manageable chronic disease, through targeted and personalised therapies. The use of innovative technologies—such as next-generation sequencing, mRNA vaccines, PARP inhibitors and cellular therapies—has significantly expanded therapeutic options. At the same time, prognosis is becoming more dynamic and individualised through the use of multi-omics profiling, machine learning algorithms and liquid biopsy techniques. Particular emphasis is placed on the early integration of palliative care and psychosocial support, which play a crucial role in improving patients’ quality of life. Finally, the importance of structured and coordinated healthcare services is highlighted, with the medical oncologist acting as a key coordinator of person-centred care.

Beyond documenting technological advances, the article opens a broader discussion on the digital transition in oncology care, addressing issues of access, meaningful use of data and the need for coordination across different scientific disciplines. Digital health is presented not as an end in itself, but as a tool that requires collaboration, institutional maturity and a shared vision in order to deliver real value to patients.

The overarching message is clear: every step, whether small or large, matters. Progress in oncology is not the result of isolated actions, but of collective effort. Through collaboration among scientists, healthcare professionals, organisations and patients, the conditions for meaningful and sustainable change can be created—always with the human being and their real needs at the centre.

Download our Press release here:  KAPA3_VIMA

Text / Adaptation: Ifiyenia Anastasiou for Kapa3