Enhance competitiveness of health care industries in Europe and Germany Revise internal industry and innovation policies On the national level, revise internal industry and innovation strategies and funding opportunities, such as Industriestrategie 203061, the KI-Strategie der Bundesregierung (AI-Strategy of the German Federal Government)62, the Nationale Dekade gegen Krebs (National Decade against Cancer)63 to ensure their comprehensive approach to health care. At the EU level, the European Commission has been very active in 2020, in part specifically in response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and its economic, social, and political ramifications. Most recently, the European Commission proposed Next Generation EU, an expansive recovery instrument to initiate a multi-faceted recovery throughout the EU. The Commission also proposed the EU budget for 2021–2027 and the MFF legislation powering the 61
Made in Germany: Industriestrategie 2030, https://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/ DE/Dossier/industriestrategie-2030.html (accessed 23.07.2030).
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Strategie Künstliche Intelligenz der Bundesregierung, <https://www.bmbf.de/ files/Nationale_KI-Strategie.pdf>.
63
National Decade against Cancer, <https://www.dekade-gegen-krebs.de/en/ index.html> (accessed 23.07.2020).
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EU recovery plan64, including the EU4Health program. Secondly, the Commission adjusted its Work Program for 2020 to account for the challenges posed by the pandemic. Thirdly, the program of the European Council Trio Presidency (Germany, Portugal, and Slovenia) was released to set out the council’s priorities for 2020 and 2021.
Ensure implementation All these activities are highly promising because they show a common European thrust to improve and rebuild the EU in the wake of the pandemic, including in health care. However, it is important for these ambitious targets to also be met with equally rigorous implementation to ensure Europe’s well-being and competitiveness during health and economic crises. Also, France who will be residing over the EU´s Council Presidency in 2022, could be a good ambassador for an ambitious health policy agenda, innovation, digitalization 64
European Commission, MFF Legislation, <https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/ mff-legislation_en> (accessed on 17.07.2020).
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