Policy & Science Forum // „Health Data – The Foundation of EU Competitiveness and Innovation Potential“ (18/9/2025, FER)
he digital transformation of healthcare in Europe is based on the efficient collection, exchange, and use of health data. Health Data represents a key resource for improving healthcare services, accelerating innovation, and strengthening Europe’s competitiveness on a global scale.
The goal of the Forum is to bring together leading scientists, healthcare professionals, representatives of European institutions, and industry to discuss:
- The potential of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) for translation of innovations and research.
- The integration of artificial intelligence and digital tools into public health systems.
- Governance and ethics of health data as a prerequisite for citizens’ trust and security.
- How health data and innovations contribute to Europe’s industrial and research autonomy.
Co-organizers
- The European Institute for Innovation through Health Data (i~HD)
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb (FER)
- Artificial Intelligence Center (FER)
- Health Hub
- IEEE – Advancing Technology for Humanity
- HL7 International
Join firstly the IEEE Lecture by Prof. Dipak Kalra on the Importance of Health Data Quality in AI Applications!
The IEEE Croatia Section Engineering in Medicine and Biology Chapter announces the lecture “The importance of health data quality for trustworthy AI development and safe AI use” to be given by Professor Dipak Kalra, President of the European Institute for Innovation through Health Data (i~HD), a non-profit organization whose activities enable the optimal use of health data. The lecture will be held on September 18, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in Hall D2 of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing.
We hereby invite YOU to save the date and join us for a lecture by one of the leading experts in the field of medical informatics!
Professor Dipak Kalra is the President of the European Institute for Innovation through Health Data (i~HD), a Professor of Medical Informatics, and a former London general practitioner.
Lecture abstract:
The topic of this lecture is the importance of health data quality—what exactly data quality means and how it can be measured. The lecture will explain the risks of bias in data, how to assess it, and how to address it, with particular emphasis on the need for high-quality data in the development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Bias in data is a significant problem, especially in the healthcare sector, due to its potential impact on patient safety. AI developers need systematic methods for assessing the validity of the datasets they use, as well as ways to compensate for biases they identify. One of the key questions is how to communicate the trustworthiness of AI solutions to administrative roles such as procurement officers and to end users such as physicians and patients. The lecture will also touch upon increasing trust in the use of AI in healthcare systems by both healthcare professionals and patients as a critical factor for its successful application in medicine.
About the speaker:
Professor Dipak Kalra is the President of the European Institute for Innovation through Health Data (i~HD), a Professor of Medical Informatics, and a former London general practitioner. He plays a leading international role in the research and development of Electronic Health Records (EHR), including their reuse for research purposes. He led the development of ISO standards on interoperability and data protection within EHRs. He participates in multiple European Commission-funded projects, such as generating evidence from real-world data during pregnancy; supporting the accelerated adoption of digital health innovations; and improving the quality, interoperability, and secondary use of data through the European Health Data Space project. He is also involved in developing models and using health outcomes to promote value-based care; creating a federated learning platform for AI-based lung cancer research; and initiatives to improve patients’ understanding of medicines to strengthen trust and adherence to treatment. His institute, i~HD, is a neutral, non-profit organization that enables the optimal and trustworthy use of health data to enhance healthcare and accelerate research.
Policy & Science Forum // Connecting science, policy, and practice in healthcare
„Health Data – The Foundation of EU Competitiveness and Innovation Potential“
After the lecture of prof. Kalra, follows a panel Discussion on topics: How does health data drive healthcare innovation?, The role of artificial intelligence in translating scientific discoveries into clinical practice, Challenges of interoperability and data standardization in the EU, Governance, security, and the ethical dimension of health data, How can Croatia and the region become leaders in EHDS implementation?, Secondary use of health data etc.
Panel will follow with recommendations for policymakers and the academic community to navigate the path towards sustainable policies to strengthen healthcare innovation and data-driven healthcare…
Speakers //
+ Dipak Kalra – President of The European Institute for Innovation through Health Data (www.i-hd.eu)
+ Academician Sven Lončarić – Head of the Artificial Intelligence Center (FER)
+ Sandra Velasco, Country President Adriatics, Novartis
+ Boris Lukovnjak, Customer Experience Lead, Roche Croatia
+ Luka Markota, Regional Sales Manager, Cybersecurity Croatia, Austria and Slovenia
+ Ministry of Health (TBA)
Moderator //
+ Anita Bujanić, Founder & CEO, Health Hub – think tank for healthcare
