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The Hellenic Digital Health Cluster (HDHC), in collaboration with smartHEALTH EDIH, had a strong presence at Athens Digital Health Week 2025, co-organizing two dynamic panel sessions that highlighted key developments in the digital health ecosystem.

Empowering SMEs and Startups: Pathways to Growth
The first panel, "SMEs and Startups – Success Stories and Pathways to Growth," expertly moderated by Maria Makridaki, brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups in the digital health sector. Key takeaways included the importance of digital transformation, the state's role in supporting R&D, and the need for greater private sector investment. Panelists emphasized the critical role of clusters like HDHC and European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) such as smartHEALTH in fostering networking, providing funding insights, and facilitating commercialization pathways. Industry representatives shared insights on scaling challenges, bridging the gap between academia and entrepreneurship, and the value of increased visibility and collaboration for market growth. 

The panel included the following speakers: Athanasios Valiakos (Ministry of Digital Governance), Dimitris Plexousakis, (Institute of Computer Science, FORTH), Dimitrios Katehakis (Hellenic Digital Health Cluster), Steven Gavas (SOFMEDICA), Stamatiki Kritas (Council of European BioRegions & HBIO), George Loudos (BIOEMTECH), George Nikolaidis (ERGOBYTE), Thanos Vidakis (AINIGMA Technologies)

Navigating Digital Transformation in Healthcare
The second panel, "Healthcare Providers – Navigating Digital Transformation," moderated by Haris Papageorgiou from ATHENA RC, explored the future of healthcare systems and the transformative impact of digital technologies. Discussions focused on the shift towards preventive, person-centered care, the integration of digital solutions in hospital systems, and the importance of co-designing medical devices with patients to enhance health outcomes. The panel also addressed regulatory challenges, including the absence of a national eHealth authority in Greece, and highlighted the need for effective implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) to ensure secure data exchange and interoperability.

The panel included the following speakers: Angelina Kouroubali, Reference Site Collaborative Network (RSCN), Maria Bigaki (Papageorgiou General Hospital), Magda Chatzikou (PharmEcons Easy Access), George Kaismarides (Onassis Hospital), Dimitris Kontopidis (Humane), Pantelis Natsiavas (Institute of Applied Biosciences (CERTH), Stathis Velivasakis (AFFIDEA)

We warmly thank all the speakers who contributed to the fruitful discussions and the event organizers for the excellent organization IDIKA SA - e-Government Center for Social Security Services, the National eHealth Authority of Cyprus, HL7 Hellas, and MindView. The active participation of HDHC and smartHEALTH EDIH in Athens Digital Health Week 2025 underscored their commitment to driving digital health innovation, fostering collaboration, and supporting the growth of the Greek digital health ecosystem.

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