Europe's Quiet Digital Health Revolution: 6 Experts' Views

Forbes

4 days ago

As Europe's healthcare systems grapple with aging populations, rising chronic disease, and overburdened clinicians, digital health is no longer a niche—it's a necessity. But how is Europe's approach distinct from the U.S. and Asia? And what will it take to translate promise into scalable impact? I asked six leading voices across venture, policy, and clinical innovation for their take on what's exciting, what's holding us back, and what success could really look like.
The digital health market in Europe is expected to exceed US$ 260 billion by 2030. A compound annual ... More growth rate of 22.7% is expected of Europe digital health market from 2025 to 2030.
Digital health is evolving rapidly across Europe. What's exciting you most right now?
Tobias Silberzahn, Senior Fellow for BSt Gesundheit:
'Digitally-enabled chronic disease management (especially for diabetes, obesity, mental health, and cardiovascular disease). These diseases cause 90% of deaths and 80% of healthcare costs in Europe. The WHO just published a European digital health action plan with strong language on chronic care and promising case studies. The momentum is finally building.'
Aditi U. Joshi, CEO; Author, Telehealth Success:
'What excites me most about digital health in Europe is the drive to build in collaboration with multiple stakeholders. The funding for large digital initiatives is in place and helps provide infrastructure to start the journey. At the same time, newer companies are also able to address these same problems in a more agile and iterative manner. The combination of both approaches is rare and may produce long-term success.'
Dr. Patrick Pfeffer, Managing Partner at Aescuvest:
'What excites me most is how AI is transforming diagnosis, clinical workflows, and decision support—and how the investment landscape is increasingly supporting these innovations.'
Fredrik Debong, Founder & Partner, 1921.vc:
'The biggest near-term impact will come from applying AI where data density and clinical relevance already intersect. Diabetes is the clearest example: continuous glucose, insulin, and behavioral data make it a live testbed for algorithmic breakthroughs, and costs to build have dropped by an order of magnitude in just a few years. Execution speed now decides winners. Founders can increasingly pick their investors—choose those who live and breathe these complex systems. In chronic care, deep domain focus isn't optional; it's the difference between building another app and reshaping how millions manage their health.'
Gabrielle Powell, Digital Health Advisor & Entrepreneur:
'Europe's established primary care infrastructure, combined with its commitment to data privacy and patient rights, is laying the groundwork for truly patient-centered digital solutions.'
Matteo Berlucci, CEO & CoFounder, Healthily:
'There is growing recognition that new digitally-enabled operating models for care delivery, especially for primary and chronic care, will be the way forward for health systems in Europe. This is creating space for new ecosystem collaborations across providers, pharma, tech, and public and private payors.'The recent HLTH Europe and HIMSS conferences generated buzz especially around digital health. What stood out?
Aditi U. Joshi:
'The two conferences had very different focuses—HLTH was more industry- and investor-facing, while HIMSS dove deep into provider systems. Together, they painted a fuller picture of where Europe is heading. The excitement around value-based care and population health is present at both, and it's interesting to see the maturity of organizations and health systems ready to take on new delivery models.'
Dr. Patrick Pfeffer:
'What stood out most was how AI and health data governance dominated discussions. It's clear these aren't just tech trends—they're becoming core to health system reform.'
Fredrik Debong:
'I finally see the pieces we've been speaking about for years come together. It's becoming real.'
Gabrielle Powell:
'The focus on an ecosystem view of healthcare stood out. There's increasing recognition that collaboration across sectors and geographies is essential for meaningful innovation.'
Matteo Berlucci:
'Europe is not 'behind'—it is just on a different trajectory, shaped by the unique mix of public systems and local contexts. The conferences demonstrated how important it is for European stakeholders to chart their own path, even while learning from others. And there's a fresh sense of urgency to address clinician burnout, patient access, and population health—especially as chronic disease rises.'Where do you see the biggest opportunities for impact in digital health in Europe in the next 12–18 months?
Tobias Silberzahn:
'Digitally-enabled chronic disease management (especially for diabetes, obesity, mental health, and cardiovascular disease). This is where the highest costs and worst outcomes are—and where digital has most potential to help.'
Aditi U. Joshi:
'I have seen that there is an opportunity to scale virtual care programs across regions, in areas that may not have had traditional services. Virtual programs that are proactive, inclusive, and designed with usability in mind have the best chance for success.'
Dr. Patrick Pfeffer:
'Over the next 12–18 months, I see the greatest impact in digital therapeutics and AI-enabled mental health tools. These can deliver measurable outcomes at scale, especially in underserved populations.'
Fredrik Debong:
'A swiftly dawning realisation of need among policymakers and payors—that if we do not act now, we will fall behind. This opens the door for accelerated action and adoption.'
Gabrielle Powell:
'The scaling of AI scribes from pilot programmes to real-world implementation will free up clinicians and improve documentation quality—arguably the biggest bottleneck today.'
Matteo Berlucci:
'The most immediate opportunity is to integrate virtual and hybrid care models into mainstream health systems, especially to manage chronic conditions and mental health. We are seeing interest from both governments and private insurers—but execution is everything.'What barriers still hold the digital health sector back—and how can they be overcome?
Tobias Silberzahn:
'Reimbursement codes are often lacking (e.g., for digital therapeutics), which prevents scaling. We need systemic changes to make innovation financially viable for providers.'
Aditi U. Joshi:
'Digital health faces barriers from fragmented systems and regulatory hurdles. But aligning incentives for all players—providers, payors, and patients—can accelerate adoption.'
Dr. Patrick Pfeffer:
'Two key barriers remain: societal acceptance and reimbursement. Overcoming these will require sustained education and clearer outcome-based payment models.'
Fredrik Debong:
'Still disparate regulations between countries, still lack of harmonisation. Also, not enough focus on the how of adoption—not just what tech should be used, but how it fits into existing care and economic systems.'
Gabrielle Powell:
'The primary barrier to the scaling of digital health solutions in Europe is the challenge of implementation. Even with great tools and willing users, systems are not designed for agile experimentation or rapid scaling. That needs to change.'
Matteo Berlucci:
'Too many pilots, not enough procurement. Innovation often stalls because health systems struggle to fund or operationalize new models beyond the pilot stage. Stronger public-private partnerships and more flexible reimbursement pathways could help.'How is Europe approaching responsible AI in healthcare compared to other regions?
Aditi U. Joshi:
'Europe leads with a strong focus on ethics and transparency. This helps build trust, which is critical to widespread AI adoption in healthcare.'
Dr. Patrick Pfeffer:
'Europe may not be the fastest adopter of AI in healthcare, but it is arguably the most principled. The EU AI Act is an important step in ensuring responsible deployment of these technologies.'
Fredrik Debong:
'High level and ethically, far better than elsewhere. But practically, we still lag in implementation. There's a gap between principle and practice.'
Gabrielle Powell:
'From a regulatory perspective, Europe leads globally. The EU AI Act sets a precedent for ensuring transparency, accountability, and fairness in health applications.'
Matteo Berlucci:
'Europe's approach emphasizes trust, equity, and long-term societal impact—which is commendable. The challenge now is to balance this with speed and scalability.'Final thoughts: What will success look like for European digital health in the near future?
Tobias Silberzahn:
'- Establishing reimbursement categories for patient-centered, tech-enabled chronic disease management
– Embedding new digital workflows for primary and chronic care into care teams
– Expanding new roles (e.g., digital care navigators) to support both patients and clinicians
– Training and upskilling 100,000s of clinicians and nurses in digital tools
– Keeping patients at the center'
Aditi U. Joshi:
'The dream is efficient, quality care powered by tech—but without losing the human connection. That balance will define success.'
Dr. Patrick Pfeffer:
'Success will mean nothing less than a redefinition of care delivery—more predictive, more participatory, and more personalized.'
Fredrik Debong:
'I assume that this is about local deployment, sustainability, and measurable change—not hype, not the 'next cool thing.''
Gabrielle Powell:
'Success in digital health will come as much from governance, education, and implementation science as from the technologies themselves.'
Matteo Berlucci:
'Success will mean that digital tools are no longer seen as 'add-ons' but as core to how we deliver care—equitably, efficiently, and compassionately.'Europe's digital health future won't be defined by any single technology or country—it will be shaped by systems that prioritize equity, usability, and impact. The experts in this roundtable are aligned on one thing: while Europe's approach may be slower and more fragmented, it also has the potential to build something more enduring, ethical, and human-centered. Now is the moment to move from pilots to platforms—and from promise to practice.