European Commission approves 2nd IPCEI to sum of €403m
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, the second health-related Important Project of Common European Interest (‘IPCEI') to support innovations in medical devices.
The project, called ‘IPCEI Tech4Cure', includes the introduction of novel digital and artificial intelligence (‘AI') features in medical devices, aiming to further develop the predictive, preventive, and personalised medicine (‘3P medicine') concept. The 3P medicine concept improves patient outcomes, reduces healthcare costs, and improves EU citizens' quality of life.
The second healthcare sector IPCEI – approving up to €403 million of State aid by five Member States, including France, Hungary, Italy, Solvakia, and Slovenia – will support collaborative research and innovation, as well as the first industrial deployment of these frontier technologies.
The Member States-provided public funding is expected to unlock an additional €826 million in private investments.
Furthermore, as part of this IPCEI, 10 companies – six of which are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – will undertake highly innovative research and development and first industrial deployment projects.
It is intended that Tech4Cure will contribute to the updated Industrial Strategy, by promoting industrial resilience and reinforcing the Single Market. It will encourage the competitiveness of the EU medical devices industry and support the green and digital transitions with advanced, safe, and innovative medical technologies. In turn, this will strengthen the EU's healthcare value chain.
The completion of Tech4Cure is planned for 2036, with timelines varying in function of the individual projects and the companies involved. According to the participating Member States, the projects are expected to create around 800 jobs.
EC President von der Leyen
Separately, earlier this month European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen survived a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament over text messages she sent to Pfizer's chief executive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 70 MEPs, led by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea of the right wing European Conservatives and Reformists Group, tabled a motion of censure against von der Leyen. The motion took her to task for refusing to disclose messages exchanged with Pfizer's Albert Bourla, at the height of the pandemic, concerning vaccine procurement contracts worth billions of euros.
