WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA

ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L'EUROPE

ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ

ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО

WHO Europe Innovation Summit 2027

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University of Szeged, Hungary 14–16 April 2027

Original: English

Scope and purpose

Background

The WHO Europe Innovation Summit 2027 will convene Member States, political leaders, public health

authorities, academic institutions, innovators, implementers and partners from across the WHO European

Region. Hosted by the University of Szeged through the Centre of Excellence for Interdisciplinary Research,

Development and Innovation (CEIRDI), Cluster of Third Mission Developments, in its capacity as a WHO

Collaborating Centre on Public Health Innovation, the Summit will provide a high-level regional forum for

advancing public health innovation from policy ambition to equitable, scalable and sustainable impact.

The Summit will support countries in addressing the practical conditions that enable innovation to

improve population health: political leadership, governance, evidence, financing, workforce capacity,

digital and data capability, implementation support and collaboration. It will bring together those who set

public health priorities with those who develop, evaluate, finance and implement solutions.

The Summit is convened in support of WHO/Europe’s Strategy on harnessing innovation for public

health in the WHO European Region 2025–2030 and the Second European Programme of Work

2026–2030 (EPW2). The Strategy, adopted by all 53 Member States in October 2025, provides a

framework for strengthening the capacity of countries to use innovation for better public health

outcomes. EPW2 identifies innovation and technology as central to shaping future health systems and

advancing united action for health across the Region.

Aims and objectives

The WHO Europe Innovation Summit aims to strengthen regional cooperation and help Member States

accelerate the translation of public health innovations into more effective public health interventions and

health services, leading to measurable improvements in health outcomes, health equity and health-system

resilience.

The Summit will create a common space for political dialogue, country exchange, practical problem

solving and partnership development. It will connect regional priorities with national experience and help

identify the actions, capabilities and collaborations required to move promising innovations beyond

Scope and purpose page 2 isolated pilots and into real-world implementation. The Summit will also provide a platform for sustained

collaboration beyond the event, linking Member State priorities and Summit outcomes with the ongoing work of the

Regional Office and its Collaborating Centre on Innovation at the University of Szeged.

The specific objectives are to:

a. advance political and policy dialogue on the contribution of innovation to healthier, fairer, more

resilient and future-oriented health systems;

b. support Member State learning and collaboration;

c. connect policy, evidence and implementation;

d. develop partnerships and practical next steps.

Strategic focus

Public health innovation encompasses more than new technologies. It includes new or improved

approaches to policy, services, financing, governance, workforce development, communication, data use

and cross-sector collaboration. The Summit will focus on the practical value of innovation in responding

to priority public health challenges in the WHO European Region.

The programme will explore how innovation can contribute to:

 more people-centred, equitable and resilient health systems;

 better prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases and other major health

challenges;

 healthy ageing and support for populations with complex and changing needs;

 effective use of data, digital tools and emerging technologies in public health;

 stronger public health workforces, leadership and institutional capability;

 improved governance, regulation, evidence generation and financing for adoption and scale-up;

 greater public trust, effective communication and meaningful community engagement;

 partnerships that link public health priorities with research, innovation and implementation

capacity.

Member State engagement

Scope and purpose page 3

Member States are at the centre of the Summit. The Summit will provide a structured process through

which countries can identify and share priorities, exchange experience, work through implementation

challenges and shape regional action. This engagement will be supported by a digital repository hosted

by the University of Szeged through the Centre of Excellence for Interdisciplinary Research, Development

and Innovation (CEIRDI), Cluster of Third Mission Developments, in its capacity as a WHO Collaborating

Centre. The repository will serve as a regional resource for country priorities, evidence, practical tools,

implementation lessons, Summit outputs and commitments.

Before the Summit, Member States will be invited to nominate senior representatives with

responsibilities in health policy, public health, health-system transformation, innovation or

implementation. A consultation process will gather country priorities, examples of practice and practical

bottlenecks that can inform the programme and identify areas for peer exchange.

During the Summit, Member State delegations will contribute to high-level dialogue, country panels, peer-

learning formats, implementation clinics, design sessions and commitment-setting discussions. These

formats will support countries in comparing experience, testing approaches and identifying practical next

steps with peers and partners.

After the Summit, WHO/Europe in partnership with CEIRDI as its recently designated WHO Collaborating

Centre on Innovation, will circulate an outcome record and commitments tracker. Progress on priority

actions, partnerships and initiatives will be reviewed at approximately three and six months, supporting

continued learning and collaboration across the Region.

Programme structure

The Summit will take place over three days, following a deliberate progression from shared priorities to

practical action and sustained partnership. Day 1, “Innovations that matter,” will focus on priority

public health challenges with a particular focus on healthy ageing and NCDs, country needs, emerging

approaches and promising solutions. Day 2, “Innovation to impact,” will examine the conditions

required for adoption, implementation, evaluation and scale-up, including governance, evidence,

financing, workforce capability and enabling systems. Day 3, “Partnerships for innovation,” will focus

on collaboration, commitments and pathways for continued regional action.

The programme will include high-level plenaries, thematic discussions, country exchanges, parallel

sessions, implementation clinics, design labs, innovation showcases and networking opportunities.

Sessions will combine strategic dialogue with practical exchange and will generate clear messages,

recommendations, action points or other agreed outputs.

Participants

The Summit will convene approximately 500 in-person participants, including:

Scope and purpose page 4

 senior representatives of the 53 Member States in the WHO European Region;

 ministers, commissioners, senior political leaders and government officials;

 WHO leadership and technical experts;

 public health authorities and health-system leaders;

 universities, research institutions and public health institutes.

 innovators, implementers and organisations supporting adoption and scale-up;

 international and regional partners, professional networks and civil society representatives;

 experts in digital health, data, policy, regulation, financing, workforce development,

communications, equity and implementation.

Participation will reflect geographic balance, diversity of experience, relevance to the programme and the

capacity to contribute to and carry forward Summit outcomes.

Expected outcomes

The Summit will generate a set of practical outputs to support continued regional action, including:

 shared messages, policy directions and priorities for action emerging from high-level and thematic

discussions;

 country experiences, implementation insights and practical lessons;

 documented commitments and proposed actions from Member States and partners;

 identified opportunities for regional learning, technical cooperation and partnership;

 flagship initiatives or action pathways for further development;

 a Summit outcome record and follow-up tracker.

The Summit will be supported by a monitoring, evaluation and learning process that captures

participation, engagement, session outputs, commitments, partnerships and progress after the event. This

will provide a basis for accountability, learning and continued collaboration.

Further information

Detailed information on registration, Member State nominations, programme contributions, session-

convening opportunities and practical arrangements will be shared in due course.

UN City, Marmorvej 51 Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00 Email: [email protected] DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø Denmark

Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Website: https://www.who.int/europe

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ

WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ

Date: 29 October 2026 Ms Helen Sõber Adviser European Union Affairs and International Co- operation Department Ministry of Social Affairs Suur-Ameerika 1 10122 Tallinn Estonia

REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L’EUROPE

REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО

Head office:

UN City, Marmorvej 51, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark

Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00; Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.who.int/europe

Our reference: Notre référence: Unser Zeichen: См. наш номер:

Your reference: Votre référence: Ihr Zeichen: На Ваш номер:

Dear Ms Sõber,

WHO/Europe innovation summit, Szeged, Hungary, 14–16 April 2027 Request for nomination of delegates and national focal point

The WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) is pleased to invite your country to participate in the

WHO/Europe innovation summit, to be held in Szeged, Hungary, on 14–16 April 2027. The summit is being organized in collaboration with the University of Szeged through the Centre of Excellence for Interdisciplinary Research, Development and Innovation, Cluster of Third Mission Developments, in its capacity as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Innovation.

The summit will bring together Member States, political leaders, public health authorities, researchers, innovators and implementation partners to advance public health innovation from policy ambition to practical impact. Supporting WHO/Europe’s A Strategy on Harnessing Innovation for Public Health in the WHO European Region 2025–2030 (EUR/RC75/18; adopted in decision EUR/RC75(4)) and the Second European Programme of Work, 2026–2030 (EPW2), the summit will address the conditions that enable countries to adopt, adapt and scale effective approaches, including governance, evidence, financing, workforce capability, data and digital tools, public trust and partnerships.

The summit will be co-created with Member States. It will be shaped by the public health priorities, country experience and implementation challenges that Member States bring to the process. Countries will be invited to help identify the most pressing questions for regional dialogue; contribute examples, tools and lessons from national and local practice; propose priority topics or working formats; and, where appropriate, help convene or contribute to programme sessions. This will ensure that the summit’s political dialogue, technical exchange and practical working sessions are directly relevant to the needs of countries across the WHO European Region.

Member State engagement will continue throughout the summit cycle. In advance of the meeting, country inputs will inform agenda development, the selection of use cases and the design of implementation clinics, peer- learning discussions and partnership sessions. During the summit, delegations will actively contribute to high- level dialogue, country exchanges, practical problem-solving sessions and the development of commitments or next steps. After the summit, WHO/Europe, in collaboration with the University of Szeged, will support continued exchange, document commitments and facilitate follow-up on priority actions and partnerships.

To establish this collaboration, we kindly request your Government to nominate:

– 2 –

 A national delegation for the summit, including a senior representative with responsibilities in health policy, public health, health system transformation, innovation or implementation. Delegations may also include relevant representatives from areas such as digital transformation, science and technology, research, innovation management or other sectors relevant to the national public health innovation agenda.

 One national focal point for the summit, who will serve as the principal liaison with WHO/Europe. The

focal point will be invited to coordinate the country’s contribution to the co-creation process – including consultation on national priorities and the identification of relevant experience and potential programme contributions – and to follow up on summit outputs and agreed actions. The focal point may also be a member of the national delegation.

Please provide the full name, official title, institution, email address and telephone number of each nominee,

and clearly indicate the national focal point. We would be grateful to receive nominations by 30 November 2026 at [email protected].

In view of current budgetary constraints, the WHO Regional Office for Europe kindly requests Member States to cover travel and accommodation arrangements of their appointed participants. We greatly appreciate your understanding and support in ensuring your delegation’s participation.

The enclosed scope and purpose document provides further information on the summit. Further communication will follow on the Member State consultation process, opportunities to contribute to the programme, registration and practical arrangements.

We look forward to working closely with your country in shaping a summit that reflects Member State priorities, builds on country experience and supports practical action across the Region. Sincerely yours, Dr. Kremlin Wickramasinghe Director, Prevention and Health Promotion WHO Regional Office for Europe

Encls: Scope and purpose Copy for information to: Ms Agne Nettan-Sepp, Head, European Union Affairs and International Co-operation Department, Ministry of Social Affairs, Suur-Ameerika 1, 10129 Tallinn, Estonia H.E. Ms Riia Salsa-Audiffren, Ambassador Representative of the Republic of Estonia, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Estonia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28A, CH-1209 Genève, Switzerland H.E. Mr Andre Pung, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Estonia, Frederiksgade 19, 4th floor, 1265 Copenhagen K, Denmark Ms Katrin Aarma, Acting Head of Office, WHO Country Office, Estonia, Paldiski Road 81, 10617 Tallinn, Estonia