On 17–18 September 2025, THCS took centre stage at Together4Health Conference in Aalborg (Denmark), the flagship health conference of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, organised together with the North Denmark Region. Bringing together over 450 participants from across Europe across more than 35 sessions, the event offered a high-profile platform to advance the European dialogue on health and care systems transformation.
Invited by the organisers, THCS contributed with a high-level keynote and two dedicated thematic sessions, led by WP9 (Transformative Ecosystem Arena) and WP10 (Knowledge Hub official launch).
The keynote, entitled “Transformation of the health care system in Europe – opportunities and challenges on local, regional, national, and European level”, brought together Sergio Iavicoli (Italian Ministry of Health), Giusi Condorelli (Italian Ministry of Health), and Donna Henderson (NHS Scotland / Scottish Government). The discussion highlighted why transformation is not just desirable, but necessary, and why it must be tackled across governance levels and in close cooperation across countries.
In his intervention, Sergio Iavicoli framed transformation as a fundamental shift in how health and care services are designed, financed, and delivered, moving from fragmented, hospital-centred models towards integrated, person-centred, and sustainable systems able to meet evolving needs. He stressed that no country can address these challenges alone, underlining the importance of European and international cooperation to pool knowledge, resources, and political will.
Giusi Condorelli emphasised that transformation cannot mean “more of the same”. Instead, it requires new approaches—and this is where research and innovation (R&I) become essential enablers. She highlighted how projects like THCS can help bridge knowledge and skills gaps in a rapidly changing environment, support the transfer of best practices and capacity building across Europe, and translate evidence into actionable options for decision-makers. She also pointed to trust, inclusiveness, and collaboration among all stakeholders, from patients to policymakers, as key conditions for innovation to deliver real and lasting change.
Donna Henderson added a strong regional perspective, noting that local systems are stronger when connected internationally. She underlined that transformation happens where policies meet daily life—in regions, communities, and health boards. Drawing on Scotland’s experience, she illustrated how European collaboration can help address funding constraints, workforce shortages, and integration gaps, while enabling the scaling up of solutions in areas such as digital health and integrated care.
In addition to the keynote, THCS contributed to the programme through two thematic sessions.
WP9 (Strengthening Ecosystems) coordinated the workshop “Transformative Ecosystem Arena: Connecting the dots in the health ecosystem”, structured in two parts. The first showcased ecosystems in action through two initiatives moving beyond project-based funding towards long-term, people-centred transformation: MooiMaasvallei (Netherlands), a cross-sectoral network integrating communities, education, data, and preventive care; and TrentinoSalute4.0 (Italy), a digital ecosystem reshaping care delivery through personalised services, interoperability, and citizen empowerment. The second part featured a panel discussion reflecting on what drives transformation, why ecosystems matter, and how they can be supported.
WP10 led the session “THCS Knowledge Hub – Maximizing the value of knowledge in transforming health and social care systems”, which also marked the official launch of the THCS Knowledge Hub. The session highlighted that transforming health and social care systems is a complex and dynamic process, where policymakers, professionals, researchers, and communities often need tailored advice, evidence, and practical support. The Knowledge Hub was presented as a response to these needs, by providing a platform to access and share evidence and experience tailored to local contexts, facilitating connections to the right expertise and networks, and signposting relevant resources across Europe.
The conference was well attended, and all three THCS contributions received very positive feedback. Overall, THCS participation in Together4Health strengthened the Partnership’s visibility at European level and confirmed its added value as a platform for cooperation, connecting policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and ecosystem actors around shared challenges and actionable solutions for health and care systems transformation.