The DATAMITE Meet Up Event 2025 brought together Europe’s top innovators, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to accelerate data-driven progress. We were excited to participate in the panel "Data Exploitation in the Health Sector," sharing insights from our experience in the VELES Excellence Hub project and the Greek digital health ecosystem.
Key Takeaways from the Panel
With expert moderation by Christos-Antonios Gizelis (OTE) and contributions from Christina Gialama (OTE), Kristina Livitckaia (CERTH), and Evangelos Vagias (DEMO), the discussion covered:
✅ Challenges in health data exchange – Addressing ethical concerns, security, and sensitive data management.
✅ High-quality primary health data – Enabling AI-driven data sharing and anonymization.
✅ Interoperability & standardization – Essential for healthcare but challenging to implement.
✅ Clinician & tech collaboration – Key to developing machine learning models and pharma innovations.
✅ Real-time data for better health outcomes – Improving patient care and public health decision-making.
✅ Trust, cultural resistance & ethical concerns – Barriers to AI adoption in healthcare.
✅ Training gaps – The need to upskill professionals in digital health and AI.
✅ Opportunities in Greece – Funding availability provides significant potential for innovation.
✅ Data fragmentation in Greece – Cross-sector collaboration is crucial to overcoming this challenge.
The Role of VELES in Health Data Innovation
VELES Excellence Hub, launched under the HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-ACCESS-04 (Excellence Hubs) initiative, aims to strengthen innovation in South-East Europe through a Regional Smart Health Data Space. The project fosters collaboration across Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and Cyprus, with support from Sweden, Spain, and Germany, driving healthcare innovation and smart specialization in the region. During the panel, we shared insights from our research for the Deliverable 2.1: State of Play and Strategy for Innovation Ecosystem Transition Path, highlighting the current landscape and future strategies for advancing digital health ecosystems.
About the DATAMITE Meet Up Event
Hosted by OTE’s IT Innovation Center, the event featured five panel discussions covering data marketplaces, monetization, AI, privacy, and industry transformation, bringing together key players in EU-funded innovation. The event was organised in the context of DATAMITE project which delivers a modular, open-source and multi-domain Framework to improve data monetising, interoperability, trading and exchange in the form of software modules, training and business materials for European companies, empowering them to become new relevant players in the data economy.
As HDHC continues to grow, our active participation in events like DATAMITE Meet Up 2025 underscores the critical role we play in driving digital health innovation. As Cluster Manager George Dimitriou emphasized:
"Given that cluster models aren’t as common in Greece compared to other European countries, our growth and traction in just 3–4 years illustrate the strong demand and need within the industry for a collaborative platform."
We remain committed to bridging the gap between clinical needs, technological innovation, and policy frameworks to drive real-world healthcare advancements.
👀 Watch the whole event on DATAMITE's YouTube channel (Health Panel from 1:46)
A huge thank you to DATAMITE and the OTE Innovation Centre team for organizing such a valuable event!