From 10 to 12 February, Barcelona hosted the RaDAR Consortium and Stakeholder Meetings, bringing together project partners, public‑sector buyers, research institutes, and industry to discuss how Public Procurement for Innovation (PPI) can reshape healthcare, starting with antimicrobial resistance (AMR). As a project partner and a long-standing advocate of innovation-oriented procurement, INSME actively contributed to both the Consortium and Stakeholder sessions, reinforcing the role of PPI in strengthening healthcare systems and SME competitiveness.
Highlight of the three-day event was the visit to Hospital del Mar and to Laboratori de Referència de Catalunya, both members of the RaDAR Consortium. Participants had the opportunity to see firsthand how RaDAR’s procurement strategy is translated into real change, and how PPI becomes a catalyst for systemic change when designed strategically.
During the Stakeholder Meeting on 12 February, INSME Secretary General Giovanni Zazzerini moderated a panel discussion with public buyers to examine both the opportunities and the challenges of implementing PPI. Buyers highlighted several challenges, like understanding complex clinical workflows and bureaucratic procedures, engaging multiple industry partners and merging complementary solutions, dealing with real-world operational constraints in hospitals, and integrating new tools with legacy IT systems and data structures. At the same time, the discussion underscored why PPI remains a powerful strategic tool. PPI contracts offer flexibility and adaptability, favour co-design between buyers and suppliers, and create spaces where visions, technical expertise and user feedback converge. Nowadays, PPI accounts for approximately 14 % of EU GDP and is “one of the most powerful policy tools governments have to shape markets”.
For INSME, PPI is a strategic priority. Innovation-oriented procurement is a natural lever to help SMEs thrive, especially in complex sectors, like health, energy and digitalization, where access to public buyers is essential. INSME will continue advancing these dialogues at its next Annual Meeting in Athens in 2026, where PPI will feature within a broader discussion on competitiveness and industrial transformation.
Source: INSME
