Albania Hosts First-Ever EIT Health Morning Health Talks, Advancing Digital Health Dialogue

Albania Hosts First-Ever EIT Health Morning Health Talks, Advancing Digital Health Dialogue - Universiteti "Barleti"

Albania Hosts First-Ever EIT Health Morning Health Talks, Advancing Digital Health Dialogue

2025-05-23

Albania marked a significant milestone in its healthcare innovation journey by hosting its first EIT Health Morning Health Talks, a regional event aimed at fostering national-level conversations on digital health. Organized by EIT Health InnoStars in collaboration with Barleti Medical Group and Barleti University, the event brought together leading voices from healthcare, academia, and innovation sectors.

Held in Tirana, the session served as a platform to reflect on the country’s progress in digital health, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the need for modernisation and digital transformation in healthcare systems.

Michele Biring-Pani, Business Development Director at Barleti Medical Group and co-organiser of the event, opened the discussion by framing the session not just as a conversation starter but as a strategic move toward shaping Albania’s digital health future.

Key discussions focused on addressing persistent challenges in Albania’s healthcare system, such as uneven access to digital tools, limited digital literacy, and public skepticism toward new technologies. There was broad consensus on the need to build digital competencies among healthcare professionals and embed digital health into national policy frameworks with sustainable financing and proper monitoring mechanisms.

Highlights of the event included insights from Filipa Fixe Santos, EIT Health InnoStars Supervisory Board member, who shared Portugal’s experiences in healthcare digitalisation, and Assoc. Prof. Sokol Kosta, who presented an Albanian AI-based project for early lung cancer diagnostics. Both underscored the urgency of integrating digital technologies into medical practice while maintaining a strong human-centric approach.

Zsolt Bubori, EIT Health InnoStars Ecosystem Lead for Hungary, presented valuable opportunities for Albanian health innovators through InnoStars programmes, including funding, mentorship, and international networking.

The successful debut of EIT Health Morning Health Talks in Tirana signals Albania’s growing role in the regional digital health ecosystem and sets the stage for stronger collaborations and innovation across the Balkans.

For more information, read the full article at EIT Health:
https://eithealth.eu/news-article/digital-health-in-focus-at-the-eit-health-morning-health-talks-in-albania