The first BRIGHTskills webinar brought together project partners, including EIT Health, the Council of European BioRegions (CEBR), Medtronic, the University of Galway, and the Universitat Politècnica de València, to discuss how the health industry can better prepare for the skills and workforce needs of tomorrow. Together, they explored how Europe’s health care companies can prepare their workforces for the profound changes driven by digital transformation, and artificial intelligence.

Discussions highlighted a shared concern: the widening gap between current skills and the evolving needs of the healthcare sector. At the heart of the discussion was the recognition that new technologies and policy changes - from the AI Act to new regulatory frameworks - require a workforce with both technical and transversal skills. Participants highlighted that future competitiveness would depend on the ability to combine expertise in areas such as regulatory affairs & compliance, data analytics, and digital health with a strong understanding of patient care, ethics, and sustainability. Building these capabilities will help the European health industry remain compliant, forward-looking, and prepared for continuous innovation.

The webinar also shared findings from BRIGHTskills ongoing survey on skills intelligence across four key subsectors: pharma and biomanufacturing, Medtech, digital health, and medical supplies. Early results indicate strong demand for IT, digital readiness, AI and regulatory fluency, alongside the need for flexible, practice-oriented learning formats such as workshops, mentoring, and simulation-based training. These approaches ensure that learning remains relevant to real-world challenges and accessible to professionals at all career stages.

Finally, the session underscored the importance of collaboration between industry, academia, and policymakers in shaping the future of skills development. By aligning education and training with labour market's challenges, BRIGHTskills aims to foster a healthcare workforce capable of adjusting to the industry's needs. The project’s ongoing survey and foresight activities will continue to gather valuable insights to guide the creation of responsive, high-impact training programmes that support a sustainable and innovative European health industry.

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Rewatch the webinar: