Dataspace4Health joined the Gaia-X reception held at the European Parliament, hosted by MEP Tomislav Sokol. Due to the launch event of the European Health Data Space regulation by the European Commission in Brussels on the same day, the event focused specifically on the vision and roadmap of European leaders regarding the European Health Data Space and its potential to enhance citizens' medical experiences by enabling seamless data sharing across different hospitals.

MEP Sokol emphasized the importance of creating a unified health data space that would allow patients to share their medical data effortlessly, improving healthcare outcomes and patient experiences. He highlighted how this initiative aligns with the broader goals of European leaders to foster innovation and collaboration in healthcare.

Ulrich Ahle (CEO of Gaia-X) presented the Gaia-X efforts in building a trust framework that can be leveraged to ensure secure and reliable data sharing. This framework is crucial for establishing confidence among stakeholders and facilitating the smooth exchange of health data across borders.

Bert Verdonck (CEO of LNDS and Board member of Gaia-X) introduced the concept of dataspaces in terms of the secondary use of data, particularly in the context of rare disease research. He explained that researchers often require data from multiple countries to construct a sizeable dataset, which is essential for advancing research in rare diseases. Bert outlined the challenges that need to be addressed to enable the secondary use of data, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and data interoperability.

Project Dataspace4Health was mentioned at the event, with attendees recognizing its potential to revolutionize healthcare data sharing and research.

Furthermore, Dataspace4Health stressed the need for closing the data loop, where outputs from secondary data use can be integrated back into primary care. It was pointed out that currently, primary and secondary uses of data are isolated by legislation, but MEP Sokol assured that he would consider this aspect of data sharing to close the data loop and enhance healthcare delivery. It is certainly positive to see Data Spaces at the very core of that debate.

The Gaia-X reception at the EU Parliament showcased the collaborative efforts of various stakeholders in advancing the European Health Data Space, highlighting the importance of trust, interoperability, and legislative support in achieving a unified and efficient healthcare system.