A Changing Pharmaceutical Policy Landscape in Europe
Pharmaceutical policy in Europe is entering a new phase of redefinition, shaped by the revision of pharmaceutical legislation, the need to improve access to treatments for rare diseases, the imperative of supply security, and the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems. In Greece, this landscape is further complicated by persistently low medicine prices, high clawback levels, and significant delays in patient access to innovative therapies.
The Greek Reality: Structural Challenges and Untapped Potential
Despite these structural challenges, the pharmaceutical sector remains one of the most dynamic pillars of the Greek economy, contributing approximately €6.9 billion to GDP and supporting 119,000 jobs. At the same time, Greece’s innovation ecosystem is steadily gaining momentum. Hundreds of startups are active across the country, including 148 in health and life sciences, while global investment interest in healthtech and biotech continues to grow, positioning Greece as an emerging hub for innovation.
Yet a critical gap remains. Greece still lacks a stable, institutionalized mechanism that can systematically connect research, startups, industry, and the State, so that innovation can translate into measurable commercial, investment, and social value.
The initiative
It is precisely this gap that SFEE’s Innovation meets Industry initiative seeks to address. Implemented with the support of Industry Disruptors Game Changers (IDGC), the initiative is designed as a structured platform for institutional dialogue, strategic policy thinking, and cross-sector collaboration.
It includes:
- two roundtables,
- the development of a policy White Paper,
- and targeted matchmaking and networking activities at BEYOND EXPO (17–19 June 2026).
More than a standalone initiative, Innovation meets Industry represents a deliberate strategic choice by SFEE to position the pharmaceutical industry at the heart of the country’s contemporary public and development agenda, as a driver of investment, technological advancement, and the qualitative upgrading of healthcare. With the support of IDGC, the initiative brings together policy, innovation, entrepreneurship, and industry in a common framework that aspires to strengthen Greece’s role on the global map of health innovation and generate lasting added value for both the economy and society.
