On 24 September 2025 Professor Liesbet Geris, representing VPH and the in silico medicine community, had the honour of presenting in the SANT Committee of the European Parliament the transformative role of AI and digital technologies in healthcare.
Prof Geris highlighted practical applications already in use, such as patient-specific models for cardiovascular surgery, digital twins for medical training, AI-assisted insulin management in intensive care, pharmacogenomics to personalize therapies, and simulations accelerating treatment development for rare diseases.
Despite these advances, significant challenges remain. Regulatory frameworks such as the AI Act, MDR, GDPR and the European Health Data Space often overlap or conflict, creating legal uncertainty and deterring investment, particularly from SMEs facing high entry costs. Questions of liability, the quality of input data, and the need to train and build trust among healthcare professionals further complicate deployment.
At the same time, opportunities exist in building a connected European ecosystem for digital health, strengthening interoperability and standardization, and supporting innovation through initiatives such as the Virtual Human Twin program launched by the European Commission. Prof Geris said: “we started this work from the needs of the patient and the clinicians, not from the researchers and it must remain the driving force”. The overall message was clear: AI can revolutionize patient care and enhance Europe’s competitiveness, but success depends on regulatory clarity, reliable data, professional training, and coordinated support across the EU.
This presentation was followed by a discussion where MEPs Vytenis Andriukaitis, Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, Ondrej Dostal and Adam Jarubas (Chair of the SANT Committee) raised concerns about fragmented ecosystems, the need for legal certainty to stimulate investment, the integration of medical and digital expertise, and the reliability of clinical data. MEP Sommen also showed interest underlining political engagement around this topic. Initiatives such as the EU’s Virtual Human Twin show the potential of building a connected digital health ecosystem, but Europe’s ability to harness these innovations will depend on clearer regulation, stronger interoperability and coordinated support to translate research into patient care and maintain global competitiveness.
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