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VALO and FinHITS invite experts, professionals, and decision-makers in the health sector from the Nordics and across Europe to the Nordic Health Data Summit. The event will take place on 30 October 2025 in Helsinki, Finland, with part of the programme available for online streaming.
The event will present results from the first part of the Value from Nordic health data (VALO) project, a Nordic Council of Ministers-funded initiative now involving all Nordic countries, with Estonia and Lithuania as observers. VALO aims to harmonise implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) regulation in the Nordic countries, strengthen the Nordic co-operation on, and maintain a leading position in the secondary use of health data. It showcases the Nordic collaboration through pilot studies using health data from several Nordic countries.
Also contributing to the event is FinHITS, a four-year project co-funded by the European Union that strengthens Finland’s health data infrastructure for secondary use and supports the country’s integration into the EHDS. FinHITS is run by the Finnish Social and Health Data Permit Authority (Findata).
To promote cross-border collaboration and position the Nordic countries as leaders in implementing the EHDS, the Nordic Health Data Summit brings together experts from various fields to highlight synergies, share insights, and showcase successful examples of data sharing. By presenting best practices from various use cases, the event explores what different sectors can learn from each other.
The event is organised by VALO in collaboration with Findata and the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with key stakeholders and to explore how cross-sectoral data collaboration improves everyday life in the Nordics—health and beyond!
Attendance is free but prior registration is required.
More speakers will be announced soon, stay tuned!
Programme
| 08:30 |
Doors open and breakfast
|
|---|---|
| 09:00 |
Greetings and welcome
Live stream begins.
|
| 09:20 |
Session 1: The Nordics and Baltics taking the lead on EHDS implementation
Markus Kalliola, ProgRamme Director, Sitra
This introductory session offers an overview of the European Health Data Space (EHDS), delves into its broader implications, and examines the current progress in its implementation. Finally, we’ll showcase the steps taken by the Nordics and Baltics to lead the way in harmonized EHDS implementation and cross-border collaboration (VALO-project).
|
| 09:40 |
Session 2: Unlocking the potential of federated analysis and OMOP — insights, challenges, and future directions
Åslaug Helland, MD, PhD, Research Director, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital
James Brash, PhD, Senior Healthcare Data Scientist, IQVIA
This session shares key outcomes, lessons learned, and future recommendations from the VALO pilot focusing on federated analysis using the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) model. It highlights insights on federated data analysis and showcases an analysis-based operating model to produce real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) on the use and effectiveness of medicines.
|
| 10:40 |
Coffee break
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| 11:00 |
Session 3: Advancing Nordic collaboration in health data
Sigríður Haraldsdóttir Elínardóttir, Head of division health information, Directorate of Health Iceland
Rebekka Björg Guðmundsdóttir, Project manager, Directorate of Health Iceland
This session showcases the Nordic model for collaboration on the secondary use of health data. Designed to align with the EHDS and the Nordic sustainability goals for 2030, the model is now ready to drive cross-border collaboration and efficiency.
|
| 11:50 |
Session 4: Strengthening Finland’s health data infrastructure
Maari Parkkinen, Development manager, Findata
Antti Piirainen, Head of Communications, Findata
In this session, Findata shares key lessons learned from the Data Permit Authority’s perspective, along with upcoming initiatives from FinHITS—a four-year project co-funded by the European Union—and discusses their efforts to strengthen Finland’s data infrastructure for the secure and efficient secondary use of health data. FinHITS helps prepare Finland for seamless integration into the EHDS.
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| 12:35 |
Lunch break
Live stream ends, afternoon sessions only available onsite.
|
| 13:30 |
Session 5: Case studies on the secondary use of Finnish social and health data
Emilie Toresson Grip, Director, Head of RWE and Data Analytics, Quantify Research
This session shares practical insights into the secondary use of social and health data through three real-world case studies presented by innovative research projects. These examples showcase the variety of possibilities for research, development and innovation enabled by the high-quality data. Together, they illustrate the impact and potential of Finland’s evolving data ecosystem.
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| 14:50 |
Session 6: Learning from cross-border data collaboration and AI use in the transport sector
Janne Lautanala, Chief Ecosystem and Technology Officer, Fintraffic
Olli SOininen, Head of Programs, Fintraffic Jaakko Rintamäki, Development manager, Fintraffic
This session highlights successful examples of data sharing from use cases in the transport sector, showcasing best practices for cross-border collaboration that can benefit the healthcare sector. The goal is to inspire new synergies and strengthen Nordic-Baltic cooperation around secure and scalable data sharing practices, ensuring the region remains at the forefront of EHDS implementation.
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| 15:50 |
Closing remarks
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| 16:00 |
Event ends
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