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University Medical Center Groningen/Academisch Ziekenhuis Groningen

UMCG

The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) was established in 2005 as a joint activity of the University of Groningen and the Academic Hospital Groningen (AZG).

Lobbying Activity

Response to EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – EU funding for competitiveness

12 Nov 2025

The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) is one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands and has extensive experience in European Programmes. The UMCG welcomes the idea behind the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) and its integration into the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), together with the next Horizon Europe programme (FP10), as tangible evidence of the importance the Commission attaches to put research and innovation, science and technology at the heart of EUs economy. The UMCG highly appreciates ECF and FP10 are proposed to be two separate legal and financial frameworks. Furthermore, the UMCG strongly supports the European Commissions intention to set up a mechanism to transform Europes scientific knowledge into tangible societal and economic value by tying pillar II to the ECF. To achieve this effectively, absolute clarity must be provided on how FP10 and the ECF work together in supporting Europes research and innovation landscape. The complementarity will be very clear when FP10 covers activities from fundamental research to early-stage innovation (roughly TRL 16), reinforcing FP10s focus on scientific discovery, knowledge creation and early-stage innovation. Public funding plays a unique role in supporting these early stages and high-risk research which are less attractive to private investment because of their high-risk nature. The ECF can build on the results of FP10 with later-stage activities for scale-up and implementation (TRL 7+) and feed insights back into the needs and challenges addressed at lower TRLs by Horizon. In addition to this, there must be a good balance of early-stage and mid-level research in the four FP10 intervention areas linked to the ECF. Lower-TRL and mid-TRL projects form the foundation of the health innovation pipeline. They are indispensable for nurturing new ideas and ensuring that Europe's research base continues to drive competitiveness and resilience. It must be prevented that the connection with the ECF leads to a preference for FP10 pillar II projects at higher TRLs that best suit continuation in the ECF. To maintain a sustainable innovation ecosystem, FP10 should ensure a fair distribution of funding across the entire research spectrum within its scope and actively promote bottom-up, collaborative projects. To further reinforce complementarity between FP10 and the ECF distinct governance and programming must ensure that the core values of Pillar II excellence, impact and quality of implementation are preserved, while enabling coordination between FP10 and the ECF. The governing bodies of FP10 should include representatives from knowledge institutions or their associations to oversee FP10's core values and identify research priorities, including in the design of Pillar II work programmes and call topics. Finally, the UMCG is concerned that Health is not an independent sectoral ECF-policy window and that it is no longer maintained as an independent strategic area in sectoral windows of the ECF in pillar II in FP10. In both the ECF and FP10-programmes, Health is grouped under the broader theme of Health, Biotechnology, Agriculture and Bioeconomy. This grouping risks overlooking Europes pressing health challenges including the rapid growth and integration of complex health data driving digital innovation, escalating healthcare costs, the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases linked to demographic and lifestyle trends, and the untapped opportunities for advancing healthcare delivery in the home setting. The UMCG believes that the crucial importance of health for Europe's competitiveness should be reflected in the ECF and FP10 programmes.
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Response to EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – implementing EU funding with Member States and regions

29 Oct 2025

The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) is one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands and the largest employer in the Northern Netherlands. More than 10,000 employees provide patient care, are involved in medical education and perform cutting-edge scientific research, focused on healthy and active ageing. With regard to the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 20282034, UMCG welcomes the European Commissions ambition to strengthen Europes competitiveness through the proposed European Competitiveness Fund (ECF). The ECF offers a valuable opportunity to anchor health as a central pillar of European competitiveness, as the health of European citizens is not only a social imperative but also a strategic economic asset that drives innovation, productivity and cohesion across the Union. To enable health to fulfil its potential as a driver of competitiveness, dedicated funding for health innovation and deployment should be maintained within the ECF. The Fund should build upon, rather than replace, existing targeted health instruments such as EU4Health and Joint Actions. These programmes have proven their capacity to translate policy and research into practice, supporting system reform and fostering public health innovation. Integrating them into broader frameworks risks diluting their focus and undermining the EUs ability to deliver needs-driven results. Furthermore, the ECF should explicitly recognise the European Reference Networks (ERNs) as a strategic European asset. As an active member of multiple ERNs, UMCG strongly advocates for their inclusion and dedicated funding within the ECF framework. ERNs represent a unique European infrastructure that enhances competitiveness through advanced research, data interoperability, and high-level training. They also strengthen health systems by enabling equitable access to specialised expertise across borders and by integrating rare disease care into national and regional systems. Sustained and targeted support for ERNs is essential to maintain Europes leadership in rare and complex disease care and to ensure that research and innovation benefit all citizens. Finally, UMCG wishes to use this opportunity to express its concerns regarding the proposed national and regional partnership plans under Heading 1 of the MFF. These plans risk reducing regional and local control over regional development policy and funding, thereby weakening place-based governance and limiting tailored solutions for citizens. Dutch University Medical Centres (UMCs) are among Europes most active health research performers and rely on a balanced mix of EU research, implementation, and regional funds to conduct translational research, large-scale clinical trials, training, and cross-border care initiatives. To continue this work effectively, UMCG firmly believes that regional and local authorities must remain active co-designers of EU programmes and funding priorities. Their participation is crucial for ensuring ownership, impact, and continuity at the regional and local levels. UMCG therefore recommends that the European Commission adopt a more decentralised approach under Heading 1 of the MFF to uphold genuine multilevel governance and to ensure that innovative health solutions can effectively reach patients.
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Response to European Innovation Act

2 Oct 2025

The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) is a university hospital with strong clinical research and testing infrastructure, an active valorisation chain (TTO, spin-offs), and intensive public-private collaboration. From this position, we support a European Innovation Act (EIA) that removes practical bottlenecks for health innovation and accelerates the path from lab to clinic and market. For such an environment to succeed, it is vital to acknowledge the pivotal role of public research institutions, including medical centers, universities, and applied research organisations. These institutions are not only producers of knowledge but also important drivers of collaboration, entrepreneurship, and translation of research into practice. The Innovation Act should therefore take into account the entire knowledge chain from discovery to application ensuring that Europe can bridge the gap between promising ideas and their uptake in the market. Access to R&I infrastructures. UMCG highlights the importance of research and technology infrastructures as foundational elements of Europes innovation capacity. Access to these infrastructures should be fair and balanced between academic institutions and private stakeholders. Open and predictable access for companies to clinical and preclinical facilities is essential. We call for an operational Charter of Access with model SLAs, transparent pricing methods, and clear state-aid safe harbours for universities/PROs that provide external access. This lowers transaction costs and speeds up joint verification/validation trajectories while safeguarding IP and data protection. UMCG underlines the need for clear and consistent definitions of startups, scaleups, and innovative enterprises, so that the rules governing access and support are transparent and predictable for all actors. Regulatory sandboxes offer another promising tool to test new solutions in a secure setting. UMCG supports expanding these instruments and stresses that universities and medical centers should also be able to participate in them. For AI-based clinical decision support, medical devices, and (bio)pharmaceutical innovations, we need EU-connected sandboxes with shared evaluation criteria, clinical outcome measures, and data protection requirements. Mutual recognition of sandbox outputs between Member States is key so that pilot evidence translates faster into multicentre studies and early implementation. With regards to innovation-friendly procurement and early market access we advocate to introduce EU guidance and model clauses for innovation-oriented healthcare procurement (functional rather than detailed specifications, phased pilots, outcome-based awards). This helps hospitals to proportionately assess and scale first-of-a-kind solutions. Talent development is an equally critical dimension of innovation. UMCG emphasises the close link between research, education, and innovation: Europes universities, medical centers, applied sciences institutions, and vocational providers are central to equipping future innovators with the right skills. Programmes such as Erasmus+ play a valuable role in fostering entrepreneurial and innovative mindsets, and their integration with innovation policy should be further strengthened. In conclusion, UMCG calls for a European Innovation Act that: Recognises the entire knowledge value chain, from fundamental research to application; Ensures balanced access to infrastructures while protecting security and IP; Provides clear definitions and fair frameworks for startups, scaleups, and spin-offs; Expands and connects regulatory sandboxes and leverages public procurement for innovation; Strengthens the link between innovation and education to secure Europes talent pipeline.
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Response to European Research Area (ERA) Act

9 Sept 2025

The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) welcomes the European Commissions initiative to prepare a legislative proposal for an ERA Act. With regard to the Call for Evidence: R&D investment target: UMCG supports achieving the 3% R&D investment target but emphasizes that this must not come at the expense of basic or clinical research, nor result in disproportionate emphasis on defense-related R&D. A balanced approach should secure investments in health and biomedical research, prevention-oriented studies, international cooperation, and Social Sciences & Humanities (SSH). Framework conditions and infrastructures: Improvements to framework conditions are welcomed if they add value beyond existing instruments (ERC, MSCA, Erasmus+) and align with initiatives such as the Union of Skills, lifelong learning, and European Universities alliances. For the health domain, the ERA Act should address harmonisation of data access and GDPR implementation, as well as cross-border access to infrastructures such as biobanks, registries, and clinical trial networks, to avoid fragmentation and accelerate innovation. Mobility and research careers: UMCG stresses the need to resolve barriers in tax and premium levy systems for mobile scientific personnel. A level playing field is essential so that researchers and teachers are not disadvantaged by differences between Member States. Particular attention is required for clinician-scientists, including recognition of clinical training periods across the EU, support for combined care-and-research career paths, and portability of pensions and social benefits. Creating sustainable and attractive research careers, especially for young medical researchers, is crucial. Interdisciplinarity and societal impact: The ERA Act should promote interdisciplinary collaboration between medical sciences, social sciences, and data/AI disciplines to address key societal challenges such as ageing, chronic disease, and health inequities. Embedding societal impact, patient involvement, and citizen engagement into ERA evaluation frameworks is essential for relevance and public trust. Regional innovation ecosystems: Finally, UMCG highlights the importance of strengthening regional innovation ecosystems in healthcare and life sciences, such as those in the Northern Netherlands, and ensuring their integration into EU-wide networks. This will help reduce disparities between regions and contribute to a more inclusive European Research Area.
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Meeting with Henriette Van Eijl (Head of Unit Research and Innovation), Philippe Cupers (Seconded Head of Unit Research and Innovation) and

20 Mar 2025 · Invitation Netherlands Federation University Medical Centres