The Finnish Health Data Ecosystem: future perspectives & applications for Global R&D
Organised in collaboration between FinnGen, Sitra, FINBB, and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, this event brings together key actors in the Finnish health data ecosystem and representatives from pharmaceutical and biotech companies to discuss how Finland’s health data infrastructure can best serve the evolving research, innovation and product development needs.
At the event, Sitra will present a preliminary vision for the future of Finnish health data use and access, with a particular focus on public-private partnerships. Attendees will have the opportunity to provide feedback and contribute to shaping this vision.
The event begins with reflections on the public–private FinnGen research project, offering insights from both academic and industry perspectives on what lies ahead for large-scale health data collaborations.
The event also highlights interesting real-life biomedical research cases from early discovery and R&D to RWE, elucidating how Finnish biobanks and Fingenious Ecosystem partners co-create value with pharma and biotech in various therapeutic areas and research settings.
Whether you are a national expert or an international company exploring research collaboration opportunities in Finland, this is a unique chance to help co-create the next chapter of data-driven innovation in health.
This is a hybrid event. - You are warmly welcome online or at Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa!
ONLINE: 12:45-16:30 (EET) • 11:45-15:30 (CET) • 5:45am-9-30am (ET, US)
ON-SITE: 12:45-16:30 (EET) (Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa, Juhlasali).
Please note that the networking lunch starts at 12:00 (EET)
Register now to secure your seat!: https://www.lyyti.fi/reg/FinnishHealthDataEcosystem
The event is aimed at:
• R&D leaders from pharma and biotech
• Innovation and business development professionals
• Finnish health sector stakeholders and policymakers
• Other professionals interested in the future of data-driven healthcare innovation in Finland
Why attend:
• Get early insight into emerging strategies for Finnish health data
• Share your needs and expectations directly with national stakeholders
• Explore interesting real-life cases and opportunities for public-private collaboration
• Help shape a shared future for research and innovation
Event programme:
Download the event programme as a PDF here
| Time | Presentations |
12:45-12:50 | Welcome & opening wordsPäivi Sillanaukee, Special Envoy for Health and Wellbeing of Finland, Ministry for Social Affairs and Health |
12:50-13:20 | Public-private partnerships fueling ecosystem readiness for global-scale researchFinnGen: eight years' experience of a public–private partnership — what Next? Aarno Palotie, FinnGen Scientific Director, University of Helsinki FinnGen: the perspective from pharma Mark McCarthy, Principal Fellow and Executive Director, Human Genetics, Genentech |
13:10- 14:35 | Shaping the future of Finnish health dataIntroduction Petri Lehto, Digital Social and Healthcare Project Lead, Sitra
Building blocks of the Finnish health data landscape High-performance computing infrastructure and AI in Finland Tommi Nyrönen, Director, CSC Deep clinical data integration and interoperability Kimmo Porkka, Professor, University of Helsinki A nationwide foundation model for healthcare Andrea Ganna, Associate Professor, University of Helsinki FinTrials - a single entry point for clinical trials Lauri Salmivalli, Partner, PwC
Vision: Finnish Health Data 2026–2030 Olli Kallioniemi, Professor, University of Helsinki
Commentary by pharma representatives & discussion |
14:35-14:55 | Coffee break |
14:55-15:45
| Real life cases and research collaboration opportunities
Fingenious© and Finnish Biobanks co-creating value with pharma & biotech Johanna Mäkelä, Director of Research and Services, FINBB & Meri Lähteenmäki, Fingenious© Manager, FINBB The Power of Partnership: accelerating data to discovery with agentic AI Alexandra Skeaping, Senior Partnerships Manager, Northern Europe, Owkin & Ramandeep Ghuman, Head of Partnerships, Europe, Owkin Machine learning/AI: Risk prediction and NLP - NSCLC as a model Riikka Mattila, Senior Scientific Advisor, Medaffcon Pan-Nordic Studies: Case Myasthenia Gravis Tero Ylisaukko-oja, CEO, MedEngine |
15:45-16:15 | Panel discussion: What does Finland offer for RWE research?Moderator: Susanna Flaherty, Healthcare Director Finland, IQVIA |
16:15- 16:30 | Reflections and closing statementsConcluding remarks |