The Strategic Health Economy

Global health is entering a new era of economic and geopolitical uncertainty. As fiscal pressures intensify, governments face difficult choices between investment in health and competing priorities such as defense, energy security, industrial competitiveness and strategic autonomy.

At the same time, demographic change, the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, emerging health threats and rising healthcare costs are increasing the need for resilient health systems and sustained investment in innovation.

Health, however, should not be viewed solely as a social expenditure. As one of the most research- and technology-intensive sectors of the economy, it is closely connected to artificial intelligence, data science, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing. Investment in health can therefore strengthen productivity, technological leadership, economic competitiveness and national resilience.

This session will bring together senior leaders from government, industry, research, economics and regional institutions to examine how countries can sustain health innovation in a constrained fiscal environment. The discussion will explore the policy, financing and regulatory conditions needed to attract investment, accelerate the development and adoption of new technologies, and ensure that innovation delivers broad societal value and equitable access.

Moving beyond traditional health-financing debates, the panel will consider how health, research, technology and industrial policy can be aligned within wider national and regional strategies. Drawing on experiences from different regions, it will identify practical approaches to public-private collaboration and examine how health can both contribute to and benefit from stronger innovation ecosystems.

The objective is to position health, research and technology not as competing budget lines, but as mutually reinforcing investments in prosperity, security and long-term societal resilience.