EHMC 2026 plenary session | From strategy to action implementing workforce transformation

Health systems across Europe face growing workforce pressures driven by demographic change, technological innovation and the green transition. At the same time, health organisations are expected to redesign care models, adopt digital tools and deliver more sustainable services. These transformations depend fundamentally on the skills of the health and care workforce, yet skills development has often been addressed through fragmented initiatives rather than coordinated strategies. This session will explore how the BeWell European Skills Strategy, which aims to support the digital and green upskills and reskilling of the health and care workforce, can help bridge this gap. Drawing on robust skills intelligence and multi-stakeholder insights, the strategy aligns education systems, employers, policymakers, and professional organisations around shared priorities for workforce transformation. The discussion will also incorporate the perspective of the BRIGHTskills initiative, which focuses on skills development across the health industry ecosystem. By bringing together health systems, academia and industry perspectives, the session will explore how different parts of the health ecosystem are addressing emerging workforce needs. This plenary session will delve into the critical questions shaping Europe’s health workforce transformation. It will explore what the latest skills intelligence reveals about the future health workforce and how emerging gaps can be addressed through targeted action. Through a combination of structured expert contributions and moderated discussions, the session will examine how regions, universities, policymakers, and health organisations can leverage the BeWell Skills Strategy and BRIGHTskills resources to turn strategic goals into tangible outcomes. Particular attention will be given to the role of regional ecosystems, education systems and European policy frameworks in supporting sustained workforce transformation. Speakers Prof Dr Ronald Batenburg, Programme Leader, Nivel; Endowed Professor, Radboud University, The Netherlands Mr Michele Calabrò, Director, European Regional and Local Health Authorities (EUREGHA), Belgium Dr Montserrat Codina, International Project Lead, IESE Business School, Spain Lucija Rojko, Chief Nursing Officer, Ministry of Health, Slovenia Dr Marius Ungureanu, MD, Associate Professor and Department Chair, Babeș-Bolyai University, Romania Dr Gemma Williams, Research Fellow, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, Belgium Facilitator Ms Federica Margheri, Executive Director, European Health Management Association (EHMA), Belgium