Shaping the future of circular healthcare: ENKORE at the DiCE policy dialogue
ENKORE was pleased to take part in the DiCE policy dialogue held on 21 May in Brussels, joining policymakers, healthcare professionals, medtech stakeholders, researchers and European innovation initiatives to discuss how circularity can be translated into more impactful healthcare policies and practices.
The half-day workshop, organised in the framework of the DiCE project, provided a timely platform to explore how evidence, collaboration and policy recommendations can support the transition towards more circular digital health and medical device systems.
Under the session title “From DiCE to ENKORE: Scaling Circular Solutions in Healthcare”, the event created a valuable bridge between the outcomes of DiCE and ENKORE’s ambition to further advance circular approaches in healthcare.
From evidence to implementation
Circular healthcare is becoming an increasingly important priority for Europe’s health innovation ecosystem. However, moving from ambition to implementation requires more than isolated technological solutions. It calls for robust evidence, practical tools, regulatory insight and policy frameworks that can support long-term change across healthcare systems.
This was one of the central messages addressed during the event. Participants explored how the results and learnings from DiCE, together with the work being developed by related initiatives such as ENKORE and INCREACE, can help shape more effective circular health device policies.
For ENKORE, the policy dialogue represented an important opportunity to engage with relevant stakeholders and contribute to the discussion on how circularity can be embedded into healthcare innovation, procurement, regulation and decision-making.
ENKORE voices at the policy dialogue
ENKORE was represented by a multidisciplinary group of experts bringing complementary perspectives to the discussion:
Xenia Beltran Jaunsarás, Senior Project Manager at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, contributed to the dialogue from the perspective of European project coordination, collaboration and the translation of research ambition into structured implementation pathways.
Marco Cinelli, Assistant Professor at Leiden University, brought expertise on evidence-based decision-making, assessment methodologies and the role of scientific knowledge in supporting circular and sustainable healthcare solutions.
Marianna Zarro, PhD Candidate at Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, contributed with an emerging research perspective on how circular solutions can be developed and applied within healthcare technologies and medical devices.
Adrian Quesada, Senior Manager and Lead Researcher in Information and Communication Technology Law at Mandat International, added a regulatory and policy perspective, addressing the importance of governance, legal frameworks and evidence-based recommendations in enabling circular healthcare innovation.
Together, their participation reflected ENKORE’s multidisciplinary approach: connecting research, regulation, sustainability, health technology and policy to support the development of circular solutions that can respond to real healthcare needs.
Building bridges across European initiatives
The Brussels policy dialogue also highlighted the importance of cooperation between European projects working towards shared sustainability goals. By connecting the findings of DiCE with the ongoing work of ENKORE, the event helped identify opportunities for alignment, knowledge exchange and future collaboration.
This clustering approach is essential to avoid fragmentation and to ensure that results generated by individual projects can inform broader policy and implementation efforts. For ENKORE, participating in this exchange reinforces the project’s commitment to working with complementary initiatives, stakeholders and decision-makers to maximise impact.
The discussions also opened the door to continued collaboration between DiCE and ENKORE, including future exchanges aimed at deepening the conversation on circular healthcare and sustainable medical technologies.
Towards a more sustainable healthcare ecosystem
ENKORE’s participation in the DiCE policy dialogue underlined a clear priority: circular healthcare must be built through credible evidence, practical implementation tools and policy environments capable of supporting systemic change.
As healthcare systems across Europe face growing environmental, economic and operational pressures, circular approaches offer an opportunity to rethink how health technologies are designed, used, reused and managed throughout their lifecycle.
By contributing to this policy dialogue, ENKORE continues to position itself within the wider European conversation on sustainable healthcare, supporting a transition where innovation, environmental responsibility and patient-centred care can move forward together. ENKORE thanks the DiCE team and all participants for creating a valuable space for exchange, collaboration and shared reflection on the future of circular healthcare in Europe.
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