The Nordic Health Data Summit brought together health data experts, researchers, and decision-makers from across the Nordics and Europe on 30 October 2025 in Helsinki and online. The event highlighted the region’s leading role in implementing the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and advancing cross-border collaboration in the secondary use of health data.
The summit began with presentations and panel discussions showcasing the results of the Value from Nordic Health Data (VALO) project. In addition, it introduced the Nordic Model developed within the project, offering a framework for cross-border collaboration and data utilisation in healthcare.
Next, Findata’s Development Manager Maari Parkkinen presented Finland’s strengthened health data infrastructure, including key lessons from the Data Permit Authority’s perspective and the country’s preparation for seamless integration into the EHDS infrastructure.
“FinHITS project is essentially about strengthening the whole Finnish secondary use infrastructure to meet the EHDS requirements. Close collaboration with ecosystem stakeholders and customers is crucial when developing digital capabilities to serve everyone involved.“
– Maari Parkkinen
Following this, Findata’s customers took the stage to share their experiences and perspectives on the secondary use of health data through a series of engaging case studies. Emilie Toresson Grip from Quantify Research highlighted the Nordic dimension of research initiatives, Mika Torhola from Atostek showcased the possibilities of Kanta data utilisation through AI applications, and Aarno Palotie from the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland concluded with key insights from the widely recognized FinnGen project.
Common ground: Data usability and harmonisation requires concrete action
The event featured a wide range of presentations and perspectives from the business, research, and public sectors. Participants shared a common understanding that the Nordic countries hold a wealth of high-quality data that attracts strong international interest.
At the same time, it was widely recognised that improving data usability and harmonisation requires concrete action and common operational models to ensure that data can be effectively used for the benefit of society and research.
Across six sessions, the summit offered practical insights into federated data analysis, real-world evidence generation, and cross-sectoral use cases. Speakers shared examples from health research and other sectors, such as transport, demonstrating how collaborative data use can drive innovation, efficiency, and societal benefits.
The event concluded with a look ahead at Nordic cooperation and EHDS development. Ongoing collaboration between public authorities, research institutions, and industry partners is essential to ensure that health data is used securely and effectively for the benefit of society.
Stay tuned for next international events!
Findata organises online Application clinic for international customers on 11 Nov 2025. At the clinic, our experts will provide practical support for those currently submitting a data permit application or planning to apply.
The Radical Health Festival will be held 19–21 January 2026 in Helsinki, Finland.
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Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.