On September 24th, 2026, AccelBio’s Chief Scientific Officer, Sílvia Almeida, took part in the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) Portuguese Health Innovation Ecosystem Stakeholders Meeting, organised by AICIB – Agência de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica at the Parque de Saúde de Lisboa. The meeting brought together national stakeholders and representatives of IHI to discuss Portugal’s participation in one of Europe’s main public-private partnerships for health research and innovation.

The afternoon opened with welcome remarks from Anabela Isidro, from the AICIB Board, and Ana Rita Pinto, the Portuguese IHI Delegate at AICIB. Niklas Blomberg, Executive Director of the Innovative Health Initiative, then presented IHI’s mission and project portfolio, followed by presentations from national stakeholders. After a coffee break, Ana Rita Pinto gave an overview of Portugal’s performance in IHI, setting the stage for the closing open discussion, “IHI in the spotlight: Challenges and Opportunities for Portugal”, moderated by IHI and AICIB.

The small-group format made for a candid and constructive exchange. Participants shared openly the main concerns and difficulties that Portuguese organisations face when applying to and taking part in IHI projects, and these were well received by the IHI team. The discussion also looked at how Portugal is positioned in IHI calls, including the challenges of engaging companies and the specific characteristics of the national biotechnology and pharmaceutical ecosystem.

For AccelBio, the meeting was a valuable opportunity to contribute the perspective of a collaborative laboratory that works every day at the interface between academia and industry. Strengthening Portugal’s participation in European initiatives such as IHI is closely aligned with AccelBio’s mission to connect the national ecosystem to international networks and funding opportunities, and we look forward to continuing this dialogue with AICIB, IHI, and our partners.