The European Health Data Space (EHDS) is beginning to turn interoperability from a technical aspiration into something that healthcare organisations can specify, test and expect from suppliers. Relevant EHR systems will progressively need harmonised interoperability components, while digital testing environments will support verification before systems reach the market. This is likely to influence procurement well beyond compliance teams.
For healthtech companies, the commercial implications are straightforward. A product that requires substantial interface development, mapping and configuration for every new hospital carries a different cost structure from one built around reusable standards and integration approaches. As a company grows, repeated custom implementation can absorb engineering capacity, lengthen sales cycles and make expansion considerably more expensive.
AI increases this dependency on good interoperability. Clinical decision-support tools need reliable patient information, research platforms depend on data from different organisations, and population-health applications require information that can be compared across systems. Strong algorithms create value only when they can operate reliably within the workflows and information environments where healthcare is delivered.
Skills are an important part of this picture. The XiA project is developing interoperability training and micro-credentials for more than 10,000 professionals by 2028, alongside a Community of Practice intended to sustain knowledge exchange and implementation capability. Global Health Connector is involved in connecting this work with the wider digital-health ecosystem.
For executives, interoperability therefore belongs alongside clinical evidence and regulatory readiness when assessing a product’s ability to scale. For investors, it can provide useful insight into implementation risk and the economics behind growth. As AI capabilities become more widely available, the ability to deploy them effectively across complex healthcare systems may become an increasingly important source of differentiation.