The IncreaseNET 2026 Innovation Symposium, held in Zagreb on 21–22 January 2026, brought together European medicines regulators and experts to strengthen collaboration between innovation and regulation. The symposium was organized by the IncreaseNET project (“Supporting the increased capacity and competence building of the EU medicines regulatory network”), funded within the EU4Health programme 2012-2027. Symposium sessions focused on the work of the EU Innovation Network, new models for regulatory and scientific advice, and practical tools to support innovation in areas such as AI, advanced therapies, and new manufacturing processes. The event emphasized building regulatory capacity, competence, and confidence across the EU medicines network.
The EU4MEDTECH project was represented by its coordinator, Prof. Ana Marušić, MD, PhD. With the growing convergence between medical devices and medicines, such as drug-device combinations, borderline products and digital/AI components). EU4MEDTECH will benefit from the experience presented at the conference, moving from siloed regulation toward integrated, innovation-aware regulation, which includes early advice structures, cross-sector training, practical collaboration tools and EU-level coordination.
