The PROCURE project, in which our entity participates, is advancing healthcare procurement across Europe with a remarkable step: establishing the 10 EU Member States in PROCURE project. These nodes bring healthcare organisations together under dedicated Country Leaders, enabling local insights and collaborative expertise to inform the Observational Study on European Healthcare & Procurement Environment—a cornerstone of the project.

This Observational Study, involving 148 healthcare organisations including suppliers, contracting authorities, private procurers, and healthcare institutions, has delivered essential data on European procurement practices, consolidated into country-specific ID Cards developed by each Country Leader under Resah‘s guidance. These ID Cards have allowed for standardised and structured data collection, providing a comprehensive, comparative analysis of procurement practices across Europe.

The study’s findings reveal major trends shaping healthcare procurement:

• Collaborative Procurement: Joint procurement is enhancing resilience and resource efficiency.
• Value-Based Procurement (VBP): Prioritising patient outcomes alongside cost.
• Digitalisation of Procurement: Expanding electronic tendering and digital platforms.
• Sustainable Procurement: Integrating environmental and social criteria in line with CSR goals.

The impact of COVID-19 further underscores the need for adaptable procurement systems. The study indicates that countries are moving towards strategic stockpiling and flexible procurement to build resilience against future crises, while also addressing broader challenges such as ageing populations and rising healthcare costs.

As we move forward, this study will shape the next phases of PROCURE, from identifying best practices to developing tailored recommendations. With these efforts, PROCURE aims to create a robust, unified procurement strategy that strengthens Europe’s healthcare systems for future challenges.