Europe Prizes GHNP Research

The European funding of €19 million secured by the 22 international partners of the Harmonised Approach to Early Feasibility Studies for Medical Devices in the European Union (HEU-EFS) project, led by the SDA Bocconi School of Management’s Center for Research on Healthcare and Social Management (CERGAS), is just the latest international acknowledgment of the quality of the School's GHNP division research.

Thirteen European projects are currently active, with two more in the activation phase. The total funding of €10.7 million for SDA Bocconi allows for the ignition of a virtuous circle, providing the opportunity to systematically enhance knowledge on top-of-the-agenda topics for managers and policymakers.

“Our researchers have been working on these issues for a long time, in close collaboration with major stakeholders, both public and private,” said SDA Bocconi’s Dean Stefano Caselli. “Success in obtaining competitive international funding is not only a prestigious recognition but also highlights the breadth of SDA Bocconi’s identity, which is, first and foremost, a School of Management. Working on these topics and in support of public policies means creating value and impact for society.”

“The recent evolution,” said Veronica Vecchi, Director of Research, Innovation, and International Programs for Government & Society, “is the expansion of our research field. Starting from public management topics that mainly concerned organizational functioning, today we are dealing much more with how value for society is generated through hybrid models and collaborative governance logics, i.e., at the intersection of public and private.”

Eleven of the 13 projects focus on healthcare and are managed by CERGAS.

“All the projects center around the value and impact produced by various actors within the healthcare ecosystem: policymakers, healthcare professionals, and the industry producing technological innovation for the sector. We are increasingly working on understanding and measuring value from the perspective of patients and their families, as well as understanding the impact on service models and their long-term sustainability,” said Amelia Compagni, Director of CERGAS.

Eight of the CERGAS projects (GerOnTe; Hi Prix; HEU-EFS; Resolve; Cinderella; Sagittarius; AI4Lungs; Preserve) multidimensionally study the impact and value produced by technological innovations, often including digital components such as apps, artificial intelligence, or telemedicine platforms. JACARDI aims to assess the value produced by public prevention policies, while Apollo 2028 investigates how the physical and mental health of healthcare personnel can be promoted for the benefit of patients and the sustainability of healthcare systems. Finally, Sustain-HTA aims to support the European community of practice dealing with health technology assessment.

Addressing issues beyond healthcare, HouseInc investigates housing inequalities, focusing on marginalized communities – a topic that SDA Bocconi already studies in the Italian context, thanks to funding from the Cariplo Foundation. Two more projects focus on mechanisms to strengthen scientific production in the European space.

“With these research activities, the GHNP Division generates original knowledge on the major challenges of contemporary society,” concluded Rosanna Tarricone, Associate Dean for Government, Health, and Not for Profit. “This allows us to constantly renew education programs, providing participants with a comprehensive preparation that includes elements on how to address urgent issues such as healthcare management, climate change, government relations, and geopolitics.”

SDA Bocconi School of Management