The future of digital healthcare hinges on the ability to create a network economy driven by collaborative efforts across regions and sectors. This process starts by aligning and amplifying the effects of strategic efforts in the markets where they can have the most impact. Building or highlighting programmes that integrate key components – data, technology and stakeholder engagement – into a cohesive model delivers tangible improvements. To drive this change, the DHT Initiative is launching an “Activator Network”, originally conceptualized in the World Economic Forum report Transforming Healthcare: Navigating Digital Health with a Value-Driven Approach. Activators are multisectoral coalitions being established at the regional, national or subnational level to catalyse meaningful systemic change in health systems around the world in coordination with local health transformation strategies. –Activators will focus on specific priority healthcare challenges and digital transformation opportunities unique to the geography and population. –Activators will benefit from the broader network and expertise of the DHT Initiative and the World Economic Forum, including knowledge, best practices and recommendations. –In addition, as multiple Activators are established globally, the initiative aims to interconnect them into a mutually supporting network that can amplify impacts of each Activator. While the Network will work broadly across digital health topics, select Activators will be fully dedicated to driving health data collaboration. The focus will be on identifying promising opportunities, enhancing their impact and accelerating progress in health data systems. In areas where unmet needs are identified, Activators will work to address these gaps. The approach prioritizes the use of existing tools such as interoperability standards rather than the development of new ones, so it makes the most of resources and strengthens existing frameworks. The strategy proposed in this paper is to launch one or more Activators focused on promoting health data collaboration through public–private partnerships. Activators aim to bring together a diverse set of stakeholders, establish sustainable collaborative business models, define high-impact data spaces and create measurable success metrics to ensure scalability and effectiveness. The compounding effects of data collaboration will drive better patient outcomes, accelerated research, cost savings and public health improvements, establishing a foundation for long-term, scalable transformation in global healthcare systems. Market considerations and potential focus areas Four markets within the “standardizing” and “innovating” stages of the maturity model are under initial consideration as possible focus areas, customizing interventions for addressing local needs while supporting broad-scale advances in health data practices: –European Union: The European Union (EU) is advancing data-driven health innovations within a robust trust framework, facilitating safe and productive data exchanges across borders. The EU’s regulatory structure, with key frameworks such as the European Health Data Space (EHDS), GDPR and the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, serves as a foundation for data security, privacy and interoperability. This landscape, while sometimes complex for stakeholders to navigate, reinforces the EU’s vision of health data as a strategic asset integrated within healthcare systems. Notable leaders such as Estonia and Denmark illustrate the EU’s commitment to innovation through digital health initiatives and cross-border data sharing. Despite regulatory hurdles, the EU remains focused on building a trusted and interoperable health data environment, setting high standards for collaboration and data-driven healthcare transformation across member states. –India: India illustrates the vast potential for health data innovation, bolstered by the government-led Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), which focuses on establishing unified health data and digital infrastructure. This initiative exemplifies India’s strong commitment to a comprehensive digital health environment, aiming to create catalysts for transformative change. India’s focus is on building foundational momentum through awareness campaigns and pilot programmes, showcasing the benefits of integrated health data systems as essential components for future healthcare innovation. –United States: The United States is advancing health data interoperability and patient access through a mix of regulatory 4.2 Using the Activator model to create proof points 4.3 Path forward: Markets and roadmap Better Together: Building a Global Health Network Economy through Data Collaboration 16

Better Together 2025