A little more than a year ago, some of the best university hospitals in Europe came together for the first time to share their expertise in healthcare, research and education, establishing the European University Hospital Alliance. The nine founding members are leading university hospitals in their own countries, national reference sites and together they cover 100% of the existing European Reference Networks (ERN). IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele is the only Italian hospital to be part of the Alliance. The other members are Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona, ​Charité in Berlin, UZ Leuven, King's Health Partners in London, Assistence Publique Hôpitaux in Paris, Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm and Vienna General Hospital.

Despite being founded just a year ago, the European University Hospital Alliance has already a clear and long term mission. Through the Alliance, members aim to play an active role in shaping the future of European healthcare – by offering advice to policymakers, interacting with company, NGOs and other stakeholders – and to support their researchers and clinicians to collaborate and to leverage each others strengths.

In addition to each institution’s own research themes, the alliance has identified shared research and development priorities, such as data-driven health, responsible research and innovation and precision medicine. Moreover, the Alliance will encourage the staff mobility at all levels and in all institutional roles (students, healthcare professionals, physicians and researchers), thus promoting the exchange of ideas and sharing of best medical and health practices. Patient centrality, international collaboration, excellence and innovation are the key words that will guide the partner university hospitals.

The European University Hospital Alliance is run by a General Assembly, made up of the CEOs of each member, who meets twice a year to establish strategic priorities and discuss the activities of the Alliance itself. The Alliance presidency, rotating every six months, is currently held by Ospedale San Raffaele.

"Being among the founding members of this strategic alliance is an honor and proves once again the medical and scientific excellence of our institute and the fundamental role it can play in leading health innovation in Italy and Europe", says Elena Bottinelli, CEO of IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele.