Why HCN is needed?

Regional economic development is essential as a means of tackling health inequalities, and health is now seen as a basic part of strong, competitive economies.

Regional devolution is now a major element of healthcare reform across Europe, with the aim of making services more relevant and more responsive to local needs.

Having a healthy population is central to member regions achieving the goals of the European Union’s Lisbon Agenda (increased employment, competitiveness and public, private and civil society sectors working together.

2007-2013 is a new era of European policy and funding with regions the key focus of Cohesion Policy and related sustainable development.

Achieving the goals of the renewed Lisbon Agenda shows the importance of creating a culture of networking between regions.

Regional policy is crucial for implementation of the Lisbon Agenda because of its closeness to knowledge assets and partnerships.

Regions need to build capacity for strategic interaction, moving away from the traditional to experimentation and innovation.

Cooperation that surpasses national systems is more likely to deliver added value Investment in the health sector is not just a cost to national economies. It is also a proven creator of wealth in local, regional and national economies.

Despite evidence from across Europe that health sector investment can be a strong contributor to regional economic development and social cohesion, few regions have capitalised on this potential.

The purpose of Health ClusterNET is for member regions to share practical experience about how the health sector can contribute to regional development.