SHERIDAN, WYOMING - March 9, 2026 - MedTech Europe participated in the first in‑person meeting of the HERA Industrial Cooperation Forum on 6 February 2026, a session in which the European Commission presented HERA's annual workplan and launched two technical working groups. The association used the meeting to underline the operational importance of medical technologies in health responses and to press for practical industry involvement in preparedness exercises. MedTech Europe also flagged the potential burden from additional reporting requirements and said forthcoming work will focus on supply‑chain risks and on supporting development, manufacturing, availability and accessibility of medical countermeasures.
Business impact
MedTech Europe attended the first in‑person HERA Industrial Cooperation Forum meeting on 6 February 2026, joining EU Member States, industry and institutions for a structured dialogue on medical countermeasures (MCM). The European Commission used the meeting to set out HERA's annual workplan and to establish two technical working groups intended to address specific gaps in preparedness. For MedTech Europe the session provided an opportunity to press for industry inputs that are practical and results‑oriented, reflecting the sector's role across clinical settings and emergency responses.
The Commission launched two technical working groups during the forum with distinct operational remits tied to MCM resilience. One group will focus on identifying supply‑chain risks and dependencies that could affect MCM availability. The other will concentrate on measures to support development, manufacturing, availability and accessibility of MCMs. These two tracks signal that HERA is moving from strategic planning toward operational risk assessment and capacity‑building activities.
Operational considerations
For device manufacturers, suppliers and distributors the forum's outputs could translate into new expectations around transparency, reporting and participation in preparedness activities. MedTech Europe highlighted the "burden of potential additional reporting requirements," indicating concern about compliance overheads that could affect operational costs. Conversely, clearer supply‑chain risk mapping and targeted manufacturing support from HERA could help firms anticipate bottlenecks and align investment in capacity or alternative sourcing where justified by regulatorily endorsed priorities.
The working groups' supply‑chain focus has direct operational implications for production planning, inventory management and contract and procurement strategies. Firms will need to evaluate how any forthcoming guidance or data requests from HERA could integrate with existing quality, regulatory and post‑market surveillance reporting. MedTech Europe's call for meaningful industry involvement in preparedness exercises underscores the importance of ensuring that exercises and requirements are feasible for manufacturers and do not hamper routine product availability during non‑emergency periods.
HERA's renewed mandate and the forum's industry‑state‑institutional composition reflect an EU approach that links industrial policy with health security. The initiative sits alongside broader European efforts to shore up preparedness for health crises by addressing both upstream manufacturing and downstream distribution challenges. MedTech Europe emphasised the essential role of medical technologies "in any health response, regardless of the nature of the crisis," framing the sector as a core operational capability rather than an auxiliary supplier.
Key takeaways
- The European Commission used the meeting to set out HERA's annual workplan and to establish two technical working groups intended to address specific gaps in preparedness
- The Commission launched two technical working groups during the forum with distinct operational remits tied to MCM resilience
- One group will focus on identifying supply‑chain risks and dependencies that could affect MCM availability
- The other will concentrate on measures to support development, manufacturing, availability and accessibility of MCMs
Near‑term activity will centre on the two ICF technical working groups, where MedTech Europe plans to continue advocating for practical, effective and results‑oriented initiatives for the sector. Stakeholders should expect workstreams to produce risk assessments, possible proposals for mitigations and frameworks for cooperation between industry and public buyers or institutions. Key operational matters to watch include the scope of information sharing or reporting HERA will request, the mechanisms proposed to support manufacturing scale‑up or transfer, and how preparedness exercises will incorporate industry input without adding disproportionate compliance burdens.