For three days, the French Healthcare Business Forum 2026 (FHBF) brought together public decision-makers, industry leaders, medical experts and international institutions with a common goal: to conceive and build the healthcare systems of tomorrow.

Alongside business meetings, plenary conferences, thematic workshops, high-level round tables and market workshops fostered strategic and operational dialogue on major challenges: ageing populations, infectious risks, innovation in oncology, artificial intelligence applied to healthcare, healthcare mobility, physical medicine and rehabilitation, as well as financing and public-private partnerships.

The participation of high-level international delegations in these panels, representing nearly 40 countries across five continents, alongside French experts, fostered dialogue and cooperation on key contemporary issues and helped identify concrete opportunities. The aim of these sessions was to increase the international influence of French organisations and enable the formation of lasting partnerships, particularly through practical workshops.

A look back at the highlights of the French Healthcare Business Forum 2026 conferences

Healthy ageing: global perspectives and French solutions to a global challenge

‘Ageing well: a global challenge, a French commitment’

Demographic ageing is both a major societal challenge and a driver of economic transformation. This conference highlighted France’s approach to ageing, based on solidarity, innovation and international cooperation, and its role in a global drive to overhaul healthcare systems.

Key points for consideration:

  • Anticipating longevity: innovation, prevention and integrated care pathways
  • Care models related to longevity
  • France’s appeal as a leading partner for healthy ageing

Speakers:

Emmanuel Masson (French Healthcare Association representative on issues related to ageing) ; Thibaut Sartini (Emera Group) ; Philippe Roguedas (Orikio) ; Mathilde Cavalier (IHU Health Age).

Infectious risk: prevention, preparedness and international cooperation

The COVID-19 pandemic has served as a stark reminder that health is a global public good. This session highlighted the urgent need to strengthen coordinated prevention strategies in the face of emerging infectious threats.

Key points for consideration:

  • Vaccination, lutte contre l’antibiorésistance et diagnostic précoce
  • Communication et confiance des populations
  • Sécurisation des chaînes logistiques

Intervenants :

Moderator: Aline Ouaknine (Décideurs Magazine / Santé Future) ; Panellists: Gera Stuti Denis-Petit (JePPRI – SF2H) ; Sebastian Meaney (Gavi) ; Nicolas de Borman (Bluesquare) ; Andréa Arancibia (Sanofi).

Oncologie : innovation, collaboration et accès mondial

Face à un défi de santé publique mondial, l’oncologie nécessite coopération internationale, partage des données et innovation de rupture. Cette conférence a mis en exergue l’excellence française et le rôle clé des partenariats internationaux dans l’accélération de la médecine prédictive et personnalisée.

Key points for consideration:

  • French excellence in oncology and data-driven medicine
  • New models of cancer care in France and internationally

Speakers:

Moderator: Alexandra Bui (Décideurs Magazine / Santé Future) ; Panellists: Pr Nicolas Girard (Institut Curie) ; Pr Françoise Rimareix (Institut Gustave Roussy) ; Nandita Kotwani (Memorial Sloan Kettering Center) ; Walid Kamoun (Servier).

Financing and public-private partnerships: structuring sustainable health projects

A pillar of French sovereignty and attractiveness, healthcare benefits from powerful financial tools mobilised by the State and its partners. This workshop presented the financing mechanisms available and concrete feedback from PPPs in the healthcare sector.

Key points for consideration:

  • Structuring long-term financing for complex projects
  • Feedback on public-private partnerships

Panellists – Financing :
Armel Castets (French Treasury’s Directorate) ; Denis Le Fers (Bpifrance) ; Philippe Lagier (Proparco) ; Anne Nouviaire (IFC).

Panellists – Industrials :
Thierry Eisenstein (Bouygues Bâtiment International) ; Frank Simonet (Ellipse Projects) ; Thibaud Lefort (Sanofi) ; Yash Mutha (Krsnaa Diagnostics).

Artificial intelligence and health: towards reliable and responsible AI (G7)

This session marked the launch of France’s presidency of the G7 in 2026 on the theme of AI in healthcare. It provided an opportunity to present the government’s roadmap and concrete innovations, while preparing for upcoming international discussions.

Key points for consideration:

  • AI as a driver of transformation in healthcare professions and patient relations
  • Conditions for reliable, ethical and competitive AI in healthcare

Panellists:

Rami Abi Akl (French Ministry for Europe and Foreign affairs) ; Marie Tirilly (Business at OECD) ; Charles Wolf (Sanofi) ; Olga Mironenko Stampfer (UnitedHealth Group / BIAC) ; Ali Damati (Maraya Capital) ; Navneet Bali (ClearMedi Healthcare) ; Charles-Edouard Escurat (French Agency for Innovation in Healthcare).

Healthcare, competitiveness and innovation: unlocking the economic potential of life sciences

A true catalyst for growth, the life sciences sector contributes significantly to the global economy. This conference analysed the conditions necessary to transform healthcare from a perceived cost centre into a strategic competitive advantage, through innovative financing mechanisms and appropriate regulatory frameworks.

Panellists:

Olivier Charmeil (Sanofi) ; Grégoire de Padirac (Digital Africa) ; Frédéric Lucenet (EBRD) ; Winona Rei Bolislis (Sanofi).

Mobility and healthcare: bringing care closer to patients

Mobile solutions are transforming access to healthcare, particularly in remote areas. This round table explored how mobility, combined with digital technology and hospital excellence, can strengthen healthcare systems and support sustainable strategies.

Panellists:
Élisabeth Arnaud (French Healthcare Association) ; Bertrand Plouviez (Toutenkamion) ; Émilie Mercadal (Rofim) ; Dr Ali Almusawi (Kuwait’s Embassy in Paris) ; David Vogdt (Paris American Hospital).

Market workshops, side events and side-events of the French Healthcare Business Forum

Market workshops: targeted opportunities with high potential

The French Healthcare Business Forum 2026 offered several market workshops designed to serve as genuine operational levers for French companies.

Focusing on high-growth geographical areas and/or strategic themes: Asia (with a focus on Singapore), Romania and Poland, ‘French Development Agency‘s activities and priorities’, as well as physical medicine and rehabilitation, these workshops provided an opportunity to analyse local needs, regulatory frameworks and partnership opportunities. They promoted direct exchanges between public actors, donors and businesses, facilitating the emergence of concrete international projects.

Side event at the OECD: health, life sciences and competitiveness

Organised at the OECD headquarters with Business at OECD, this high-level round table was held on the sidelines of the French Healthcare Business Forum 2026, again in the context of France’s G7 presidency. It brought together public decision-makers, international institutions and industry leaders to examine how better alignment between health, economic and industrial policies can maximise societal impact, strengthen economic security and boost the competitiveness of health ecosystems.

Key points for consideration:

  • The economic case for investing in health and life sciences
  • Cross-cutting policy approaches to unlock innovation and competitiveness across the entire life sciences value chain (R&D, clinical trials, manufacturing)

Hanni Rosenbaum (Business at OECD) ; Emile Jockey (French Healthcare) ; George Pagoulatos (Permanent Representative of Greece to the OECD) ; Michele Mestrinaro (Novartis) ; Grzegorz Rychwalski (Krajowi Producenci Leków / Medicines for Poland) ; Paul Garassus (European Union of private hospitals) ; Valérie Paris (OECD) ; Dr Guillaume Dedet (OECD).

Official side event held at the French Ministry of Economy and Finance: “Ukraine Healthcare 2026 and Beyond”

At last, another official side event of the French Healthcare Business Forum, entitled ‘Ukraine Healthcare 2026 and Beyond’ and held in Bercy, was a highlight dedicated to France-Ukraine cooperation in rebuilding the Ukrainian healthcare system, against a backdrop of prolonged conflict.

This strategic session identified healthcare priorities for 2026, presented the European and international funding mechanisms available, and highlighted concrete opportunities for cooperation for French stakeholders. It illustrated the key role that French Healthcare has long played alongside the Ukrainian authorities and international donors in providing long-term support for the resilience and transformation of the country’s health system.

Beyond B2B/B2G meetings and business networking, the FHBF 2026 is establishing itself through these sessions as a strategic platform for international collective dialogue, influence and implementation. The leading event for the internationalisation of French healthcare is thus positioned at the crossroads of public policy, industrial innovation and global health issues.