EMPIRICA GESELLSCHAFT FUR KOMMUNIKATIONS UND TECHNOLOGIEFORSCHUNG MBH

Their core work

empirica is a Bonn-based research and consulting SME specializing in digital health policy, eHealth interoperability, and innovation procurement across Europe. They evaluate digital health systems, design pre-commercial procurement (PCP) strategies for healthcare ICT, and support EU-wide adoption of health data standards and integrated care models. Their core work bridges the gap between health policy goals and technology deployment — helping public health systems procure, test, and scale digital solutions for chronic disease management, personalised medicine, and cross-border healthcare.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2015–2018, empirica focused heavily on health data standards and semantic interoperability — evaluating SNOMED CT deployments, building cross-border patient summary bridges, and assessing the value of eHealth services. From 2019 onward, their work shifted decisively toward pre-commercial procurement of healthcare ICT, integrated care delivery, and large-scale digital health coordination (notably DigitalHealthEurope). The later period also brought involvement in data-intensive health research (exposomics, personalised medicine, behavioural adherence), signalling a move from standards-setting toward real-world implementation and procurement of digital health solutions.

empirica is increasingly positioned as a go-to partner for PCP-driven health innovation procurement and EU-wide digital health coordination, making them ideal for projects that need to move from research prototypes to public-sector deployment.

How they like to work

empirica operates primarily as an active partner (19 of 24 projects), but takes the coordinator role in strategically important projects — particularly those involving EU-wide coordination or standards (DigitalHealthEurope, UNICOM, openMedicine). With 322 unique partners across 26 countries, they function as a well-connected hub rather than a repeat-partner organisation. Their strength lies in contributing policy analysis, evaluation frameworks, and procurement expertise to large consortia, making them easy to integrate into diverse teams.

empirica has collaborated with 322 distinct organisations across 26 countries, reflecting deep integration into the European digital health ecosystem. Their network spans Western and Southern Europe extensively, with particularly strong ties to health systems research groups, public authorities, and digital health SMEs.

What sets them apart

empirica occupies a rare niche at the intersection of health policy research, ICT evaluation, and innovation procurement — a combination few SMEs can offer. Unlike technology developers who build tools, empirica helps health systems understand what to buy, how to procure it, and whether it works. Their track record coordinating flagship EU digital health initiatives (DigitalHealthEurope, UNICOM) gives them credibility and access that makes them a strong anchor partner for consortia targeting public health system transformation.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DigitalHealthEurope
  Their largest coordinated project (EUR 2.28M) — a flagship EU support action for digital health and care innovation across the Digital Single Market.
• UNICOM
  Coordinated a EUR 1.16M effort to scale up global univocal medicine identification (IDMP standards), directly impacting pharmacovigilance and cross-border eHealth.
• IDEA-FAST
  Long-running project (2019–2026) identifying digital endpoints for neurodegenerative and immune-mediated diseases — represents their move into digital biomarker research.