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Is strategically critical healthcare moving in Europe toward data protectionism? The war in Ukraine shows that also innovation is strongly influenced by the geopolitical situation. And that has profound implications for increasingly data-driven healthcare since political and economic autonomy equals in the 21st-century technological sovereignty.
Is it safe to rely on globalization in healthcare? March 2020. The global outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has increased the demand for medical equipment such as face masks and ventilators. As a result, shortages occur, and countries aggressively negotiate for continuity and increased supplies. Medicine shortages are also an issue, as lockdowns and the subsequent supply chain disruptions make it impossible to import them from factories located in countries under lockdown. Autumn 2020. The increase in global demand for semiconductors has resulted in significant shortages. It was an issue prior to 2020 due to the growing number of electronic components used in cars – after all, an average modern automobile consists of some 1400–1500, even up to 3000 chips. The semiconductor factories shut down during the pandemic, the economic tensions between China and the USA, the February 2021 snow-
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storm in Texas and Austin resulting in production delays, and fires in Japanese factories – all these factors led to significantly diminished chip output. Likewise, car and medical device factories are also being shut down. It is now clear that chips are strategic assets to many industries. November 2020. The European Commission has adopted the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe, including supply chain and production diversification policies. Likewise, in July 2021, the EC launched The Alliance on Processors and Semiconductor Technologies. The European Chips Act introduced by the EC in February 2022 intends to increase the European share of the global chip production to 20% by 2030.
Stability over prices Strategic changes in the medical and semiconductor industries represent an epochal shift in policy. So far, the key priority has been to ensure low prices through cheap, outsourced labor. This priority is now being replaced by a focus on secure, consistent deliveries on the one hand and manufacturing independence on the other. The global market works fine within a stable economic and political context. However, when it comes to goods and services critical to economics, security comes first. Supply chains can be disrupted by several factors: the political situation, climate disasters, social unrest, epidemiological threats, wars. Many of them we have experienced for the first time during the past two years. And since February 24th, when Russia invaded Ukraine, no
