Research group Rovers - HTA business

Maroeska Rovers explains

HTA Business aims to guide new medical technology innovations by facilitating partnerships between the scientific community, medical technology business partners and policy makers. In close collaboration with these partners, the subgroup assesses whether medical technology innovations are affordable, effective, and of value for the patient, while guaranteeing efficient use of resources.

Q1 What is the importance of the focus on business?

“Technological innovations grow rapidly, but there is a lack of connection between the business world and healthcare enterprises. By collaborating with business partners, a significant impact on healthcare can be realized. Within this, we strive for innovation for patients, society, the enterprise and the medical field. We do this by following three main goals: we aim to make healthcare more effective, we aim to make healthcare more affordable and we try to achieve added value for the patients.”

Q2 What are important collaborations?

There is a lack of connection between the business world and healthcare enterprises.
“The collaboration with MedValue is central within HTA Business. But as mentioned, the focus lies on external business partners. We work together with companies such as Siemens. But also on a global level, there are strong connections with international organizations like EXCITE International and The IDEAL Collaboration. In short, we collaborate with most other international experts in the field.”

Q3 How do partners profit?

“Early involvement in the definition of R&D projects ensures a business focus to achieve a ‘Proof of Concept’, early, before large scale investments. Therefore, our approach will result in less disinvestments, which will subsequently accelerate the R&D cycle by optimizing and managing the portfolio of new technologies. The framework will also lead to further co-ordination and co-operation between countries and stakeholders, which will enable an improved innovation-to-adopt pathway.”

Q4 What are future goals?

“We aim to further prove our methodology, update it and implement it. The famous quote “It’s always too early until, unfortunately, it’s suddenly too late.” (Buxton’s Law) doesn’t  apply to us. We think that it’s never too early to assess the potential value of an innovation, even in an early stage.”


Maroeska Rovers
Professor Maroeska Rovers is head of the HTA business group. She does not only believe that it is never too early to assess the potential value of an innovation, but also that it is never too early and of great importance to attract young children to science.