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Competence Centre on Foresight

We foster a strategic, future-oriented and anticipatory culture in the EU policymaking process.

Health science

  • Page | Last updated: 11 Dec 2018
  • Synergies among engineering, physical sciences, computation, and life sciences are revolutionising medicine and health – advancing techniques to regenerate lost limbs and replace malfunctioning organs, tailored treatments for patients’ needs (using genomics and big data), while therapies to correct disease-causing genetic defects are already in clinical trials.
    | Related Megatrends: HealthInequalitiesSecurity
  • Some of the new technology trends impacting the future of medicine include: individual approach to human neurophysiology; RNA aptamers, microchips under the skin and pocket biosensors; assistive medical technologies; genetic engineering technologies for creating highly specific drugs and molecular diagnostics tools; new diagnostics and therapy tols for individual approach at the cellular level;
  • Using CRISPR -- genetic manipulation -- could help correct genetic helath issues before birth. 
    | Related Megatrends:  HealthInequalitiesEducationSecurity
  • ​The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly driven by the need to move from treatment to prevention, diagnostics and cure, therefore speeding up innovation and implementation of new technological developments;
  • By 2030, the pharmaceutical industry is expected to be radically different, with a shift in focus towards pharmatech, genetics and immunotherapy;
  • Personalised medicine is increasingly adopted over the generic 'one size fits all' to better manage patients' health and targeted therapies to achieve the best outcomes depending on the patient's specifics. 
    | Related Megatrends:  HealthInequalitiesSecurity
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) could offer the possibility to timely identify people prone to produce harm (to themselves or others), creating opportunities to intervene long before thoughts turn to action. 
    | Related Megatrends: HealthInequalitiesSecurity

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