The international agenda outlines the activities of the National Health Care Institute in the international arena. The Dutch healthcare system is influenced by international developments. Consequently, the National Health Care Institute collaborates with various organizations on a growing number of international activities. The agenda details these partnerships, explaining the role we play and the vision we promote regarding specific topics.

Topics in the international agenda 2026-2027

The international agenda sets out relevant topics and international activities for 2026 and 2027. It also describes the position of the Health Care Institute regarding these relevant topics. These are as follows:

  • We collaborate strategically with other countries in the area of Health Technology Assessment (HTA). HTA is the evaluation of medicines and medical technology. 
  • We advocate for collaborations across the entire lifecycle of healthcare innovations. This life cycle is a cyclic and iterative approach and includes;
    • Looking ahead and scientific advice: Timely mapping of new developments and providing sound scientific advice to developers. 
    • Solid HTA methods and assessment: Ensuring and harmonizing the quality of assessment methods to make effective care available more quickly in Europe. 
    • Data-driven cycle: Continuously collecting data after approval (real-world data), in order to maintain permanent insight into the actual quality and outcomes of care. 
    • Influencing EU policy: Proactively monitoring, shaping, and influencing EU legislation to better align it with national objectives for appropriate care. 
  • We are exploring potential international collaborations that could benefit our work in the field of quality assurance.

This is a brief overview of the international agenda. You can download the original report under 'Publication'.

Prioritized international partnerships

The National Health Care Institute participates in various international partnerships, networks, and projects. The International Agenda provides an overview of these partnerships. Our most important and highest-priority partnerships are:

  • EU HTAR (Regulation EU 2021/2282 on Health Technology Assessment) 
  • Heads of HTA Agencies Group (HAG)
  • Beneluxa Initiative 
  • International Horizon Scanning Initiative (IHSI) 
  • SUSTAIN-HTA (Horizon Europe) 

Read more about these partnerships on our webpage on international network or visit the specific, more detailed webpages for EU HTAR and Beneluxa.

Reasons for international cooperation

International cooperation is indispensable for us to keep our healthcare affordable, accessible, and of high quality. The main reasons for the National Health Care Institute to look beyond borders are:

  • Being stronger together
    By joining forces with international partners, we gain greater authority and impact, thereby increasing our influence.
  • Dividing the workload
    By distributing the workload, we utilize capacity and resources more efficiently and prevent duplication of work.
  • Influencing policy
    By actively participating in international networks, we proactively shape global policies and legislation to reflect our national interests. 
  • Obtaining knowledge and improving expertise
    Access to external expertise is essential for innovation and quality improvement. International partnerships offer a unique learning environment for this.
  • Sharing knowledge
    Cooperation is a two-way street. We therefore actively contribute to the international community by sharing our own specific knowledge and experience.