Innovation in the healthcare sector can be challenging, especially for startups trying to break through with their ideas. That's where the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) comes in, promoting healthcare innovation and ecosystem development in countries with less advanced innovation capabilities. Due to the specific elements of the industry (from cumbersome legislation to the need for clinical studies and complex networks of stakeholders involved), health startups require specialized support to transition from idea to market. EIT Health Drive is a 15-week training program based on a methodology developed by Delft University of Technology and EIT InnoStars that offers on-site and online training sessions delivered by experts from top innovation ecosystems around the world (Netherlands, Sweden, Israel, etc.). At the end of the program, participants from each region are expected to have developed a program aimed at health and life science startups. INNO is not only dedicated to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the North-West region, but also recognizes the significance of the health sector. This is particularly important as the field is among the region's Smart Specialization areas. The participation of the INNO department and colleagues from the Smart Specialization can bring long-term benefits necessary for the development of programs for health startups. In addition, the knowledge gained during the program can be applied to other agency programs, such as the Research Valorization Program, which supports research teams in commercializing their solutions. Our colleagues, Laviniu Chiș and Ștefan Rusu, together with Anca Roman from the Smart Specialization Departmet, participated in the second session of the program last week, held at the University of Coimbra. The program brought together 9 innovative regions from Romania, Lithuania, Portugal, Croatia, Italy, and the Netherlands to share best practices and find ways to grow the regional innovation ecosystem in the medical and life sciences field. Our colleagues were exposed to various best practices, such as Biocat and the BioRegion of Catalonia, both of which have a prominent position in the European innovation ecosystem, and the Instituto Pedro Nunes Incubator, which has been successful in establishing and nurturing a significant number of innovative startups. Join us in our mission to transform the health industry by contacting us at inno@nord-vest.ro!