Euro Convergence 2026: Facing transformation with community
The healthcare product landscape in Europe is undergoing significant transformation—from multiple legislative overhauls to the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and other boundary-pushing technologies. For regulatory professionals attending RAPS Euro Convergence 2026 in Lisbon, the meeting is an opportunity to lean into community to stay on top of the myriad changes coming their way.
Euro Convergence 2026 runs from 5-8 May at the Lisbon Conference Centre and features nearly 100 educational sessions, networking opportunities, and interactive workshops, with dedicated tracks for medical devices, in vitro diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and digital health.
Keeping pace with rapid transformation
“The dominant theme of the conference is transformation—Europe is undergoing major regulatory change,” said Euro Convergence 2026 programme committee co-chair Kate Stockman, vice president regulatory affairs Europe, Middle East, and Africa at Kenvue.
“What excites me most about Euro Convergence 2026 is how relevant and grounded it feels to where we are right now as regulatory professionals,” Stockman added. “This is a conference designed for people who are dealing with real complexity every day—new legislation, evolving expectations, tighter timelines, and increasing responsibility. The sessions are deliberately practical, rooted in real experience rather than theory, and focused on helping attendees think differently about the challenges they’re facing in their own roles.”
“Convergence is about meeting people, exchanging views, [and] changing perspectives,” said Gert Bos, partner and chief scientific officer at Qserve Group and member of the programme committee. Personal connections, communication, and leadership matter more than ever amid rapid digitization, he added.
“One of the strongest features of Euro Convergence 2026 is the chance to engage with experts across pharma, medical devices, IVDs, and AI. With regulatory frameworks increasingly intersecting, this conference is an ideal moment to learn from one another, identify converging trends, and strengthen collaboration across traditionally separate domains,” said programme committee member Marta Carnielli, head of certification, IVD at TÜV SÜD.
Session highlights
Suzanne Halliday, VP regulatory at BSI, who also serves on the programme committee, drew attention to the opening plenary session on Tuesday, which she will moderate. “[The] opening plenary will highlight skills and knowledge needed for the regulatory professional in the future,” she said. “I cannot promise 50 years into the future … as things are moving very quickly.”
Stockman encouraged attendees to join the pharmaceutical track session, Reimagining Europe’s Innovation Landscape: Leveraging New Legislation to Accelerate Development and Maintain Competitiveness, on Wednesday. The session features panelists from the European Medicines Agency and the European Commission, as well as representatives from industry and academia.
“I would strongly encourage people to lean into the conversations. Some of the most valuable moments at Euro Convergence happen between sessions—sharing experiences with peers, asking honest questions, and realising that many of the challenges we face are shared across organisations and geographies,” Stockman added.
“Many healthcare legal systems are being refreshed with the view to simplify and to reduce regulatory burden to stimulate innovation and keep products available to patients and healthcare users,” Bos said, highlighting the numerous sessions focused on the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR) where attendees can interface with regulators and experts “to gauge where we are heading next.”
Bos recommended attendees check out the MDR 2.0: Kick-off Panel 2026 and Simplification and Centralization sessions on Wednesday morning.
Halliday also called attention to two device-focused sessions on Thursday: Orphan Devices – Finding Rarity: A Case Study in Achieving Orphan Device Designation in the EU and Custom-made and other Personalized Medical Devices: International Regulatory Requirements. Halliday said the orphan devices session will review an example of an actual device that has received orphan designation in line with MDCG 2024-10, while the custom devices will review regulatory requirements across the EU, US, Australia, and Brazil.
Highlighting another session on Wednesday, Navigating Global CTR-IVDR Trials: Real-World Challenges and Practical Lessons, Carnielli said attendees will hear from experts who “will unpack real-world cases where pharma and diagnostics meet, offering practical, peer-tested strategies to keep complex global trials aligned and moving smoothly.”
