AIFD’s Vision for Innovation in Healthcare Takes Center Stage at Golden Pulse Health Summit, Where AIFD is a Strategic Partner
16.01.2026
International leaders from the healthcare sector convened at the panel “Healthcare Transformed by Data: Visions Shaping the Future” organized with the support of AIFD. The discussion focused on the pivotal role of artificial intelligence, digitalization, and real-world data in ensuring the sustainability of healthcare systems, transforming clinical research, and improving access to innovative therapies.
“The Golden Pulse Health Summit, held for the first time this year under the strategic partnership of the AIFD and hosted by Zero Medya, took place in Istanbul on January 15, 2026. The summit brought together scientists, entrepreneurs, technology and healthcare professionals to explore the science, technology, and innovation agendas shaping both the present and future of healthcare. As part of the summit, a panel titled “Healthcare Transformed by Data: Visions Shaping the Future,” organized with the contributions of AIFD, addressed the growing strategic role of data in the digital transformation of healthcare systems with the participation of international speakers. Key insights were shared on topics such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, real-world data, regulatory processes, the transformation of clinical research, health economics, and health technology assessments.
Moderated by AIFD Secretary General Dr. Ümit Dereli, the panel featured Virginia Acha, Chair of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations’ (IFPMA) Research and Innovation Committee and Vice President of Science and Regulatory Policy at MSD, who shared insights on developments related to pharmaceutical regulation and the future of clinical research in Europe. Dr. Ömer Saka, Partner for Life Sciences and Healthcare at Roland Berger evaluated the impact of data-driven decision-making processes on the sustainability of healthcare systems, reimbursement mechanisms, and access to innovative therapies.
Data creates new frameworks stretching from scientific evidence to healthcare policies
During the panel, it was emphasized that innovation in healthcare is not limited solely to the development of treatments and technologies; rather, the decisive factor has become the integration of these innovations into healthcare systems along the axes of data, evidence, and timing. Real-world data and artificial intelligence–supported analytical tools increasingly assuming a central role across many areas, from clinical research and regulatory processes to reimbursement decisions and investment planning, was highlighted.
Dr. Ümit Dereli: “Data has become a strategic resource for the healthcare systems of the future”
AIFD General Secretary Dr. Ümit Dereli shared the following evaluation during the panel: “Innovation in healthcare has advanced past applications such as personalized treatments, digital health solutions, clinical research, and artificial intelligence. The real transformation emerges when these innovations are integrated into healthcare systems based on scientific evidence and through a systematic approach. Where we used to think of data as an output that is produced, we now see that it has become a strategic resource that shapes health policies, investment decisions, reimbursement models, and sustainability. As AIFD, we believe that more effective, transparent, and decision-integrated use of data is essential to accelerating access to innovative therapies in Türkiye, strengthening clinical research capacity, and fostering a sustainable, innovation-driven healthcare ecosystem.”
Virginia Acha, Chair of the Research and Innovation Committee at IFPMA and Vice President of Science and Regulatory Policy at MSD, who participated in the panel as a speaker, said: “I would like to emphasize that the future of global health will be built on trusted, high-quality data and partnership. Our R&D processes and pipelines are designed increasingly being transformed by new data, computational modelling and AI. These new technologies allow us to better understand humans and disease biology and better design treatments and even prevention. But to realize this potential, we need enabling policy frameworks and global collaboration. Türkiye —at the crossroads of regions, ideas, and health systems—plays a pivotal role in advancing this vision, helping to connect data, strengthen trust, and accelerate innovation for patients worldwide.”
In his remarks, Dr. Ömer Saka, Partner for Life Sciences and Healthcare at Roland Berger, stated: “As highlighted by the FDA’s real-world data framework, the issue is no longer whether this data exists, but how suitable it is for use in decision-making processes. In my view, the next phase for Türkiye and the region is to move beyond descriptive analytics toward decision-level evidence that directly informs access, pricing, and clinical pathways. It is precisely at this point that healthcare data can evolve from a reporting practice into a strategic asset.”