As another academic year wraps up, the team at the Health Economics, Policy and Innovation Institute (HEPII) has been looking back at what they’ve achieved over the past few months. The 2025/2026 year was a busy one—focused on expanding AHE programme, pushing forward with research, launching new projects, strengthening international partnerships, and providing analysis on today’s biggest health policy issues.
A major milestone was welcoming the first cohort of the Applied Health Economics (AHE) programme, which brings together health economics, public health, health policy, and data analysis. Our first students started their AHE journey in September 2025, and by spring 2026, we saw huge interest from applicants looking to join us for the upcoming academic year. On top of the AHE programme, HEPII lecturers also ran two standalone lifelong learning courses, with graduates earning micro-credentials.
You can find more details about the Applied Health Economics programme on the HEPII website here.
Publishing and analysis remained a core part of what we do. In September 2025, we released a policy report focusing on productivity losses linked to sick leave. This was followed in the spring by another policy report tackling low birth rates and their broader social and economic impacts. At the same time, our team members and research fellows published academic papers covering health economics, health policy, health technology assessment, long-term care, Alzheimer’s disease, healthcare ethics, and public administration.
Throughout the year, the HEPII team also dedicated their time to putting together several new research projects, including international bids and proposals focused on key issues for the healthcare system and public policy. Meanwhile, work continued on our ongoing projects, which look into population ageing, microsimulation modelling, early dementia diagnosis, home care, palliative care, and non-pharmacological interventions for dementia patients.
As a result, the institute’s research agenda stayed firmly focused on areas that will be crucial for both Czech and European healthcare in the coming years. These include demographic ageing, the growing need for long-term and home care, the impact of neurodegenerative diseases, healthcare accessibility, efficient resource allocation, and assessing the benefits of new healthcare interventions.
The past academic year was also a busy one for international collaboration. Our team members went on research stays and working visits to Melbourne, Rome, and Oslo. At the same time, the HEPII team welcomed leading European experts to Brno, including Laia Maynou from Barcelona, Simon Reif from ZEW Mannheim, and Pierre Dubois from the Toulouse School of Economics. These visits have helped us build strong professional ties and firmly connect HEPII researchers with the international health economics community.
You can watch the recording of Pierre Dubois’ lecture on the HEPII YouTube channel here.
Alongside teaching, research, and publishing, HEPII also focused on sharing insights with the professional community. In December, the institute hosted an online webinar on the transformation of hospital beds—a key topic in current debates on the future of the Czech healthcare system. Our researchers also took part in a wide range of professional conferences both in the Czech Republic and abroad, and made numerous appearances in Czech and international media.
We would like to thank all our colleagues, students, collaborators, and partners for their hard work and support during the 2025/2026 academic year. HEPII enters the year ahead with a growing educational programme, a rich research agenda, and new projects focused on health economics, health policy, and healthcare innovation.
Jakub Hlávka and Dagmar Špalková
Researchers from the Health Economics, Policy and Innovation Institute (HEPII) at ECON MUNI contributed to the preparation of the new Healthy Region Strategy 2026–2030 for the South Moravian Region. The strategy was developed jointly by the South Moravian Regional Authority, JINAG, the Institute of Public Administration, and HEPII ECON MUNI.
The Faculty of Economics and Administration at Masaryk University is launching a lifelong learning course entitled ‘Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Healthcare’. The course focuses on how digital technologies, artificial intelligence and new business models are transforming the way healthcare is delivered.
