Entering the French Healthcare Market - Cracking The Code

Strategic Healthcare Advisors recently hosted a high-impact roundtable for Scottish Development International, supporting MedTech startups aiming to scale into France—one of Europe’s most complex yet promising healthcare markets.

Titled “Cracking the Code: Entering the French Healthcare Market”, the session was moderated by Pascal Becache (Digital Pharma Lab) and featured a multidisciplinary panel of experts spanning procurement, legal, IP, distribution, sustainability, and investment. Panelists included Eric Del Cotto (EFFIPERF Health), Alexis Bruhat (Digital Medical Hub), Elisabeth Tedesco (International Healthcare Consultant), Cécile Théard-Jallu (Cabinet De Gaulle Fleurance), David Monin (ICOSA), and Véronique Molières (C2DS).

The discussion was tailored to epipole, a Scottish MedTech company scaling its portable retinal imaging device, the epiCam, into France. CEO Sarah Jardine presented the device and shared valuable insights from their market entry journey.

France’s healthcare market demands strategic planning due to its segmented structure, complex tendering procedures, and regulatory nuances. Success hinges on strong local partnerships, French-language fluency, early legal and IP preparation, and responsiveness to key procurement criteria—particularly sustainability, logistics, and growing interest in AI. Despite EU alignment, domestic rules such as GDPR under “Loi Informatique et Libertés,” transparency, and anti-gift laws require careful compliance. The session underscored the importance of tailored entry strategies grounded in local context and stakeholder engagement.

🎥 Watch the full roundtable webinar HERE