The French Health Data Hub

The French Health Data Hub ("Plateforme des données de santé") is France’s national one-stop shop for access to health data for research and innovation. Working with data holders, healthcare institutions, and public authorities, it helps project leaders navigate the French health data ecosystem and securely access data for projects in the public interest.

By simplifying access procedures and providing secure environments for data analysis, the French Health Data Hub enables researchers, public institutions, and companies to use health data to advance research, improve healthcare, and develop innovative solutions.

Why health data matters

Every interaction with the healthcare system generates data: hospital visits, prescriptions, medical procedures, and public health records.

When securely accessed and analyzed, these data can help:

• detect diseases earlier
• evaluate treatments and medicines in real-life conditions
• improve healthcare organization
• develop innovative tools such as AI-based diagnostic support

France has one of the richest health data ecosystems in the world, notably thanks to the SNDS (French National Health Data System) and numerous hospital and research databases. Harnessing this potential requires secure infrastructures and clear governance.

This is the role of the French Health Data Hub.
 

The challenges researchers face

Despite their value, health data remain difficult to access and use.

Project leaders often face several obstacles:

• Fragmented datasets stored across multiple organizations
• Complex regulatory procedures due to the sensitive nature of health data
• Limited technical resources to store and process large datasets securely

As a result, promising research or innovation projects may take years to start—or may never be launched. The French Health Data Hub was created to address these challenges.

What the French Health Data Hub does

Created by the 2019 French Health System Transformation Law, the Health Data Hub provides services that facilitate the secure reuse of health data for projects in the public interest. We support project leaders throughout the lifecycle of their projects.

Our core activities

Facilitating access to health data

• guidance on regulatory procedures
• coordination with data holders
• support for data access requests

Providing secure technical infrastructure

• secure environments for data analysis
• high-performance computing resources
• tools for data processing and AI development

Supporting the health data ecosystem

• methodological support for research projects
• collaboration with hospitals, research institutions, and companies
• development of standards and best practices

Promoting innovation

• organization of data challenges
• support for AI and digital health initiatives
• partnerships with national and international actors

The French Health Data Hub in Europe

The French Health Data Hub plays a central role in the development of the European Health Data Space (EHDS), the European Union framework designed to enable the secure use of health data for healthcare, research, innovation, and public policy.

The EHDS aims to:

• facilitate cross-border access to health data for research
• harmonize data access procedures across Member States
• strengthen safeguards for citizens’ data protection
• accelerate innovation in fields such as artificial intelligence and personalized medicine

As a key national actor, the French Health Data Hub contributes to the development of the technical standards, governance models, and infrastructure required for the implementation of the EHDS.
 

European projects

As part of the preparations for the European Health Data Space (EHDS), and more specifically its secondary use component, the French Health Data Hub is engaged in several key projects aimed at developing the tools, standards, and infrastructure necessary for its practical implementation. 

We are working with other Member States and research institutions on European projects to jointly develop common practices, specifications, and recommendations.

We actively participates in the Community of Practice (CoP), established in January 2024. Its members include stakeholders responsible for the secondary use of health data in their respective Member States, including recipients of grants for the establishment of ORADs. The CoP serves as a temporary platform to foster collaboration among European countries until the official establishment of the EEDS governance framework, while supporting knowledge sharing, harmonization, standardization, and interoperability, and ensuring alignment with relevant European and national initiatives for its implementation.

At the same time, we are involved in several of these key initiatives:

• coordinating the HealthData@EU Pilot project, which created and tested a pilot version of the European Health Data Space;
• coordinating the French_HealthData@EU project (Direct Grant), which aims to prepare for the implementation of the EHDS at the national level in France;
• participation in the TEHDAS2 joint action, which develops technical specifications for the implementation of the EHDS and provides guidelines for future HDABs, data holders, and data users;
• participation in the QUANTUM project, dedicated to establishing a quality and utility label for data;
• coordination of the SHAIPED project, which aims to develop AI in healthcare by leveraging the role of HDABs in the reuse of health data;
• participation in the FORTIFY project, which aims to strengthen the trust framework surrounding the reuse of health data to foster innovation in healthcare without compromising intellectual property

Beyond the EHDS

Beyond projects specifically related to the EEDS, the French Health Data Hub participates in several complementary European initiatives in the areas of digital health and innovation. These projects provide opportunities to test new applications, share expertise, and explore cutting-edge technologies, particularly in the fields of AI, prevention, and diagnosis:

• TEF-Health, which develops testing and validation services for AI and robotics solutions in healthcare;
• DARWIN EU, a European network coordinated by the EMA (European Medicines Agency) aimed at promoting the use of real-world data to study the use, safety, and efficacy of medicines and vaccines for human use;
• the joint Prevent NCD initiatives focused on the prevention of cancers and other noncommunicable diseases, and EUCanScreen, which aims to ensure the sustainable implementation of high-quality screening programs for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers, as well as the implementation of recently recommended screening programs for lung, prostate, and stomach cancers.
• ORCHIDEE (Organization of a Network of Hospitals Involved in Epidemiological Surveillance and Emergency Response), which aims to establish multi-thematic epidemiological surveillance based on data from all departments of the hospitals participating in the network.

International cooperation

The French Health Data Hub international activities are an extension of its public service mission. By promoting the exchange of best practices and scientific collaboration, we help raise the profile of the French health data ecosystem and enriches its own thinking on governance and innovation models.

Sharing Expertise and Scientific Networks

This outreach is primarily based on the creation of sustainable scientific networks, notably through the AI4Health Summer School. Co-organized with the PR[AI]RIE Institute, this initiative has already held four sessions, bringing together international experts and researchers to address AI challenges in healthcare.

The French Health Data Hub also organizes delegations to explore international ecosystems (Japan, the United Kingdom, Israel) and regularly hosts institutional representatives interested in studying the French model (including delegations from Taiwan and South Korea in 2025).

Support for Bilateral Research and Innovation

Beyond institutional exchanges, the French Health Data Hub facilitates the implementation of concrete research projects through bilateral funding mechanisms. To date, seven major projects have been funded through joint calls for proposals, involving collaborations with Canada (4 projects), Israel (1 project), Japan (1 project), and the United States (1 project). 

At the same time, the organization of internationally open Data Challenges mobilizes communities of researchers and innovators around public health issues, drawing on real-world use cases derived from French health data.