SESSIONS
The European Investment Bank is the financial institution of the European Union providing long-term loans for projects contributing to the achievement of EU objectives. Through its lending policy, notably its investment in the field of the knowledge society, the EIB has supported both the ICT and healthcare sectors as well as investment in R&D and innovation and human capital.
Rapid technological development with the potential to substantially affect the way in which health challenges are predicted, better health is promoted, and diseases are prevented, diagnosed and treated are contributing to radical changes in the nature of healthcare delivery. In this context, the Bank is looking at potential investment opportunities to support the deployment of eHealth initiatives in the EU in the framework of the Commission eHealth Action Plan and associated national and regional projects.
The Bank has developed a ‘toolbox’ of loan instruments that can be tailored to the specific needs of sectors and project promoters, including the financing of public private partnership for the deployment of new infrastructure and services.
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Biography
Olivier Debande joined the European Investment Bank (EIB) in 1999 to work on projects appraisal and sector analysis in the human capital sector. He is currently working as a senior economist at the Projects Directorate of the EIB with specific responsibilities for economic appraisal of projects and sector analysis in the knowledge economy sectors. He is in charge, among other things, of following lending policy issues and EU policy development within the EU as well as developing policy and prospective analysis related to new major EU initiatives related to the knowledge economy. Before joining the EIB, he was working at the Department of Economics of the University of Brussels. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Brussels and he has published in a wide range of economic journals.
