--- title: “Innovation Should Serve the Public Good” description: FTI CEO Frank Hamerlinck on why healthcare needs data-driven collaboration now and how a shared ecosystem can transform care for patients and professionals. image: https://madison.partners/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-08-25%20at%2012.21.08.png --- [![Madison Partners Logo-1](https://madison.partners/hubfs/Madison%20Partners%20Logo-1.svg "Madison Partners Logo-1")](https://madison.partners/?hsLang=en) - [Home](https://madison.partners/home) - [About Us](https://madison.partners/about-us) - [Our Mission & Vision](https://madison.partners/about-us) - [Work With Us](https://madison.partners/work-with-us-madison-partners) - [Our Industries](https://madison.partners/services-industries) - [Healthcare](https://madison.partners/healthcare-madison-partners) - [Agrifood](https://madison.partners/agrifood-madison-partners) - [HR Services](https://madison.partners/hr-services-madison-partners) - [Financial Services](https://madison.partners/financial-services-madison-partners) - [Cases & Insights](https://madison.partners/news-and-insights) - [Case Studies](https://madison.partners/news-and-insights) - [Data Maturity QuickScan](https://madison.partners/data-maturity-quickscan) - [AI News](https://madison.partners/ai-news-madison-insights) [Contact Us](https://madison.partners/blog/innovation-should-serve-the-public-good#contact-us) [![Madison Partners Logo-1](https://madison.partners/hubfs/Madison%20Partners%20Logo-1.svg "Madison Partners Logo-1")](https://madison.partners/?hsLang=en) [Contact Us](https://madison.partners/blog/innovation-should-serve-the-public-good#contact-us) [![Madison Partners Logo-1](https://madison.partners/hubfs/Madison%20Partners%20Logo-1.svg "Madison Partners Logo-1")](https://madison.partners/?hsLang=en) - [Home](https://madison.partners/home) - [About Us](https://madison.partners/about-us) - [Our Mission & Vision](https://madison.partners/about-us) - [Work With Us](https://madison.partners/work-with-us-madison-partners) - [Our Industries](https://madison.partners/services-industries) - [Healthcare](https://madison.partners/healthcare-madison-partners) - [Agrifood](https://madison.partners/agrifood-madison-partners) - [HR Services](https://madison.partners/hr-services-madison-partners) - [Financial Services](https://madison.partners/financial-services-madison-partners) - [Cases & Insights](https://madison.partners/news-and-insights) - [Case Studies](https://madison.partners/news-and-insights) - [Data Maturity QuickScan](https://madison.partners/data-maturity-quickscan) - [AI News](https://madison.partners/ai-news-madison-insights) [Contact Us](https://madison.partners/blog/innovation-should-serve-the-public-good#contact-us) [![Madison Partners Logo-1](https://madison.partners/hubfs/Madison%20Partners%20Logo-1.svg "Madison Partners Logo-1")](https://madison.partners/?hsLang=en) [Contact Us](https://madison.partners/blog/innovation-should-serve-the-public-good#contact-us) - [Home](https://madison.partners/home) - [About Us](https://madison.partners/about-us) - [Our Mission & Vision](https://madison.partners/about-us) - [Work With Us](https://madison.partners/work-with-us-madison-partners) - [Our Industries](https://madison.partners/services-industries) - [Healthcare](https://madison.partners/healthcare-madison-partners) - [Agrifood](https://madison.partners/agrifood-madison-partners) - [HR Services](https://madison.partners/hr-services-madison-partners) - [Financial Services](https://madison.partners/financial-services-madison-partners) - [Cases & Insights](https://madison.partners/news-and-insights) - [Case Studies](https://madison.partners/news-and-insights) - [Data Maturity QuickScan](https://madison.partners/data-maturity-quickscan) - [AI News](https://madison.partners/ai-news-madison-insights) [News](https://madison.partners/blog/tag/news) # “Innovation Should Serve the Public Good” By [Viktoria Tarancova](https://madison.partners/blog/author/viktoria-tarancova) 25/8/2025 3 Minutes Read **A conversation with Frank Hamerlinck, CEO of Flanders Technology and Innovation (FTI) and advisory partner at Madison Partners** --- #### **Why healthcare — and why now?** We’re at a pivotal moment in healthcare. A moment where data, collaboration, and human-centred innovation could finally converge into something bigger than the sum of its parts. This September, Madison Partners is co-hosting an exclusive roundtable on the future of data-driven care, alongside partners i-mens, FTI, and Vlerick Business School. Among the voices helping shape the conversation is **Frank Hamerlinck**, CEO of **FTI** and one of our trusted advisory partners at Madison Partners. Frank has spent his career at the intersection of innovation, impact, and infrastructure. In this interview, he shares what drives him, why he’s joining the roundtable, and how we can build a healthcare system that truly works for patients, caregivers, and society at large. **![Frank Hamerlinck - Madison Partners](https://madison.partners/hs-fs/hubfs/Frank%20Hamerlinck%20-%20Madison%20Partners.png?width=1196&height=782&name=Frank%20Hamerlinck%20-%20Madison%20Partners.png)** --- #### **A mission bigger than tech** > “FTI’s mandate is to accelerate innovation that serves the public good. Healthcare is one of our core domains because it impacts us all, not just economically, but personally.” Frank’s motivation goes beyond strategy. He’s driven by a belief in what could be possible: > “Everyone in healthcare knows there's more we can do with the data we already have. But too often, opportunities remain siloed, and innovation gets trapped in pilots that don’t scale.” That’s where this roundtable comes in. It’s not just about sharing inspiring use cases; it’s about laying the groundwork for a framework that enables **collaboration by default**.   ![FTI logo black ](https://madison.partners/hs-fs/hubfs/FTI%20logo%20black%20.png?width=314&height=88&name=FTI%20logo%20black%20.png)   --- #### **The case for a shared health data ecosystem** Right now, healthcare data is fragmented. Hospitals, home care organisations, and private practitioners each see part of the picture, but rarely the whole story. > “Imagine you break a leg in France, get treated, and return home. The hospital in Belgium can’t access your X-rays. Worse: even within the same country, even the same region, data doesn’t flow,” Frank explains. He paints a vivid picture of a better future—one where the **patient journey** is fully connected: > “Different providers, but one shared mission: to offer the best care, in the most efficient way, with the right information at the right time. That’s a win-win. Patients feel truly supported, and healthcare professionals can do their job better, without unnecessary delays or guesswork.” But to get there, we need more than just ambition. Frank points to three key ingredients: **a shift in culture**, **a modern federated IT architecture**, and **governance models that reward—not punish—data sharing**. --- #### **Mindset over mechanism** So what’s stopping us? > “Everyone’s first reaction is to focus on privacy risks, on fines, on what could go wrong. But what if we flipped it? What if we rewarded hospitals and organisations for sharing data that improves care outcomes? That’s a mindset shift we desperately need.” This isn’t about bypassing governance, but about rethinking it in ways that enable responsible innovation, where privacy and public value go hand in hand. ![Datagdreven zorg - healthcare roundtable - future of healthcare](https://madison.partners/hs-fs/hubfs/Datagdreven%20zorg%20-%20healthcare%20roundtable%20-%20future%20of%20healthcare.png?width=1332&height=742&name=Datagdreven%20zorg%20-%20healthcare%20roundtable%20-%20future%20of%20healthcare.png) --- #### **Pushing innovation forward** At the heart of Frank’s vision is a strong conviction: **we can’t let innovation wait for perfect alignment.** > “Throughout history, legislation has followed innovation—not the other way around. If we keep blocking new ideas because they don’t fit old frameworks, we’ll miss the moment.” He sees this roundtable as a chance to break that cycle, to stop waiting, and start building. And the good news? The technology exists. > “Federated learning lets us ask questions without centralising data (meaning the data stays with the source institution—like a hospital or care provider—while only the question and answer are exchanged, ensuring both privacy and local control). That’s critical for trust, for compliance, for progress.” Europe, he notes, is uniquely positioned to lead in this model, and Belgium could be at the forefront. --- #### **The urgency of prevention** Importantly, this isn’t just about curing illness. It’s about **keeping people healthy in the first place**. > “At FTI, we’re working on initiatives to minimise burnout. That’s not just a health win, it’s an economic one. And it’s the same with wearables and home monitoring tools; they can alert caregivers early and prevent issues from escalating.” From AI-powered triage to digital wound tracking, Frank believes technology can help overburdened care teams focus where it matters most, while also giving patients the continuity and context they need. > “We need to use our limited resources wisely. Technology and data can help us do that, without compromising care quality.” [![Elli FTI](https://madison.partners/hs-fs/hubfs/Elli%20FTI.png?width=186&height=186&name=Elli%20FTI.png)](https://fti.be/elli) --- #### **What could this roundtable unlock?** > “Short term, I hope this sparks a pilot project that validates the value of secure, federated collaboration. Longer term, we must aim for a **structural ecosystem** where hospitals, practitioners, and innovators can plug in and build, backed by a government that supports and protects the model.” It’s not about fixing everything at once. It’s about creating **proof points**, building momentum, and aligning incentives, so collaboration becomes easier than fragmentation. --- #### **A Coalition of the Willing** > “If we wait for perfect alignment, we’ll miss the moment. We need a coalition of the willing, those ready to build while others watch.” This is the call to action behind the roundtable: to bring together the right people, at the right time, to build *what could be*, instead of staying stuck in what is. --- #### **Looking ahead** Frank will join senior leaders from across Belgium’s healthcare ecosystem this September to explore what’s needed to turn today’s fragmentation into cohesive care delivery. His message is simple: **Innovation matters. Governance matters. But collaboration, done right, changes lives.**   ## Discover More  ![https://19871150.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/19871150/Niels%20Tavano%20%7C%20Madison%20Partners%20%7C%20Interview.png](https://madison.partners/hs-fs/hubfs/Niels%20Tavano%20%7C%20Madison%20Partners%20%7C%20Interview.png?width=992&name=Niels%20Tavano%20%7C%20Madison%20Partners%20%7C%20Interview.png) [Interview](https://madison.partners/blog/tag/interview) 6/8/2026 ### On Data, Healthcare and the Historical Arc of Change ![https://19871150.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/19871150/Healthcare%20%7C%20De%20ziekenhuiscrisis%20haalt%20al%20een%20jaar%20de%20voorpaginas.%20Toch%20stelt%20bijna%20niemand%20de%20vraag%20die%20ertoe%20doet..png](https://madison.partners/hs-fs/hubfs/Healthcare%20%7C%20De%20ziekenhuiscrisis%20haalt%20al%20een%20jaar%20de%20voorpaginas.%20Toch%20stelt%20bijna%20niemand%20de%20vraag%20die%20ertoe%20doet..png?width=992&name=Healthcare%20%7C%20De%20ziekenhuiscrisis%20haalt%20al%20een%20jaar%20de%20voorpaginas.%20Toch%20stelt%20bijna%20niemand%20de%20vraag%20die%20ertoe%20doet..png) [Interview](https://madison.partners/blog/tag/interview) 3/8/2026 ### De ziekenhuiscrisis haalt al een jaar de voorpagina's. 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