In its bid to scale up its internationalisation by delivering its AI-driven healthcare solutions to other European territories, Maltese company EBO is establishing a presence in Italy with a new office in Milan.

Describing this strategic expansion in Italy as “a significant milestone in EBO’s growth trajectory”, Gege Gatt, CEO of EBO said that this development builds on the company’s extensive activities already under way across the UK, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Malta, Cyprus and Greece.

“We see common issues and opportunities within the European public health sector that EBO’s innovative AI solutions can address effectively,” Gatt said.

“Our strategic expansion into Italy will now allow us to tap into new revenue streams and further develop core product capabilities relevant to central European territories.”

With over 60 million residents, over 425 hospitals and a healthcare expenditure that accounts for 8.8% of its GDP, Italy’s healthcare system has long been facing challenges in managing patient engagement and streamlining processes.

EBO’s AI-driven solution provides better accessibility to all citizens while reducing the cost of operations and promoting patient-centric activity

According to Gatt, Italy is currently a fertile market for AI automation in healthcare, a sector which has been expressing a pressing need for advanced patient engagement solutions.

“The demand for more efficient and effective healthcare delivery systems is a political priority. Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan aims to modernise the country’s healthcare system as part of the broader EU Recovery Fund initiatives,” he explains.

“The plan allocates significant resources to AI and automation technologies to improve efficiency and patient engagement. EBO’s AI-driven solution provides better accessibility to all citizens while reducing the cost of operations and promoting patient-centric activity.”

Gatt added: “We are excited about the prospects that the Italian market presents, and we look forward to delivering our transformative AI solutions through the work we’re doing with our strategic partner, Underdogs Group. The go-to-market model will follow the method we utilised in the UK where today, EBO is serving over 14 million patients through 16 NHS Trusts.”

Underdogs Group is a digital innovation hub based in Milan which focuses on the integration, configuration, implementation and citizen adoption of technology.

Through its specialised expertise in software integration, Underdogs Group will be able to effectively incorporate EBO’s AI platform into Italian hospitals’ healthcare and patient records systems. Underdogs Group will also be conducting a series of targeted adoption campaigns to optimise service take-up.

Andrea D’Aietti, CEO of Underdogs Group, welcomed the partnership with EBO.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with EBO. Their conversational AI capabilities offer immense potential for data maximisation and business intelligence, driving growth, innovation and digitalisation for our clients. Together, we will unlock new opportunities and deliver cutting-edge solutions,” he said.

EBO’s new office is located at Piazzale Giulio Cesare 14, 20145, Milan.