None of us will ever forget the moment we heard about COVID-19 for the first time, watching as it spread around the world, affecting one country after another, like a wildfire.

We can't let that happen again. We must be ready. That is why the launch of the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Source initiative 2.0. (EIOS 2.0) and the unveiling of the Pandemic Simulator is a landmark moment.

Today public health faces a new kind of challenge — speed. Diseases move faster — and they are more unpredictable — than ever. They can race across borders and across continents. In such a dynamic world, having the right information, at the right time, is key to saving lives.

Today we celebrate more than just a new technology. We are acting together and building trust together, and this will help us to stay ahead of threats. In Europe, we created HERA for exactly that reason — to anticipate crises and not just react to them.

This EIOS is ambitious. It harnesses the power of open-source data to detect and understand health threats before they spiral into major outbreaks. This EIOS system was born from a strong and enduring partnership between the European Commission and the World Health Organization.