PARIS (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday announced a 7 billion euros ($8.33 billion) public funding plan to invest in healthcare as France aims to improve its health system after the COVID-19 pandemic put hospitals under pressure. Under the plan, state-owned Banque Publique d’Investissement (BPI) will invest 2 billion euros in start-ups and small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) in the healthcare industry. France will also invest 2 billion euros in research for emerging and infectious diseases, biotherapies and digital health. “We have under-invested in research”, Macron told a conference on healthcare innovation at the Elysee Palace. “Today our system doesn’t work.” Macron wants to make France the leading European country in healthcare innovation by 2030. He has committed to lift administrative hurdles to speed up organisational changes in the healthcare system. ($1 = 0.84 euros) Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau; Writing by Matthieu Protard; Editing by Angus MacSwan Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.