Session overview

We open the event in a captivating way. Merlijn Twaalfhoven takes you on a journey of imagination, beauty, and creativity to tackle global issues. Let's address societal challenges together. It will certainly move you. Don't miss it

Prof. Dr. Maarten van Aalst, the new Director General of KNMI and climate expert, will deliver the plenary opening keynote at TechMed event. With an extensive background in climate and disaster resilience, including roles at the University of Twente and IPCC, he aims to address global challenges and inspire the audience. The TechMed Centre is honored to have him speak.

During the parallel program, you can visit various lab tours. The options are TechMed Centre: Explore the simulation centre (13.15 - 14.30 & 14.45 - 16.00), Robotics; RAM, Wearable and Surgical (13.15 - 14.30), Physics of Fluids Lab & Multi-Modality Imaging Lab (13.15 - 14.30), Biomedical Photonic Imaging Lab & BioImagin Centre (14.45 - 16.00) and The BMS Lab (14.45 - 16.00).

Planetary health is about the well-being of human civilization and the natural systems it relies on. It addresses the effects of global environmental changes on health, including the role of healthcare in driving these changes. Understanding these connections calls for collaboration across disciplines and borders to safeguard our health and shape a sustainable future. Expert perspectives from climate change, healthcare, human behaviour, and wicked problems are sought to explore shared challenges and interconnectivity within planetary health, emphasizing the importance of working together.

The session explores the transformative potential of AI in healthcare through collaboration between researchers, industry, and medical professionals. Speakers discuss AI's promises and challenges, including legal and ethical aspects, EU regulations, and real-world integration. Experts participate in a panel discussion, offering insights into the current status and future prospects of AI in healthcare, emphasizing its role as a powerful tool to benefit patients and healthcare providers.

Embark on the TechMed Academy educational journey, offering hands-on experiences in a lifelike learning environment. Explore stations where medical professionals interact with a vascular model, engage in ICU scenario training, learn from a physician assistant's demonstration, and gain hands-on experience with laparoscopy, endoscopy, and ultrasound simulators, showcasing the future of medical training.

Join us for an interactive session where experts from research and industry share their experiences and insights on turning novel medical technology into practical clinical applications. We'll explore the challenges of balancing fundamental research with application, involving clinicians to meet their needs, and navigating new regulations. Discover how to develop medical technology that brings added value to society!

The healthcare sector's impact on the environment is substantial, contributing 7% of greenhouse gas emissions. The Green Deal Sustainable Healthcare aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050, while promoting sustainable practices in food, education, and treatment guidelines. However, experts raise concerns about the deal's ability to facilitate a swift transition due to insufficient obligation and funding.

This session puts healthcare professionals at the center. They are a core key to building future-proof and resilient healthcare systems. In this interactive and interdisciplinary session we discuss several questions to foster sustainable employment in healthcare: How do the new organizational concepts and technological advancements change the behaviour and identity of healthcare professionals? What are the effects of technology on employee deployment in healthcare (networks)? How do we organize current and future healthcare processes efficiently about the required, available, and preferred mix of skilled professionals?

Scientists and engineers are exploring the potential of organs-on-a-chip, small transparent devices with living cells and tissues that mimic organ functions. These chips offer a humane way to study diseases and drug responses. Collaboration between engineers, clinicians, and biomedical scientists is essential to ensure their relevance and diversity in reflecting human patients. In the session, local engineers and medical collaborators share experiences and challenges in co-designing organ-on-a-chip models for various diseases, aiming to improve patient care.

The Pioneers in Healthcare initiative centers around technical solutions to surpass healthcare limitations and implement innovative technology in medical practice. Collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and scientists drives this program, with innovation vouchers provided as seed money for projects targeting specific clinical issues, promoting long-term collaboration and enhanced patient care. The fund seeks to foster valorization and attract new partners to advance healthcare innovation in the Twente and Salland region. In the session, we highlight the successes achieved in the past decade.

The TechMed Innovation Hub seeks to accelerate innovation, and this session will showcase the value of our services and infrastructure. We'll provide an overview of our operations and highlight key outcomes and lessons from different successful examples. Participants can gain insights to identify beneficial services, and the panel encourages open discussions, questions, and advice to advance innovation through the hub. Join us and be a part of shaping the future of healthcare innovation!

A circular economy prioritizes preserving the value of raw materials, leading to significant sustainability improvements and progress towards sustainability goals. Both manufacturers/designers and consumers play crucial roles in adopting circular practices. The 10Rs model outlines strategies in order of effectiveness, including refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish/remanufacture/repurpose, recycle, and remine, which experts will discuss in relation to sustainability improvements in healthcare during the session.

It is a challenge to develop eHealth services that contribute to a sustainable, efficient and effective healthcare for all citizens. We define 3 key ingredients of success: Co-creation in research and innovation / To develop intelligent, personalized technologies / For implementation in newly designed hybrid healthcare processes.Together with some of our partners in healthcare, research, education and innovation, we will take you along this way of working, and hope to inspire and challenge you to see what it can mean for your work.

The TechMed Talent Talks: frontrunners of tomorrow's session showcases the talents of the future in the TechMed field, highlighting the wide range of research topics covered at the TechMed Centre. The TechMed Research Day provides a platform for researchers to share their work and connect within the community, fostering growth and exposure for younger researchers. Six exceptional young researchers, selected by a jury and the public, will be the speakers, sharing their enthusiasm and inspiring the audience during the TechMed Talent Talks.

The closing lecture at TechMed event will be given by renowned intensivist, Prof. Dr. Diederik Gommers, head of Intensive Care at Erasmus MC and a prominent member of the Outbreak Management Team during the Covid-19 pandemic. He will discuss the need for sustainability in healthcare, emphasizing the importance of incorporating it into the sector's practices with clear objectives. The TechMed Centre is eager to hear his vision, especially regarding the role of technology in the medical field, as he is also a well-known advocate for technical medical studies.