Xartec Salut concluded the 10th od october a week dedicated to health technologies with the celebration of its two major events of the year: the HealthTech2030 summit and the Innovation Challenge competition for young students and professionals.

These initiatives, part of the network’s valorization and transfer program, have been made possible with the support of the Center for Research in Biomedical Engineering (CREB) – UPC, the Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR), as well as leading companies and organizations in the sector that have provided sponsorship and collaboration: Werfen, Arvor, Farside, Almirall, Better Care, the Sant Pau Research Institute, and the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

Both events brought together sector leaders, academics, professionals, and students with the goal of fostering collaboration and creativity to develop innovative solutions in the healthcare field.

HealthTech2030: Talent as the engine of the future

On October 10th, the highly anticipated HealthTech2030 took place at Casa Rius in Barcelona. The event focused on talent as a pillar of the future of health and technology. Key topics discussed throughout the day included emerging professions in the sector, the role of women entrepreneurs in the healthtech ecosystem, formats and processes for creating innovations that can reach the market, and the impact of artificial intelligence on mental health.

The attendees included representatives from government and academic institutions who supported the initiative and the advancement of innovation in the healthcare sector. Laia Arnal, Director General of Knowledge Transfer and the Knowledge Society in the Department of Research and Universities (GENCAT), thanked the organizers and attendees for their involvement in promoting initiatives that help create synergies between the public and private sectors to drive the development of technological solutions that improve healthcare. Also present at the event was Jordi Llorca Piqué, Vice-Rector for Research at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) adn Alexandre Perera, Director at CREB-UPC and Xartec Salut.

One of the most notable round tables was moderated by Xavier Roca Ramon, Director of E

SEIAAT-UPC, where current trends in healthcare and how they will shape the professions of tomorrow were discussed. Speakers included Nadal Bayà Fons (AGUAR), Robert Fabregat Fuentes (Biocat), Luis Blanch (I3PT), and Mónica Rodríguez (VHIR), who highlighted the challenge of identifying and training the talent needed to face the sector’s emerging challenges.

Another well-received session, organized in collaboration with Xarxa TECSAM and Xarxa RDI-IA, explored how artificial intelligence (AI) can be a key tool for improving mental health. In this talk, José Ibeas, Director of the AI Program at the Generalitat de Catalunya, discussed with Gemma Piella, Professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, how AI is revolutionizing the future of healthcare.

The round table, moderated by Manel González-Piñero, Strategic Coordinator of Xartec Salut and CREB-UPC, addressed strategies for designing innovations centered on the health technology of the future, emphasizing how collaborations between different sectors are essential to anticipating upcoming challenges. Leaders such as Judit Giró Benet (CEO of The Blue Box), Marta Guardiola (CTO of MiWEndo Solutions), Alex Tortosa (Plug & Play), and Alberto Domingo (National Center for Genomic Analysis) shared their experiences in innovation.

Finally, the event also highlighted female talent, addressing the challenges and opportunities women face when entering the world of entrepreneurship in healthtech. The conversation between Justina Klyviene (founder and CEO of Health Tech Accelerator) and Gema Mijancos (PhD student at UPC) underscored the entrepreneurial spirit and talent as key drivers for making a significant impact in the sector.

Innovation Challenge: Creative solutions to real challenges

From October 4th to 6th, Xartec Salut held the Innovation Challenge at the North Campus North of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, a unique opportunity for students and young professionals to collaborate with top-tier companies in creating innovative solutions to real-world healthcare and market problems.

Participants were tasked with solving three challenges presented by leading companies and organizations in the sector: Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Almirall, and Better Care, in collaboration with the Hospital de Sant Pau.

The atmosphere of collaboration and creativity was palpable throughout the event, with teams working alongside mentors to develop innovative ideas. The best proposals received prizes valued at €3,000, as well as the opportunity to access mentoring sessions and networking with industry professionals.

The winners of the Innovation Challenge were announced during HealthTech2030. The selected projects reflect the dedication and creativity of young talent.

In the rare diseases category, the #MentalChallenge proposed by Alexion, the winning project was “K-Emotion”, an innovative machine learning system designed to support children with neurofibromatosis, a rare genetic disorder that causes the development of tumors affecting the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, among others. Led by: Alberto Puscasu (Master’s in Bioinformatic) and Dídac Roda (Master’s in Digital Health).

In the dermatology category, the project “GentleDreams” was the winning proposal of the #DermaChallenge proposed by Almirall: a personalized device to detect and recommend treatments for skin conditions like dermatitis or psoriasis. Led by: Raul Agut  (Master’s in Material Science & Engineering and PhD in Material Engineering), Daniel Cabrerizo – (Master’s in Drug R&D&I and PhD in Biomedical Engineering), Shana Jin – (Master’s in Biomedical Engineering and PhD in Biomedical Engineering), Diego Ruiz (MSc in Particle Physics and PhD en Material Science)and Paula Urdalleta (Master’s in Drug R&D&I and PhD in Biomedical Engineering).

Finally, in the medical data management category, the winning project was “Contigo”, a proposal for the #CareChallenge presented by Better Care, in collaboration with the Hospital de Sant Pau. It is a digital platform that provides accessible and clear information to the families of ICU patients, aiming to support them in critical moments. Led by Letizia Di Salvo
Paco Moncayo (Emergency Nurse / IT Specialist), and Carlos Urrutia  (Clinical Psychologist).

Each of these projects not only demonstrates the innovative capacity of young talent but also their commitment to improving healthcare. Both events have helped chart a path toward the future and highlighted the importance of talent and innovation as drivers to address the sector’s challenges.

Xartec Salut, with the support of CREB UPC, continues to be a benchmark in fostering new ideas and solutions with the goal of improving healthcare and health technologies.