A LEGACY OF CARE

With the global healthcare sector always having existed at the intersection of immense challenge and extraordinary possibility, demand continues to outpace available resources – and South Africa (SA) is no exception.

“Every day we are confronted by increasingly complex disease burdens, rapid technological advancements, workforce pressures, financial constraints, and growing public expectations,” introduces Dr Matodzi Mukosi, CEO of Tygerberg Hospital, the largest hospital in the Western Cape.

Yet, despite these realities, SA’s healthcare sector remains a rewarding professional environment due to the impact it has.

“Everything we do is both tangible and profoundly human – every decision, interaction, and innovation has the potential to change the course of someone’s life,” he smiles.

Reflecting on the legacy and true value of Tygerberg Hospital in this challenging landscape, Dr Mukosi emphasises how the hospital is ultimately built on the selfless contributions of its staff and the countless moments where science, humanity, and transformation come together.

“The real value of our institution lives in the nurse who comforts an anxious family, porter who reassures a frightened patient, doctor who stays a little longer after their shift to monitor a critical patient, maintenance technician who restores essential services overnight, student who is learning the true meaning of compassionate care, or specialist sharing decades of knowledge with the next generation.”

Indeed, the true legacy of the hospital relates to the extraordinary achievements made possible by ordinary people choosing to serve something bigger than themselves.

EVOLVING HEALTHCARE ECOSYSTEM

Over the years, SA’s healthcare system has been significantly transformed, with the first democratic South African government initially inheriting a structurally fragmented, inequitable, and primarily hospital-centric system in 1994.

“This system was shaped by the apartheid regime where access to care, funding, and infrastructure were ultimately distributed along racial lines,” outlines Dr Melvin Moodley, COO.

Since then, healthcare reform has focused on integrating previously fragmented services, improving equity, and expanding access to quality healthcare for all – a transformation driven by successive policies and reforms aimed at strengthening governance.

“Whilst we celebrate these successes, we continue to face significant challenges in healthcare. SA continues to operate a dual healthcare system in which public and private healthcare coexist,” states Dr Mukosi.

Private healthcare remains accessible only to those who can afford it, creating a fundamental inequality in access to health services that is driven by financial resources.

Although both sectors draw on similar resources, the private sector serves only a small proportion of the population, whereas the public sector caters for approximately 85 percent, many of whom rely exclusively on state-funded healthcare.

“This inequality runs counter to the principles of fairness and equity, which is why we strongly support the implementation of universal health coverage (UHC), aimed at ensuring equitable access to healthcare irrespective of one’s ability to pay,” laments Dr Mukosi.

The implementation of UHC will require a concerted effort to strengthen the healthcare system across the country.

This has led to growing recognition that strong governance and leadership are fundamental drivers of health system performance. Leaders must excel in strategic planning, financial stewardship, quality improvement, workforce management and development, and the cultivation of partnerships across the continuum of care.

“We need leaders who are not only technically competent, but also demonstrate high levels of emotional intelligence so we can develop sustainable health systems that deliver better outcomes for the people we serve,” Dr Moodley adds.

SERVING COMMUNITIES

As one of SA’s largest academic hospitals, Tygerberg Hospital is one of only two central major healthcare sites in the Western Cape.

“We provide highly specialised tertiary and quaternary services across every major clinical discipline, with more than 65,000 patients admitted annually and more than 400,000 outpatient visits each year,” explains Mr Dirk Heyns, Head of Corporate Services.

Spanning the full life course, from foetal medicine and neonatal intensive care to geriatric care, the hospital offers a comprehensive package of tertiary services. These include advanced trauma care, complex surgery, critical care, infectious disease management, and highly specialised allied health services, including its flagship Cochlear Implant Unit.

As the Western Cape’s population has grown significantly over the past two decades, demand for these highly specialised services has increased accordingly.

“As the only referral centre for many of our patients, Tygerberg Hospital must continue to keep pace with growing demand,” notes Dr Mehreen Hunter, Chief Strategy Officer.

“This requires us to continually review our core service mandate, models of care across the health ecosystem, patient referral networks, technological advancement, workforce management, and collaboration with internal and external partners so we can maximise the impact of the resources available to us,” she explains.

POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS

As an academic institution, Tygerberg Hospital is closely linked with multiple universities, including Stellenbosch University, the University of the Western Cape, and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

Through these academic partnerships, it can deliver world-class teaching, training, and research.

Indeed, Tygerberg Hospital has a reputation for exceptional clinical training and is a sought-after destination for local and international undergraduate and postgraduate students.

“Our relationships with universities have evolved into true partnerships, enabling us to collaborate in fulfilling our mandate of service delivery, teaching, training, and research,” comments Mr Heyns.

Tygerberg Hospital has come to understand that meaningful transformation cannot be achieved in isolation; rather, it is strengthened through enduring partnerships with academic institutions, clinical teams, organised labour, patients, communities, and stakeholders who share responsibility for building a stronger and more responsive health system.

“One of our most critical partnerships is with our Hospital Board, which provides an important link between Tygerberg Hospital and the communities it serves.

“Through its oversight, advocacy, and engagement, the board ensures the perspectives and needs of patients and communities inform decision-making and service improvement initiatives,” notes Mrs Vuyokazi Dubase, Acting Head of Nursing Services.

PART OF A HEALTH ECOSYSTEM

The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness has distinguished itself over several decades through sustained investment in strengthening health systems.

“One of the most significant shifts I have witnessed over the course of my career has been the move away from hospitals functioning as isolated institutions towards a far more integrated ecosystem approach to healthcare,” says Dr Mukosi.

“Our responsibility for patient care is not limited to what happens within our facility alone. We are health stewards, working to improve healthcare at every stage of the patient journey.”

This approach has been deliberately fostered by the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness under the leadership of Dr Keith Cloete, Head of Department.

“We are all stewards of healthcare along the care continuum, with a shared responsibility to ensure all people in the province have access to quality healthcare,” explains Dr Hunter.

“Success is therefore no longer measured simply by what happens within our own walls, but by how effectively we strengthen the broader health system and improve the patient journey across multiple levels of care,” she adds.

PEOPLE FIRST

“Although our institution has been responsible for numerous pioneering advances, including several national and international firsts, their true value lies in how we use them to improve access, redesign systems around patient needs, strengthen partnerships, and deliver high-quality care more effectively within resource-constrained environments,” Dr Mukosi reflects.

Over the years, this has reinforced one of the most important lessons in healthcare: that exceptional care is fundamentally about people – not only the patients, but also those who deliver care every day.

“Technical excellence will always remain essential, but patients remember how they were treated just as much as the treatment they received,” Dr Hunter points out.

For this reason, sustainable healthcare depends on creating environments in which staff feel valued, supported, and empowered to deliver their best every day.

“When we invest in our people, we strengthen our ability to care for others; that, ultimately, is the foundation on which resilient and compassionate health systems are built,” Dr Mukosi states.

50 YEARS OF TRANSFORMATION

Having been established in 1976, this year marks the hospital’s 50th anniversary and, like the country itself, the institution has undergone significant transformation over the decades, moving from a hospital shaped by division towards one increasingly defined by inclusion, collaboration, and a shared purpose.

“That journey has not always been straightforward, but it has been essential, and at the heart of this legacy are the countless people who have worked tirelessly and selflessly at this institution for years,” Dr Mukosi acknowledges.

“50 years represents far more than an anniversary. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the millions of lives that have intersected with this institution and the direction we wish to take this hospital going forwards,” he adds.

“Most people remember Tygerberg Hospital as the place where a life was saved, where they held their newborn child for the first time, or where hope was restored during moments of profound uncertainty.”

“We are immensely proud of our clinical and internationally renowned academic achievements, but what makes me most proud is the culture we are building, legacy we are shaping, and incredible people who show up every day with extraordinary commitment,” notes Mrs Dubase.

“Indeed, Tygerberg Hospital’s greatest strength has never been its size, capacity, or media presence, but the people who make the facility a home and a place of hope.”

MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE

As an academic hospital, Tygerberg Hospital’s clinicians, researchers, and educators continually challenge existing practices to provide premium services to all patients.

Impactful research is key to this mission, generating evidence that guides clinical decision-making, drives innovation, and facilitates improvements in the way healthcare is delivered.

“Whether through pioneering clinical procedures, advances in medical technology, or new care models, innovation is only valuable if it ultimately improves patient outcomes, increases access to care, and strengthens the health system,” Dr Hunter informs.

Some of Tygerberg Hospital’s most significant innovations have changed the lives of families across SA, making the impossible seem possible.

In 1984, for example, the hospital’s Reproductive Biology Unit was responsible for the breakthrough that led to the birth of the country’s first baby conceived through invitro fertilisation (IVF), opening new possibilities for many couples experiencing infertility.

This was followed by numerous advances in reproductive medicine that helped establish Tygerberg Hospital as a leader in the field.

Then, in 1986, the hospital performed SA’s first multi-channel cochlear implant, establishing a programme that transformed the lives of children and adults living with profound hearing loss.

Tygerberg Hospital’s commitment to innovation continued through the decades, with interventions including the world’s first successful penile transplant in 2014; becoming the first South African government-run hospital to perform robotic surgery using the Da Vinci Surgical System in 2022; successfully performing the country’s first living donor kidney removal using robotic surgery in 2025; and making history by performing SA’s first fully internal limb reconstruction and bone transport procedure in 2025.

“Yet, whilst these milestones are remarkable, they are not how we define success,” Dr Mukosi points out.

“The true measure of innovation is not defined by whether we are the first but by the impact these interventions have on the people we serve – whether patients live longer, recover faster, regain functionality, become parents after years of uncertainty, or return to their families with renewed hope.”

This is the enduring philosophy that continues to shape everything Tygerberg Hospital does.

STRENGTHENED BY HUMILITY

Constructed 50 years ago in what was a very different landscape, it is no surprise Tygerberg Hospital’s existing infrastructure has reached the end of its serviceable lifespan.

Therefore, plans to reimagine the hospital have been developed through the replacement of the current facility with two new hospitals: Tygerberg Central Hospital and Metro-East Regional Hospital.

“This project is about far more than replacing ageing buildings. It is an opportunity to reconsider healthcare delivery and redesign it around modern patient expectations, technological advancement, multidisciplinary collaboration, and future healthcare needs whilst preserving the values that have come to define us over the course of our 50-year journey,” Dr Hunter highlights.

Looking ahead, the hospital’s key priorities for this year are centred around three interconnected areas; people, clients, and the health system.

With regard to its people, the institution intends to continue fostering psychologically safe spaces in which staff feel valued and respected, whilst continuing to invest in leadership, staff well-being, and organisational culture.

Tygerberg Hospital also seeks to improve the patient experience by focusing on the needs of its clients – from entering the facility to receiving excellent care and a safe discharge, it wishes to enhance all aspects of the patient experience.

“We will focus on strengthening the health system, clarifying and bolstering our service platform through closer collaboration across the provincial health ecosystem to ensure patients receive optimal care in the most appropriate setting,” Dr Moodley explains.

An important part of this work is expanding strategic partnerships and twinning initiatives – where institutions or health systems commit to learning from each other over time to strengthen services, leadership, and performance.

Based on Tygerberg Hospital’s belief that no single institution, country, or context has all the answers, it is currently part of multiple twinning programmes at both national and international level.

“Healthcare is strengthened through humility when organisations learn from one another and grow together,” Dr Mukosi reflects.

“All these priorities converge into a single mandate: to use 50 years of learning to create not only a stronger institution but also a sustainably stronger ecosystem for our patients today and for future generations,” he passionately concludes.

The post Tygerberg Hospital : A Legacy of Care appeared first on Healthcare Outlook.

Q&A WITH NORAH MAGERO, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, DROP ACCESS

Firstly, could you outline the mission, vision, and core values of Drop Access?

Norah Magero, co-Founder and CEO (NM): We develop practical technologies that help underserved and off-grid communities access essential services, from medical refrigeration and vaccine cold chains to food preservation and temperature-controlled logistics.

At Drop Access, our mission is to manufacture and distribute clean energy solutions using flexible payment models, whilst our vision is to provide sustainable clean energy to all underserved communities in Africa.

These goals are guided by our core values of innovation, excellence, eco-friendliness, honesty and fairness, and customer centricity.

What drives us is a simple belief: where a person lives should not determine whether they can access life-saving healthcare or climate-smart technologies.

We are committed to designing solutions that are reliable, affordable, environmentally responsible, and tailored to the realities of the communities we serve.

Drop Access was born out of a deep understanding of the barriers rural populations face, particularly in accessing life-saving vaccines and medicines. Can you explain?

NM: The challenge is not only about whether vaccines and medicines are available; it is also about whether they can be stored safely and delivered to the people who need them.

In many rural and off-grid communities, health facilities struggle with unreliable electricity, weak cold chain infrastructure, long distances, and difficult transport conditions.

As a result, vaccines, insulin, blood products, antibiotics, and other temperature-sensitive medicines often face significant risks before reaching patients.

For me personally, this challenge became very real whilst I was living in a rural town and trying to access the right vaccines for my young daughter. Later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of resilient cold chain systems became even more apparent.

Before developing our solutions, we spent time listening to nurses, healthcare workers, mothers, health facility managers, and communities. We wanted to understand the daily realities they faced and design solutions around those realities.

That process helped shape Drop Access and our commitment to strengthening last-mile healthcare delivery in underserved areas.

The Drop Access journey began with your portable solar-powered refrigerator, Vaccibox. What makes it ideal for vaccine storage and cold chain logistics?

NM: Vaccibox was specifically designed to address the challenges of medical cold chain management in remote and resource-constrained environments.

It is a portable solar-powered medical refrigerator equipped with integrated lithium batteries and designed to maintain temperatures between two degrees Celsius (°C) and 8°C, which is the recommended storage range for many vaccines.

It can be used both for the storage and transportation of vaccines, blood products, insulin, oxytocin, laboratory samples, and other temperature-sensitive medical products.

One of the features I am particularly proud of is the integration of real-time monitoring technology. Vaccibox provides data on temperature, battery status, charge levels, location, and inventory, helping healthcare providers maintain visibility and accountability throughout the cold chain.

Mobility was also central to the design. In many remote communities, bicycles, motorcycles, and boats are often the most practical means of transportation; Vaccibox can be transported using these modes, helping healthcare workers reach populations that are otherwise difficult to serve.

Ultimately, it was created to make safe and reliable vaccine delivery possible wherever people live, regardless of infrastructure constraints.

What about Koyo, your other solar-powered refrigeration solution for farmers, small to medium-sized enterprises, and households?

NM: Koyo extends Drop Access’ clean cooling work beyond healthcare into food security, household resilience, and productive use of energy.

Whilst Vaccibox focuses on medical cold chain applications, Koyo is designed to provide reliable solar-powered refrigeration for farmers, small to medium-sized enterprises, and households that may not have access to dependable electricity.

Post-harvest losses remain a major challenge across many African communities. Farmers often lose valuable produce because they lack access to cold storage, whilst households and small businesses face similar difficulties preserving food safely. Koyo helps address those challenges by providing clean, reliable cooling powered by solar energy.

We offer Koyo in several different sizes to meet the needs of a wide range of users, from individual households to commercial operators. The broader goal is the same as with all our solutions: improving resilience and creating access to essential services through sustainable technology.

Coolride is Drop Access’ professional cold chain logistics service. How does it ensure safe and reliable transport of temperature-sensitive goods across various industries?

NM: Coolride was developed to address a critical gap that extends beyond refrigeration itself: transportation.

Even when products are stored correctly, they can still be compromised if they are not transported under controlled conditions.

Coolride provides temperature-controlled logistics services for vaccines, medicines, laboratory samples, perishable foods, and agricultural products.

The service combines temperature-controlled vehicles, real-time GPS and temperature monitoring, trained personnel, and standardised operating procedures to maintain product integrity throughout the journey.

Depending on the use case, we offer transportation solutions that operate at 2°C to 8°C, at -20°C, or under ambient conditions. Our fleet includes cold-box motorcycles for last-mile delivery, and vans fitted with refrigerators.

By combining technology, operational discipline, and visibility throughout the supply chain, Coolride helps ensure that temperature-sensitive products arrive safely and reliably at their destination.

How does your commitment to local innovation, manufacturing, and community-driven impact set Drop Access apart?

NM: One of the things that differentiates Drop Access is that we do not start with technology, but with people and the challenges they face.

Every solution we develop is informed by conversations with the communities that will ultimately use it. We spent time speaking with healthcare workers, mothers, health facility managers, and community members to understand their realities before designing Vaccibox and our other products.

Local manufacturing is equally important to us. We believe that building solutions locally helps strengthen technical capacity, create jobs, improve after-sales support, and ensure products are adapted to local conditions. It also helps reduce dependence on imported solutions that may not fully address the realities of African communities.

At our core, we are committed to local innovation, local manufacturing, and community-driven impact. We want African challenges to be solved by African innovators working alongside the communities they serve.

How did becoming a finalist for the Health category of the 2026 edition of the Zayed Sustainability Prize help Drop Access grow its projects, credibility and network?

NM: Being selected as a finalist in the Health category of the 2026 Zayed Sustainability Prize was an important milestone for us.

The Prize is one of the world’s leading sustainability awards, attracting thousands of submissions from around the globe. Being recognised amongst the finalists provided strong validation of both our technology and our mission.

It increased our visibility among partners, investors, policymakers, healthcare stakeholders, and innovation ecosystems. It also gave us access to a valuable global network of sustainability leaders and organisations committed to solving pressing social and environmental challenges.

Another significant development was the enhanced support provided to finalists. The Prize introduced a funding model through which organisational finalists receive USD$100,000 to help advance their work.

For a growing company like ours, that support can help accelerate deployment, strengthen manufacturing capacity, and expand our reach into underserved communities.

Most importantly, the recognition reinforced that locally developed African innovations can play a meaningful role in addressing global healthcare and sustainability challenges.

Finally, what are your key priorities in order to make essential healthcare and climate-smart innovations accessible to the most underserved communities?

NM: Our priority is to continue scaling solutions that make healthcare and climate-smart technologies more accessible, affordable, and reliable for underserved communities.

One important focus area is expanding access to Vaccibox through flexible financing approaches such as lease-to-own and cooling-as-a-service models. We know that affordability remains a barrier for many facilities, and we want to ensure cost does not prevent access to critical cold chain infrastructure.

Another key priority is continuing to strengthen quality, compliance, and certification processes as we scale. Achieving international standards is essential for ensuring our solutions can serve more healthcare systems and reach more communities.

We are also committed to expanding local manufacturing capacity. My long-term vision is to see advanced HealthTech and CleanTech products fully manufactured within Africa, creating jobs, building expertise, and strengthening local value chains.

Finally, we want to continue broadening our impact beyond healthcare alone. Through Vaccibox, Koyo, Coolride, and future innovations, our goal is to build resilient systems that improve healthcare access, strengthen food security, support livelihoods, and help communities adapt to a changing climate.

At the end of the day, our mission remains the same: ensuring people in underserved communities have access to the technologies they need to live healthier, safer, and more resilient lives.

The post Drop Access : Access for All appeared first on Healthcare Outlook.

Issue 15

Pharmaceutical

Thermo Fisher Scientific : Biologics Manufacturing of Tomorrow

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s progress over the last two years has reinforced its position as a trusted biologics manufacturing partner. We catch up with Kym Baker, General Manager, Brisbane Biologics.

By

Amelia Jennings

Lily Sawyer

Aug 18, 2026

Read More

Hospital & Medical Center

Los Angeles General Medical Center : Care Without Compromise

Los Angeles General Medical Center continues to redefine what public healthcare can achieve. We speak with CEO, Jorge Orozco, about the hospital’s legacy, future vision, and mission to deliver world-class care for every member of the community.

By

Healthcare Team

Lily Sawyer

Aug 18, 2026

Read More

Healthcare Providers

St. Joseph’s Health System : A New Era of Holistic Healthcare

St. Joseph’s Health System is transforming medical services through a comprehensive approach that integrates a wide range of care and support. President and CEO, Mike Heenan, examines how its strategic investments in facilities address the evolving needs of the community.

By

Healthcare Team

Rachel Carr

Aug 18, 2026

Read More

Healthcare Spotlight

Digital Health Association : Spotlight

Stella Ward, CEO of the Digital Health Association, shares insights into the evolution of digital healthcare in NZ, discussing the association’s mission, the unique strengths of Kiwi HealthTech companies, and the opportunities and challenges they face in global markets.

By

Joseph Perfitt

Rachel Carr

Aug 18, 2026

Read More

Healthcare Insights

Wolters Kluwer : When Right Matters Most

As healthcare continues to adopt artificial intelligence at an unprecedented rate, governance and policy are struggling to keep up. We sit down with Garry Edwards, VP EMEA of Wolters Kluwer, to learn more.

By

Lily Sawyer

Aug 18, 2026

Read More

Expert Eye

Dr Engel Naturals : Where Skin Recovers

Aiming to protect first, perfect later, Dr Engel Naturals is a doctor-led, minimalist skincare company where the goal is to guide the skin back to balance. Dr Mica Engel, Medical Director at Cosmetica London, tells us more about building healthy skin through respect.

By

Lauren Kania

Aug 18, 2026

Read More

Therapy

Rethinking Workforce Wellbeing in the NHS Through the Ancient Practice of Yoga

Alison Lewis, Founder of Heart Mind Spirit, discusses how yoga therapy offers a practical, low-cost approach to reducing absenteeism and supporting both physical and mental health across the NHS.

By

Alison Lewis

Aug 18, 2026

Read More

Sustainability

Pad-Up Creations : Restoring Dignity with Sustainable Sanitary Solutions

As the world-leading producer of washable and reusable sanitary pads, Pad-Up Creations is determined to provide hygiene products with safety, comfort, and sustainability. Olivia Onyemaobi, Founder and CEO, tells us more about the award-winning initiative.

By

Lauren Kania

Aug 18, 2026

Read More

The post Healthcare Outlook Issue 15 appeared first on Healthcare Outlook.

Q&A WITH DR MICA ENGEL, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, COSMETICA LONDON

Firstly, can you outline your background in cosmetic medicine and how your diagnosis with lymphoma reshaped how you came to think about skincare?

Dr Mica Engel, Medical Director (ME): For me, medicine has always been about listening – to symptoms, the body, and often what is not being said.

I qualified as a doctor in Brazil in 2004, working in general practice and emergency medicine before continuing my studies in preventive medicine in Italy. Almost 20 years ago, I moved to London to complete my postgraduate training in aesthetic medicine, where I had the privilege of learning under Dr Mauricio de Maio, whose approach to facial harmonisation shaped the way I still treat faces today.

I later founded Cosmetica London, which has been recognised amongst the city’s top clinics for the last three years. However, the deepest shift in my thinking came not from a training course, but from becoming the patient.

During treatment for lymphoma – chemotherapy and radiotherapy – I learnt quickly that skin is an honest organ that reflects what is happening inside long before we are ready to talk about it.

The lipid matrix that holds the barrier together begins to unravel, the microbiome shifts, and water leaves the skin at a pace you only understand once you have felt it. Products I had confidently recommended to patients for years suddenly stung or simply did nothing.

That experience rewrote my whole philosophy. Skin does not need to be bullied into behaving; it needs intelligent support, calm ingredients, and respect. Dr Engel Naturals (D.E.N.) was born from that conviction.

Cutaneous side-effects affect an estimated 80-90 percent of patients during chemotherapy and radiotherapy, yet fewer than a handful of skincare ranges are formulated to tolerate that reality.

Can you briefly introduce us to D.E.N., including your portfolio of products?

ME: D.E.N. was created to bridge the gap between what happens in the clinic and what happens at home.

We spend so much energy refining treatments, yet many people walk out of a consultation and into a bathroom shelf that works against their skin rather than with it. I wanted a doctor-led range that made skincare simpler, safer, and more effective in real life.

Our collection is built around five essential pillars: cleansing, hydration, antioxidant protection, renewal, and recovery. Amongst our most loved products are the Post-Injectables Protocol, Ceramide Barrier Night Cream, Bioactive Prebiotics Jelly Serum, Microbiome Prebiotics Face Mist, Radiance C Serum, and our Sensitive Skin range.

The brand is available through Cosmetica London and online, where product choice can be guided rather than overwhelming. Our clients are wonderfully diverse – busy professionals, new parents, oncology patients, public figures – but they share one thing: they want healthy, elegant skin that lasts, not trends that expire by next Tuesday.

Can you tell us more about D.E.N.’s philosophy of respecting the skin barrier, reducing inflammation, and supporting long-term resilience?

ME: A great deal of what I see in clinic – redness, breakouts, sensitivity, accelerated ageing – begins with a compromised skin barrier. Modern skin is often over-treated, over-exfoliated, and under-protected. We have somehow normalised irritation as if it were proof that something is working – I strongly disagree.

At D.E.N., every product is designed to do at least one of three things: repair the barrier, support the microbiome, or encourage gentle renewal.

The Ceramide Barrier Night Cream helps restore that lipid matrix overnight; the Microbiome Prebiotics Face Mist nurtures the ecosystem of roughly one million microorganisms that live on every square centimetre of our skin – organisms that, when balanced, actively defend us; the Retinol Alternative Serum delivers renewal without the inflammatory drama of stronger actives.

I am not interested in quick tricks – I want skin that still looks strong, balanced, and luminous in five and 10 years’ time.

The stratum corneum is only around 15 to 20 microns thick – thinner than a sheet of cling film – yet it stands between us and everything the world throws at our skin.

A healthy barrier is built from a precise 1:1:1 ratio of ceramides, cholesterol, and free fatty acids. Disrupt that ratio, and you disrupt the skin’s ability to hold water, resist microbes, and recover from insult.

Whilst other formulations chase potency and trends, D.E.N prioritises compatibility. How is your approach rooted in skin physiology, not marketing cycles?

ME: Potency can be seductive. A high percentage on a label sounds impressive, but skin does not read marketing copy – it responds to biology.

Too many people are trapped in cycles of overuse, irritation, recovery, and then more overuse. The term for what quietly builds underneath all that is inflammaging – chronic, low-grade inflammation that accelerates visible ageing in much the same way it accelerates cardiovascular and metabolic disease elsewhere in the body.

It is often mistaken for progress but is, in fact, the opposite.

My philosophy is compatibility first. We formulate at levels that are clinically effective but still respectful of the skin’s natural function.

When I develop a product, I ask one simple question: would I feel comfortable recommending this to someone post-treatment, during pregnancy, or going through chemotherapy?

If the answer is no, it does not make the cut. Trends change every season; skin physiology remains gloriously stubborn.

Under stress, cortisol directly impairs barrier recovery and can increase transepidermal water loss by up to 40 percent, meaning the same routine that felt fine on a calm week can sting the moment life gets difficult.

How does D.E.N. represent a future for skincare that emphasises a doctor-led, minimalist ideology?

ME: I believe the future of skincare will be smarter, not louder.

Patients are becoming far more discerning. They do not want 10 steps, 20 actives, and a bathroom shelf that looks like a chemistry escape room; they want products that make sense, fit into real life, and deliver results without unnecessary complexity.

D.E.N. is doctor-led because every formula begins with what I have watched, up close, for two decades: stressed skin, sensitive skin, healing skin, ageing skin, and the remarkable ability of skin to recover when supported properly rather than assaulted.

Minimalism, for us, is not doing less for the sake of it, but rather removing the noise and keeping only what truly matters.

Skin is the body’s largest organ – around 1.8 square metres and roughly 15 percent of our body weight – and increasingly, we understand it as a window into systemic health; inflammation, sleep, stress, and even gut health all leave their fingerprints on the face first.

Can you expand upon the ingredients used in your products and how they are formulated with intention?

ME: I love ingredients – but only when they earn their place. We use ceramides and barrier lipids to reinforce the skin’s natural shield; prebiotics and probiotics to nourish the microbiome and calm reactive skin; and antioxidants such as ginkgo biloba and vitamin C to defend against oxidative stress, which remains one of the most consistent daily drivers of premature ageing.

Vitamin C is a perfect example of how D.E.N. thinks differently. The wider market is caught in an arms race of ever-higher percentages of L-ascorbic acid – a molecule that is powerful on paper but notoriously unstable and, at the low pH required for it to work, often intolerable.

It oxidises in the bottle within weeks, stings on application, and is one of the most common reasons patients quietly abandon their vitamin C long before they ever see a result.

Our Radiance C Serum takes a different route. It uses two percent ascorbyl glucoside, a pH-stable vitamin C derivative that the skin’s own enzymes gradually convert into active vitamin C in situ – a steady, low-irritation release rather than a sharp acidic hit.

It is then paired with ferulic acid and vitamin E, a trio chosen for a very specific dermatological reason; together, they stabilise vitamin C and significantly amplify its antioxidant performance against ultraviolet (UV) and environmental damage.

The result is real brightening and genuine antioxidant protection, delivered every morning without the redness, pilling, and pH-driven irritation most vitamin C users have learned to accept.

Notably, in a landmark Duke University study (Lin et al., 2005), the combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid was shown to double the photoprotection of vitamin C and E alone and remains the reference formula behind almost every serious antioxidant serum on the market today.

For renewal, I favour gentler technologies that encourage healthier skin behaviour without creating unnecessary inflammation. We are equally careful about what we leave out: no fragrance, harsh irritants, or ingredients added simply because they are fashionable.

Every formula at D.E.N. begins with two questions: what does this skin need, and what can we respectfully leave alone?

Up to 80 percent of visible skin ageing is thought to be driven not by the passing of time but by the exposome – UV, pollution, smoke, blue light, stress. The right antioxidant system is less a luxury than a frontline defence.

Are there any recent projects or investments that you would like to showcase?

ME: One project I am especially proud of is our Post-Injectables Protocol, created specifically for the vulnerable window immediately after an aesthetic treatment – the 48 to 72 hours when skin is most inflamed, permeable and, paradoxically, most likely to be doused in products it cannot tolerate. It has become a cornerstone recommendation not only in our own clinic, but increasingly beyond it.

We have also recently introduced TruSculpt at Cosmetica London, expanding our non-invasive body offering with advanced radiofrequency sculpting – a treatment I have especially loved introducing to patients who want meaningful results without downtime.

Additionally, we continue to pair in-clinic regenerative treatments with intelligent homecare. The best outcomes rarely happen in one room alone; they happen in the weeks that follow.

Looking ahead, what are your key priorities for the future?

ME: My priority is thoughtful growth. I would like to expand D.E.N. into a carefully selected network of clinics and practitioners who share our philosophy of subtle, intelligent care.

Growth is exciting, but only when it protects the integrity of the brand. We are also developing new solutions for sensitive, reactive, and barrier-compromised skin – an area that remains quietly underserved despite being a daily concern for perhaps one in three patients who walk through our door.

Education is the other great priority for me. The relationship between inflammation, stress, sleep, and skin health deserves far more serious attention than it receives on social media.

Cortisol, cytokines, and chronobiology are not glamorous words, but they explain more about how skin ages than any single serum ever will. Sometimes, the most effective skincare advice has nothing to do with a bottle.

Finally, what parting words do you have for those looking to begin their long-term, holistic skincare journey?

ME: Skincare is never only about skin. It sits somewhere between medicine, psychology, ritual, and confidence.

A product someone reaches for every morning and every evening becomes part of how they begin and end their day – two small, quiet moments of care at either end of a busy life. That carries responsibility, and I never forget it.

I am also deeply grateful to my patients, my team, and the clinicians who trust D.E.N. with their clients. No brand is built alone; it is built through many hands, many conversations, and a great deal of care.

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WHEN RIGHT MATTERS MOST

When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across the healthcare industry, the pace of innovation is beginning to outstrip the pace of organisational change.

As such, companies are under immense pressure to improve productivity, reduce administrative burden, and address workforce shortages.

“Understandably, there is urgency to adopt AI tools that can help,” opens Garry Edwards, VP EMEA of Wolters Kluwer – a Netherlands-based information, software, and professional services industry leader.

At the same time, organisations need to establish governance frameworks that address AI.

This requires cross-functional coordination amongst clinical leaders, technology teams, compliance officers, and executives – which takes time.

The result is a widening gap between how quickly users are adopting AI tools and how quickly organisations are creating policies, oversight structures, and evaluation standards to govern its use.

This has paved the way for unsanctioned AI tools that may be used in clinical workflows before regulators have fully assessed issues such as transparency, accountability, bias, security, or clinical validation.

“These governance concerns are top-of-mind for both clinicians and patients, especially as AI becomes embedded in care delivery,” Edwards remarks.

Without proper governance, AI can introduce inconsistency into clinical workflows, expose sensitive patient data, create compliance challenges, and erode trust amongst both clinicians and patients.

“In healthcare – where technology increasingly influences care delivery – governance cannot be an afterthought. It needs to evolve alongside the technology itself,” he adds.

AUGMENTING CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

As the healthcare sector continues to face workforce shortages, increasing patient demand, and growing administrative complexity, AI is proving valuable.

The technology is helping clinicians spend less time searching for information, as well as creating and managing documentation and navigating fragmented workflows, which allows them to focus more attention on patient care.

“Some of the most promising use cases involve note creation, information retrieval, clinical and medication decision support, and patient education,” observes Edwards.

Clinicians are also increasingly using AI to help surface relevant information more quickly, summarise large volumes of clinical data, and reduce the cognitive burden associated with complex decision-making.

“The greatest impact comes when AI reduces administrative friction and streamlines routine tasks,” he asserts.

Importantly, the strongest results are occurring when AI is embedded directly within existing clinical workflows rather than adopting entirely new processes.

For example, Wolters Kluwer is expanding its clinical decision support capabilities by integrating UpToDate®, its subscription-based medical resource, into leading ambient AI scribe platforms, including both Abridge and Microsoft Dragon Copilot.

“The most successful implementations augment clinical expertise and judgement rather than attempting to replace them,” Edwards reflects.

INCREASING CONCERN

Despite myriad benefits, the growing use of unauthorised or ‘shadow AI’ tools is becoming an increasing concern across healthcare, posing challenges for organisations seeking to maintain compliance and patient safety.

“Most clinicians are not turning to shadow AI because they want to circumvent policy but because they are trying to solve real workflow challenges,” Edwards reveals.

When workload pressures mount and clinicians don’t have access to approved solutions that meet their needs, they naturally look for tools that promise speed, convenience, and efficiency.

Recent research from Wolters Kluwer around shadow AI found that workflow efficiency is one of the primary reasons why healthcare professionals experiment with unauthorised AI tools.

Other drivers include curiosity, ease of access, and the perception that available organisational tools do not yet offer the desired capabilities, with some respondents citing a lack of approved alternatives.

“With limited visibility into how these tools are being used, unauthorised systems may not meet institutional standards for privacy, security, validation, or clinical oversight,” he tells us.

There are also concerns around patient confidentiality, data residency, regulatory compliance, and the lack of visibility into how information is generated and used within clinical workflows.

“That’s why organisations must move beyond restricting AI use and instead provide trusted, governed alternatives that address clinicians’ needs whilst maintaining appropriate controls,” Edwards insights.

THE NEXT PHASE OF HEALTHCARE AI

Looking ahead, Wolters Kluwer recommends healthcare institutions take certain steps to ensure AI can be adopted responsibly at scale.

“Responsible AI adoption requires organisations to think beyond technology implementation and focus on creating an environment where innovation and governance advance together,” details Edwards.

First, organisations need formal governance structures that define oversight, accountability, validation requirements, and acceptable use policies.

“Then, they should prioritise trust and transparency, ensuring clinicians understand how AI-generated outputs are created and when human review is required,” he continues.

Third, Wolters Kluwer believes adoption efforts should focus on clinically relevant workflows, where AI can deliver measurable value whilst maintaining human oversight.

Healthcare leaders need to view trust as a strategic asset – the organisations that will succeed are those that combine innovation with rigorous evaluation, evidence-based content, clinical expertise, and clear governance.

Indeed, those that fail to establish these foundations may struggle with clinical adoption, regulatory scrutiny, and diminished confidence in AI-driven initiatives.

“The next phase of healthcare AI will not be defined solely by model sophistication. It will be defined by whether organisations can deploy the technology in ways that are trustworthy, transparent, governed appropriately, and meaningfully integrated into clinical practice,” Edwards passionately concludes.

The post Wolters Kluwer : When Right Matters Most appeared first on Healthcare Outlook.

AI Partnership Targets Faster Drug Discovery

Novo Nordisk has selected AWS as its preferred cloud provider and strategic AI partner as the healthcare company looks to modernise its technology infrastructure and reduce drug development timelines.

As part of the agreement, the companies have established an AI co-innovation hub within Novo Nordisk’s existing facility in London.

The hub brings together AWS engineers, AI specialists and applied scientists with Novo Nordisk R&D teams. They will combine AWS AI technologies with Novo Nordisk’s data and scientific insights to help shorten the process from identifying a drug target to administering a first human dose.

Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, said: “Partnering with AWS is about making AI a driver of innovation across Novo Nordisk. By combining our scientific expertise with AWS’ tools and purpose-built services for the life sciences industry, while also creating a dedicated co-innovation hub within our existing facility in London, we are accelerating discovery and developing responsible AI solutions that will create real progress for people living with serious chronic diseases.”

Cloud Technology Connects Research and Clinical Data

The partnership combines Novo Nordisk’s therapeutic knowledge across chronic diseases with AWS’s cloud infrastructure, AI services and life sciences technologies.

Novo Nordisk plans to use Amazon Bio Discovery and Amazon Bedrock to identify drug targets, support the design of new therapies and connect genomic, imaging and clinical data and connecting these datasets could enable findings from early-stage research to help shape clinical trial design.

Novo Nordisk will also use Amazon Bedrock AgentCore to deploy AI agents aimed at improving operational efficiency.

The healthcare company said its existing collaboration with AWS has already reduced clinical documentation time and provided productivity tools to more than 25,000 employees.

AI and Cloud Infrastructure Support Next-Generation Medicines

The expanded agreement is intended to provide secure technology infrastructure for developing new therapies and scaling research findings across different therapeutic areas.

Matt Garman, CEO, AWS, said: “Every part of our work with Novo Nordisk comes back to one thing: getting the right medicine to patients, faster. Novo Nordisk has chosen AWS as their strategic AI partner to fundamentally change how medicines are discovered and developed using services such as Amazon Bio Discovery and Amazon Bedrock. We’re excited to partner with Novo Nordisk so that these technologies, AWS Forward Deployed Engineers, and Novo Nordisk’s industry-leading science teams can help compress drug discovery timelines, securely process complex datasets, and scale findings across therapeutic areas.”

The partnership builds on an existing relationship between the companies and forms part of Novo Nordisk’s wider use of technology to support its research, development and operations.

Novo Nordisk also works with other Amazon businesses supporting the healthcare sector, including Amazon Pharmacy, Amazon Ads and Amazon One Medical, covering areas including the marketing and delivery of therapies to patients.

The post Novo Nordisk and AWS Partner to Accelerate AI-Driven Drug Discovery appeared first on Healthcare Outlook.

SPOTLIGHT ON NEW ZEALAND DIGITAL HEALTH

Over the past 30 years, digital healthcare has evolved considerably to support in-person medical appointments, with notable developments in the 1990s when electronic health records (EHRs) became widely adopted, prompting radical reforms across health systems.

Undergoing a significant transformation, New Zealand (NZ) is actively advancing its cyber medical services through national initiatives, telehealth, secure digital identity, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI).

Moreover, the country is embracing revolutionary advancements to modernise and transform its health systems, including remote patient monitoring, which will facilitate earlier patient discharge and enhance overall care.

A unified EHR system will streamline and secure the flow of medical information amongst general practitioners (GPs), specialists, and hospitals.

Furthermore, NZ is advancing into the digital age by enhancing its national breast cancer screening programme with innovative technology. The upgrade features a digital platform that allows users to enrol, book, and manage mammogram appointments through secure links or QR codes, making the process more convenient and accessible.

These investments are part of a broader strategy to create a more connected and accessible healthcare system, ultimately benefitting both patients and clinicians.

Digital healthcare in NZ has been rapidly evolving; the integration of IT into healthcare has facilitated improved data management, sharing, and analysis. Indeed, the nation has made significant progress in adopting health informatics, thereby enhancing patient outcomes and streamlining operations.

For example, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth services, allowing patients to consult healthcare providers remotely. This model has proven especially beneficial for those in rural and underserved areas, improving access to medical advice and treatment.

Many healthcare providers now offer online patient portals where individuals can access their medical records, schedule appointments, and communicate with health professionals. This in turn enhances patient engagement and encourages proactive management of health conditions.

The NZ government, along with various health organisations, has launched initiatives to promote digital health solutions.

Additionally, the use of wearable devices for monitoring health metrics, such as heart rate, physical activity, and sleep patterns, is on the rise. These technologies empower individuals to take charge of their health whilst providing valuable data to healthcare providers.

Ultimately, there is a growing movement in NZ towards creating a collaborative health ecosystem in which the public and private sectors work together to innovate and implement digital healthcare solutions for both patients and providers.

Q&A WITH STELLA WARD, CEO, DIGITAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION

Stella Ward, CEO of the Digital Health Association, shares insights into the evolution of digital healthcare in NZ, discussing the association’s mission, the unique strengths of Kiwi HealthTech companies, and the opportunities and challenges they face in global markets.

Firstly, could you talk us through the origins of the Digital Health Association, its inception, and initial mission and vision?

Stella Ward, CEO (SW): The Digital Health Association (DHA) started in 2002 as New Zealand Health IT (NZHIT). At that point, technology was only beginning to shape healthcare, and the sector itself recognised the need for a coordinated voice to work with government, providers, and policymakers in a fragmented system.

The purpose was practical and strategic from day one: to connect industry with decision-makers and ensure innovation aligned with national health priorities and could actually be adopted. It was about helping businesses not just build technology, but get it into real-world use and scale.

The early mission held three ideas: give the sector a strong collective voice, build collaboration across it, and accelerate the uptake of technology to improve care.

In 2022, we rebranded as DHA to reflect a broader, system-wide view, moving beyond an IT focus to encompass the full span of digital health, including data, interoperability, and patient-centred care.

The underlying vision has remained constant: digital innovation can deliver better health outcomes at scale. Our role is to amplify members’ voices, connect them into the health system, and turn innovation into system-wide impact.

What specific opportunities and challenges do companies in NZ face in the digital healthcare sector when looking to expand into global markets?

SW: NZ HealthTech companies bring real strengths to global markets because we work in a small, integrated health system; they often build solutions that span the entire continuum of care, from primary and community settings through to hospital and aged care.

That breadth is attractive overseas, where health systems want connected, end-to-end tools. There is momentum too, with several companies already taking AI-enabled products offshore, backed by a wider government push to grow high-value exports.

The challenges are mostly structural. Regulation is the biggest barrier: every major market, whether in the US, UK, European Union (EU), or Australia, has its own compliance rules, which are costly and slow to navigate, especially for smaller firms. Health procurement is also slow, risk-averse, and highly local, so sales cycles are long and need sustained investment.

Proving scale is another hurdle. NZ is an excellent testbed, but its size makes it harder to show the large-scale deployments international buyers want as proof.

That is where industry coordination matters. Through our Healthtech International Industry Group (HIIG), companies receive support to identify export pathways, share insights, and connect with partners, including New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE).

How can companies effectively market their digital healthcare solutions to a wider audience, and what resources or support systems are available to help them transition into international markets?

SW: Marketing digital health solutions overseas comes down to credibility, relevance, and relationships. Health buyers care less about features and more about proven outcomes, so the companies that do well can show measurable impact, such as shorter wait times, fewer errors, or better patient outcomes.

Solutions co-designed with clinicians and consumers land harder because they signal real-world usability. Reference sites and trusted networks are also important; a proven deployment, even in a market the size of NZ, is a powerful proof point when backed by strong clinical evidence and user testimonials.

There is a growing set of supports to help companies scale. Within DHA, HIIG connects exporters, shares market insights, and helps members navigate complex procurement processes.

We also connect members with NZTE, the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) so they can access trade networks and market intelligence.

Our events, the Digital Health Week Conference, and member channels give companies a platform to showcase results and meet partners and decision-makers.

What emerging technologies in AI and robotics should digital healthcare companies focus on, and what key trends in domestic and global markets should they be aware of to remain competitive?

SW: AI is the dominant theme in digital health right now, with the clearest opportunities in clinical decision support, administrative automation, and patient navigation. We are already seeing practical uses, such as AI-enabled triage, image analysis, and remote monitoring, that ease pressure on frontline services whilst improving access.

Recent moves towards AI-driven digital front doors, especially in mental health, show how these tools can guide people into the system and improve equity of access. Policy now needs to catch up with the economics and the opportunity; AI readiness should be a mandatory design requirement.

Building systems without AI capability embedded from the outset will lock in avoidable remediation costs later, whilst getting this right at the design stage is far cheaper and creates one of the strongest available levers to lift clinical productivity in a workforce already under structural pressure.

Interoperability sits right alongside AI. The global shift to Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR)-based data standards is both a technical necessity and a commercial opportunity.

Companies that design for interoperability from the start are far better placed to integrate with established systems and scale into markets such as Australia, the UK, and the US.

In robotics, global growth in surgical systems, dispensing, and hospital logistics is strong, but it is capital-intensive and heavily regulated. For most NZ companies, the nearer opportunity is in the software layer – the AI tools that support clinical workflows – rather than hardware.

Recently, a new scanner technology company, MARS Bioengineering, has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is entering the international market.

The bigger trend, here and globally, is the shift from episodic care to continuous, data-driven health management. Wearables, remote monitoring, and personalised medicine are converging towards more proactive, preventative care.

To build sector capability, DHA is launching an AI in Healthcare Community of Practice (CoP) in August and runs a Digital Interoperability CoP to help members work with standards like FHIR and build solutions that scale across borders.

Are there any effective strategies the association utilises to demonstrate value to its members and ensure their satisfaction?

SW: Demonstrating value comes down to relevance, influence, and access. A big part of that is giving members a direct line into decision-making.

Through regular engagement with Health New Zealand’s executive leadership and other senior stakeholders, such as ACC, we ensure members’ views are heard at the top. For smaller companies in particular, that kind of access would be very hard to get on their own.

Advocacy is the next pillar, which is grounded in member input. DHA helps shape policy and position digital health in the wider system, including input to legislation and structured recommendations to government.

Value also shows up in participation. Our Special Interest Groups give members hands-on opportunities to work with peers, providers, and policymakers on shared challenges, moving beyond discussion to real problem-solving.

Channels such as the Issues and Opportunities Register give members a structured way to raise concerns and shape the advocacy agenda, whilst quarterly engagement with Health New Zealand, newsletters, and regional events keep members informed and involved.

We also complete regular member surveys – our latest one went out in June, and this helps us respond to member needs. The strategy is simple: turn membership into real influence, useful connections, and practical chances to shape the direction of digital health in NZ.

How do you see the growth of the digital mental health sector compared to other areas, and how are related services being designed to ensure accessibility for diverse populations, including those in rural or underserved areas?

SW: Digital mental health is one of the fastest-growing parts of the sector, driven by rising demand and the clear advantages of digital delivery over long-standing access barriers such as geography, stigma, wait times, and cost. It has grown quickly because it can meet people where they are.

DHA supports this through our Digital Mental Health Industry Group, which brings together providers and technology partners across e-mental health, addiction, and digital well-being.

The group offers sector leadership and informed systems thinking, including our submission to the Minister of Mental Health on a national Digital Health Roadmap outlining how these services can scale and reach more people.

The design challenge is real. Services have to work for people with different levels of digital literacy and across devices ranging from smartphones to low-bandwidth devices.

Accessibility is cultural as well as technical, so co-designing with communities, particularly Māori and Pacific, is critical to meaningful engagement. Our approach is guided by ‘Te Tiriti o Waitangi’, with a focus on participation, partnership, protection, and improving access and outcomes for underserved groups.

The key now is making sure investment goes to genuinely inclusive solutions that reach rural communities and people who have faced barriers to care, not just those already well-served.

Is the association currently involved in any notable projects, events, or key initiatives that you would like to showcase or bring attention to?

SW: A few things stand out right now. The most significant is Budget 2026, which committed NZD$300 million to the Health Digital Investment Plan over its first three years; NZD$35 million for a new electronic patient record for Hato Hone St John; and NZD$153.6 million to cybersecurity across the health system, including primary care.

DHA welcomed this as a clear signal that digital health is now treated as critical national infrastructure. The focus shifts to delivery, and our members are well-placed to bring design, integration, and operational expertise to turn that investment into results.

We also convene the sector through flagship events: the Digital Health Leadership Forum, Parliamentary Dinner, and HealthTech Week with the Medical Technology Association of New Zealand (MTANZ) and MedTech-iQ; the Tech Users Summit with the Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand (TUANZ), and the Digital Health Week Conference with Health Informatics New Zealand (HINZ).

These bring industry, government, and clinical leaders together to share insight and strengthen connections.

We have also strengthened sector alignment through our memorandum of understanding (MoU) with HINZ. The partnership means a more coordinated industry voice and makes it easier for government to engage the right expertise.

There is a growing focus on system resilience and trust, especially after the independent review of the ManageMyHealth cyber incident. The government’s commitment to act on the review’s 26 recommendations reinforces the point that digital systems are integral to patient safety and continuity of care, areas where DHA is actively engaged.

Finally, how do you envisage the digital health sector evolving over the next five years regarding advancements in technology, regulation, and patient engagement shaping healthcare delivery?

SW: Over the next five years, we expect the sector to change fast across all three.

Regarding technology, AI will become embedded across the system, moving from point solutions to core infrastructure, with greater use in clinical decision support, predictive analytics, and workflow automation, alongside continued growth in remote monitoring and virtual care.

These tools will increasingly run on interoperable data platforms, with standards like FHIR letting information flow across providers, which is essential for scaling at home and abroad.

On regulation, expect a shift towards structured, risk-based frameworks for digital health and AI. As these tools move closer to clinical decisions, regulators will focus more on safety, transparency, accountability, and cybersecurity.

We are also likely to see more alignment between international regulators, which should help NZ companies enter global markets, provided they build with compliance in mind from the start.

Patient engagement will change too, moving from episodic, provider-led care to continuous, consumer-centred health management.

People will expect digital access as the default, from booking and triage through to monitoring and personalised support. Digital front doors, AI-driven navigation, and integrated care platforms will become standard.

Alongside all of this, equity and inclusive design will matter more, ensuring solutions reach diverse populations, including rural and underserved communities, by designing for varying levels of digital literacy, connectivity, and cultural context from the start.

The next phase is about moving from innovation to scale, embedding these tools in the health system in a way that is secure, interoperable, and delivers measurable outcomes.

Healthcare is heading towards something more connected, intelligent, and patient-driven, with digital at the centre of how care is accessed and delivered.

The post Digital Health Association : Spotlight appeared first on Healthcare Outlook.

BIOLOGICS MANUFACTURING OF TOMORROW

Since we last spoke with Thermo Fisher Scientific (Thermo Fisher) in 2024, its evolution continues to be defined by disciplined growth and technical excellence at its site in Brisbane, Queensland (QLD), underpinned by a very clear purpose – to help its customers bring important biologic medicines to their patients.

The site specialises in clinical and commercial manufacturing and single-use biologics technology and sits within Thermo Fisher’s global biologics manufacturing network alongside other major sites in the US and Europe.

“My role is to ensure we keep delivering for our customers whilst also building the capability, culture, and resilience of the site for the long-term,” introduces Kym Baker, General Manager, Brisbane Biologics.

For Baker, this means balancing day-to-day operational performance with strategic priorities such as workforce development, quality, maturity, digital enablement, safety, customer engagement, and continued future growth.

“Over the past two years, our focus here in Brisbane has been on strengthening the site’s role as a trusted advanced manufacturing partner,” she insights.

As such, the company’s activities in the QLD capital have continued to support Thermo Fisher’s wider scale-up and the organic growth of its advanced manufacturing services for recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies.

The site also reinforces the systems, talent, and cross-functional collaboration required to operate in a highly regulated biologics environment, alongside seeking multiple regulatory approvals to support its commercial programmes.

With Brisbane located in a highly collaborative biomedical ecosystem, it benefits from its proximity to research institutes, hospitals, universities, and translational partners.

These local institutions give Thermo Fisher a real opportunity to contribute not only as a manufacturer, but as a partner in Australia’s broader life sciences and sovereign capability agenda.

“A major part of our work has been building stronger ecosystem connections,” Baker confirms.

HEALTHIER, CLEANER, SAFER

On a mission to enable its customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer, Thermo Fisher continues to provide scientific technologies across the life sciences, healthcare, applied sciences, diagnostics, environmental, industrial, and research markets in Australia.

Through the Patheon™ pharma services brand, the company offers contract development and manufacturing services across the drug development journey.

Indeed, the Brisbane site is specifically focused on biologics manufacturing, including clinical and commercial manufacturing, single-use technologies, and scale-up services for recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies.

“Our client base includes pharmaceutical and biotechnology (biotech) companies, emerging biotech innovators, research organisations, universities, government agencies, and customers working across research and applied science, clinical development, and commercial manufacturing,” Baker specifies.

More than 50 percent of Thermo Fisher’s Brisbane client base is Asia Pacific (APAC)-focused, though global clients are increasingly choosing Australia to leverage the R&D tax incentives and Clinical Trial Notification scheme, alongside Thermo Fisher’s PPD™ clinical research business, which supports trials across the entire development lifecycle.

“Together, these incentives can offer substantial savings for companies looking to take their products into the clinic at cost-competitive rates within Australia, with the added security of a strong regulatory framework,” she emphasises.

The Brisbane biologics site, therefore, forms part of a wider global network, allowing customers to access both Australian expertise and Thermo Fisher’s international scale.

GROWING DEMAND

Having continued to evolve rapidly over the past few years, Australia’s healthcare and life sciences industry has witnessed a growing demand for advanced therapies, biologics, personalised precision medicines, diagnostics, digital health, and more resilient supply chains post the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, the healthcare system faces ongoing challenges when it comes to workforce shortages, rising demand, cost pressures, digital disruption, and the need to modernise infrastructure and care models.

From a biopharmaceutical manufacturing perspective, the opportunity is clear – Australia has world-class research, strong clinical capability supporting 10 percent of global Phase 1 clinical trials, a trusted regulatory environment, and a growing appetite to translate discovery into commercial and clinical outcomes.

“The challenge now is ensuring that promising scientific discoveries do not stall because of gaps in scale-ups, manufacturing capabilities, capital, or workforce capacity,” Baker urges.

Australia’s sovereign capability has also become more prominent in recent years, with ongoing global disruptions reinforcing the importance of being able to manufacture critical medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and other health technologies closer to home.

Indeed, the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation has highlighted how sovereign control over vaccine platforms, diagnostic reagents, and medical device manufacturing helps Australia be better prepared for health crises and less dependent on fragile global supply chains.

“For QLD specifically, the opportunity is significant,” she reflects.

Equipped with a highly integrated biomedical sector, the state brings together clinical care, research, manufacturing, and global industry partners with health precincts, connecting hospitals, universities, research institutes, and industry.

“That is exactly the kind of environment where advanced manufacturing can thrive,” Baker adds.

CULTURE AND COLLABORATION

Guided by Thermo Fisher’s ethos that culture and collaboration can provide the ideal infrastructure for advanced manufacturing success, Baker believes they are the ‘secret sauce’ to how the company has operated and conducted business successfully so far.

“Advanced manufacturing is often discussed in terms of equipment, facilities, automation, and technology. Whilst these are critical, they are not enough on their own. The real infrastructure is culture – how people communicate, solve problems, make decisions, escalate risks, learn from mistakes, and work across functions,” she highlights.

Being situated on a hospital campus only adds to this culture, with the company’s staff reminded every day of why they come to work – to make a difference and manufacture lifesaving medicines for its clients’ patients.

“In biologics manufacturing, success depends on quality, consistency, discipline, and trust. A strong culture ensures that every person understands the importance of the work – from the production floor to quality assurance, engineering, supply chain, technical operations, and customer-facing teams.”

This kind of collaboration also reduces friction, as Baker believes that when they are relationship-driven, teams can move faster without compromising on quality.

“They can identify risks earlier, respond to customer needs more effectively, and maintain the level of transparency required in a highly regulated environment,” she points out.

At Thermo Fisher’s Brisbane site, culture is not separate from performance, but the enabler of it – helping the company operate safely, meet customer expectations, support compliance, and continue improving.

CONNECTED TO THE CAUSE

With a leadership structure built around cross-functional accountability, at Thermo Fisher’s biologics manufacturing site, no single function can succeed in isolation.

“Manufacturing, quality, engineering, supply chain, technical operations, environment, health, and safety (EHS), finance, human resources (HR), and customer-facing and commercial teams all need to be aligned,” Baker details.

As General Manager, her role is to create clarity around priorities, remove barriers, and ensure teams are connected to both the site strategy and Thermo Fisher’s broader mission.

“We rely on leaders who are technically strong, commercially aware, client and quality-focused, and people-centred,” she states.

A relationship-driven culture has been essential to the company’s lasting success because it encourages open communication and trust, and has been critical in helping Thermo Fisher to develop future leaders.

“In a complex manufacturing environment, issues need to be raised early and solved collaboratively. That requires psychological safety, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to doing the right thing for both our customers and patients.

“When people feel connected to the purpose of the work and supported by their teams, they are more willing to learn, contribute ideas, and step into greater responsibility,” Baker continues.

She goes on to highlight Thermo Fisher’s ongoing efforts in workforce development, STEM engagement, internships, work-integrated learning, and university collaborations.

“These initiatives are critical to building the skills Australia needs for advanced manufacturing and biopharmaceutical innovation,” Baker prides.

STRONG REPUTATION

Historically, Thermo Fisher’s Brisbane site has made a continuous and widely acknowledged contribution to biologics manufacturing in Australia.

“The site has a strong reputation, including its recognition as the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering’s 2014 Facility of the Year award for Process Innovation early in its lifecycle,” she smiles.

More recent accolades include the facility being awarded Best Biologics contract manufacturing organisations (CMO) in Australasia by IMAPAC in 2023 during the Asia Pacific Biologics CMO Excellence Awards.

In this way, the company remains focused on clinical and commercial biologics manufacturing using single-use technology.

Another important theme to highlight, Thermo Fisher’s location alongside the Translational Research Institute (TRI) on the campus of the Princess Alexandra Hospital – QLD’s second-largest hospital – places the company within one of Australia’s leading health and medical research environments.

Funded by the QLD government and TRI, the adjacent ENTRI facility adds flexible current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) capability and will further strengthen the ecosystem’s translational manufacturing output, helping to accelerate the translation of new therapies into clinical trials.

“That proximity reflects the strength of the local biomedical precinct and the importance of connecting research, clinical translation, and manufacturing from research through to translation and commercial manufacturing,” Baker emphasises.

The APAC region continues to be strategically important to Thermo Fisher’s overall scientific growth trajectory due to its scientific growth, expanding healthcare needs, strong clinical research activity, and increasing demand for high-quality biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing services.

“For customers, the priorities are consistent – quality, reliability, speed, regulatory confidence, technical expertise, supply chain resilience, and transparent communication,” she distinguishes.

Indeed, emerging biotechs need partners who can help them scale, whilst larger pharmaceutical companies require dependable networks that can support complex global programmes and research organisations that need access to technologies and services that help move science forwards.

FUTURE PRIORITIES

Due to its combination of local capability and global scale, Thermo Fisher possesses a distinct advantage.

“The Brisbane site provides highly specialised biologics manufacturing capability in Australia, whilst our broader network gives customers access to international expertise, technologies, and pathways across development, manufacturing, clinical research, and commercialisation,” Baker insights.

Having grown significantly over the last two years, the company has increased capacity supply by 40 percent to meet continued client demand ahead.

“Our focus is to remain close to customers, understand their programmes deeply, and partner with them to provide solutions that support both immediate milestones and long-term product strategies,” she confirms.

Looking ahead, Thermo Fisher’s future priorities are centred on quality, customer success, operational excellence, talent development, and sustainable organic growth to meet the growing need for sovereign biomanufacturing.

For the Brisbane site, this means continuing to strengthen its position as a trusted biologics manufacturing partner of choice in the APAC region.

“We want to ensure the site remains ready to support complex customer programmes, from clinical development through to commercial manufacturing, whilst maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, and compliance,” Baker asserts.

Thermo Fisher is also focused on building capability, which includes investing in its people, leadership, technical depth, digital tools, process improvement, and forging stronger connections with the wider Australian biomedical ecosystem.

More broadly, it will continue to support customers across the life sciences and healthcare value chain.

“Our goal is to help customers move faster and more confidently, whether they are conducting research, developing future medicines or diagnostics, running clinical trials, scaling biologics, or bringing medicines to patients,” she passionately concludes.

THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC PARTNER

The post Thermo Fisher Scientific : Biologics Manufacturing of Tomorrow appeared first on Healthcare Outlook.

New Cambridge R&D Centre to Support Medicines Development

GSK has announced plans for a major new global R&D centre at Cambridge Biomedical Campus, bringing its UK R&D operations together at the site.

The 300,000 sqft centre will be located at Discovery Drive and developed by Prologis. It forms part of a wider £400 million investment by GSK.

The development is planned across three interconnected buildings – 2000, 3000 and 4000 Discovery Drive.

Construction is already under way at 2000 Discovery Drive, while 3000 Discovery Drive has full planning permission. The third building, 4000 Discovery Drive, has received planning committee approval, subject to formal planning permission.

The investment is intended to strengthen GSK’s presence at Cambridge Biomedical Campus, which brings together biomedical research, patient care, academia and industry to support the discovery and development of new medicines.

Investment in Specialist Life Sciences Infrastructure

GSK’s commitment also represents a milestone for Prologis’ Phase 2 expansion at Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

With 1000 Discovery Drive already fully occupied, GSK’s commitment means Phase 2 will be fully committed once the remaining buildings have been delivered.

The phase represents USD$635 million (£500 million) of foreign direct investment by Prologis.

Prologis said its approach of investing ahead of demand in specialist laboratory and research facilities is intended to ensure infrastructure is available when life sciences organisations decide to establish or expand UK operations.

Andrew Blevins, SVP, Life Sciences, Prologis, said: “GSK’s decision is a powerful endorsement of Cambridge Biomedical Campus and the unique ecosystem that has been created here. Prologis invested ahead of demand at Discovery Drive because we believed global life-sciences organisations would continue to choose Cambridge.

“Having the right specialist infrastructure available allows companies to establish world-class facilities more quickly and strengthens the UK’s ability to compete for internationally significant life-sciences investment.”

Healthcare and Life Sciences Investment

Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, said: “The UK is a genuine world leader in the life sciences, an industry providing life-saving new treatments to patients, while creating and supporting jobs in postcodes across the country.

“This announcement from GSK is yet another vote of confidence in the sector and demonstrates the success of the Government’s Industrial Strategy in unlocking vital private investment into the UK, one year on from the launch of the Life Sciences Sector Plan.

“This is great news for the sector and Prologis’ multi-billion pound future investment ambitions at Cambridge Biomedical Campus, demonstrating the success of the life sciences sector in the UK in attracting investment and supporting innovation which will drive discoveries that save and improve lives.”

Paul Bristow, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “Cambridge Biomedical Campus has become one of Europe’s leading centres for life sciences because it brings together pioneering research, outstanding healthcare and ambitious businesses in one place.

GSK’s expanded presence is another vote of confidence in our region and demonstrates the continued appeal of Cambridgeshire as a place where global organisations choose to innovate and grow.”

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CONNECTING INNOVATION, INVESTMENT, AND INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

The future of healthcare is increasingly being shaped by advanced therapies, with cell, gene and regenerative medicine opening new possibilities for treating complex conditions. Yet as scientific breakthroughs continue to accelerate, the industry faces a new set of challenges around regulation, investment, manufacturing scale-up and commercialisation.

Against this backdrop, Advanced Therapies Europe 2026 will return to Barcelona from 7–9 September, bringing together the leaders, innovators and decision-makers responsible for driving the next phase of progress across the advanced therapies ecosystem. The event will take place at the InterContinental Barcelona and is designed to connect organisations working across the full journey, from early-stage science through to commercial delivery.

BRINGING THE ECOSYSTEM TOGETHER

Organised by Phacilitate Advanced Therapies Europe 2026, the event will provide a dedicated platform for biotech executives, pharmaceutical leaders, investors, academics, regulators and solution providers to exchange insights, develop partnerships and explore the opportunities shaping the future of advanced medicine.

As the sector moves beyond scientific discovery and towards wider patient access, collaboration across disciplines is becoming increasingly important. Developers must navigate complex regulatory pathways, establish scalable manufacturing processes, secure investment and create sustainable commercial strategies – all while ensuring that transformative therapies reach the patients who need them.

Advanced Therapies Europe 2026 has been designed around these industry priorities, creating opportunities for senior stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions and develop practical solutions to shared challenges.

ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF SCALE

One of the defining challenges facing the advanced therapies industry is the transition from successful research and clinical development into reliable commercial delivery.

For cell and gene therapies in particular, manufacturing capacity, operational efficiency and supply chain resilience remain critical considerations. Organisations must balance the complexity of producing highly personalised treatments with the need to create repeatable processes capable of supporting broader adoption.

Alongside manufacturing, the sector continues to navigate evolving regulatory environments and shifting investment landscapes. Advanced Therapies Europe will provide a forum for stakeholders to examine these pressures while exploring strategies for sustainable growth across Europe’s life sciences ecosystem.

CREATING CONNECTIONS THAT DRIVE PROGRESS

Beyond its conference programme, Advanced Therapies Europe places a strong emphasis on collaboration and targeted networking. The event’s format is designed to encourage direct engagement between organisations looking to invest, partner, scale operations or bring new therapies to market.

Previous editions have highlighted the value of bringing together decision-makers from across biotech, pharma, investment, manufacturing and healthcare. For 2026, the event will continue this approach by creating a focused environment where attendees can build relationships, share expertise and identify opportunities for collaboration.

The event will also feature dedicated areas focused on investment, innovation and specialist communities, reflecting the diverse range of stakeholders involved in advancing next-generation therapies.

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF ADVANCED MEDICINE

As Europe’s advanced therapies landscape continues to evolve, the need for collaboration between scientific innovators, industry leaders and healthcare stakeholders has never been greater.

Advanced Therapies Europe 2026 will provide a meeting point for those working to overcome the practical challenges of bringing breakthrough therapies from concept to patient impact. By connecting expertise across research, development, manufacturing, investment and commercialisation, the event aims to support the partnerships needed to move the industry forward.

EME Outlook readers can access an exclusive 20 percent discount on tickets using the code HEALTHOUT20.

The post Advanced Therapies Europe 2026 Barcelona | 7 – 9 Sept | Accelerating the Next Era of Healthcare Innovation appeared first on Healthcare Outlook.

Sustainable Healthcare Innovation

AstraZeneca’s Trixeo Aerosphere (budesonide/glycopyrronium/formoterol fumarate), already approved for the treatment of adults with COPD, has received a positive CHMP opinion for use in the European Union (EU) with a next-generation propellant that has near-zero GWP.

The propellant delivers a 99.9 per cent reduction in GWP compared with those used in current pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs). As a result, Trixeo will have a carbon footprint comparable to inhaled medicines that do not require a propellant.

Following the positive opinion, AstraZeneca plans to begin transitioning its European Trixeo supply to the new propellant.

Clinical Performance Maintained

The CHMP recommendation is based on AstraZeneca’s next-generation propellant clinical development programme, which demonstrated bioequivalence between Trixeo using the new propellant and the current formulation.

The safety and tolerability profile of Trixeo with the next-generation propellant was consistent with the medicine’s known profile.

Supporting Patient Care and Environmental Goals

“Respiratory medicines delivered by pressurised metered-dose inhalers are essential for millions of people living with respiratory diseases in Europe, including specific vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly. The transition of Trixeo to the propellant with near-zero Global Warming Potential ensures clinicians’ treatment decisions can focus on clinical needs while also supporting environmental goals,” said Professor Frederik Trinkmann, Senior Pulmonologist at the Thoracic Clinic, Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany.

Ruud Dobber, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit, AstraZeneca, added: “The CHMP positive opinion of Trixeo Aerosphere with the next-generation propellant allows us to address the needs of both patients and the planet and is a significant milestone in our commitment to delivering innovations for sustainable healthcare in the EU. Starting with Trixeo, the transition to the near-zero Global Warming Potential propellant across our pressurised metered-dose inhaled respiratory medicines is an important step towards achieving our Ambition Zero Carbon strategy.”

Reducing The Carbon Footprint of Respiratory Care

Trixeo is the first medicine in AstraZeneca’s portfolio of pMDIs to transition to the new propellant. The company plans to transition its wider pMDI portfolio to the near-zero GWP propellant by 2030 as part of its Ambition Zero Carbon strategy.

Trixeo with the new propellant received its first approval in the UK in May 2025. Regulatory applications are also under review in China and additional countries.

Supporting the Transition to Lower-Carbon Inhalers

According to AstraZeneca, pMDIs account for 76 per cent of inhaler use in Europe and contribute 0.04 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Studies show the largest environmental impact associated with respiratory diseases comes from poorly controlled symptoms that lead to increased healthcare utilisation. It said implementing evidence-based clinical guidelines can reduce exacerbations and unscheduled healthcare use, improving patient outcomes while also lowering the overall carbon footprint of respiratory care.

Next Steps for Sustainable Respiratory Medicines

Susanna Palkonen, Director of the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations, said: “COPD is a devastating disease and the third leading cause of mortality in the world. People living with COPD need access to a treatment which is right for them as well as a healthy environment and clean air. We welcome the positive opinion from the CHMP for the inhaled respiratory medicine containing the next-generation propellant with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.”

Additional studies are underway to assess the next-generation propellant across its wider portfolio of pressurised metered-dose inhalers as it continues its transition to lower-carbon respiratory medicines.

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GROWING IMPORTANCE OF MICE IN HEALTHCARE

As healthcare and life sciences continue to evolve at pace, the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) sector is playing an increasingly important role in bringing together professionals to exchange knowledge, navigate complex regulations, and accelerate innovation.

From advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology (BioTech) to shifting compliance requirements and growing international collaboration, the industry’s rapid transformation is creating demand for more specialised events tailored to the unique needs of healthcare professionals.

Against this backdrop, M&I Healthcare is preparing to launch its first-ever US forum in Dallas, Texas, between 29^th August and 1^st September 2027, marking a significant milestone in the organisation’s expansion and bringing its specialist, community-driven model to one of the world’s largest healthcare and life sciences markets.

Unlike traditional business events, healthcare meetings must balance scientific education, regulatory compliance, and meaningful commercial engagement, requiring organisers to create environments where trusted knowledge-sharing and business development can coexist responsibly.

As the sector becomes increasingly specialised, curated communities, targeted networking, and accredited educational opportunities are becoming essential for delivering lasting value.

We sit down with Paula Jurvanen, Managing Director at M&I Forums, to discuss why healthcare and life sciences has become one of the fastest-growing specialist sectors within the global events industry, the trends shaping how professionals connect and collaborate, and how M&I Healthcare – the specialised life sciences and medical arm of M&I Forums – is supporting the next generation of compliant, community-driven events.

Firstly, why do you think the healthcare and life sciences MICE sector has become one of the fastest-growing and most specialist areas within the global events industry?

Paula Jurvanen, Managing Director (PJ): Healthcare and life sciences is a sector unlike any other within the meetings and events space because it sits at the intersection of science, industry regulation, and human impact.

Every event must balance rigorous compliance requirements with the need to bring people together to share knowledge, collaborate, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

At the same time, innovation within healthcare is accelerating at an incredible pace. Advances in areas such as AI, precision medicine, BioTech, and digital health are transforming the sector, while evolving regulations and changing global healthcare priorities mean professionals need regular opportunities to exchange knowledge and stay up to date.

That combination of rapid innovation, increasing complexity, and strict regulatory oversight means healthcare professionals are looking for specialist events that understand their world rather than generic industry gatherings.

It’s why we’ve seen such strong demand for M&I Healthcare and why we believe dedicated communities like this have such an important role to play in the future of the industry.

What do you think 2027 demands from healthcare event professionals as compliance requirements, scientific innovation, and international collaboration continue to evolve?

PJ: Healthcare event professionals are expected to wear more hats than ever before. They need a strong understanding of compliance and evolving regulations across different markets, while also creating events that facilitate meaningful collaboration, education and business outcomes.

Technology will continue to play an increasingly important role, whether that’s using data to create more personalised event experiences, embracing AI to improve planning and efficiency, or helping delegates access knowledge in more engaging ways. But technology should support human connection, not replace it.

Perhaps most importantly, organisers need to create environments where scientific learning and commercial conversations can coexist responsibly. The most successful healthcare events will be those that combine trusted education, compliance accreditation and carefully curated business connections in a way that delivers genuine value for everyone involved.

How are organisers staying ahead of the curve, and what trends are you seeing in how healthcare and life sciences professionals are connecting, collaborating, and doing business?

PJ: The best organisers are staying close to their communities and working alongside industry advisors, compliance specialists, and healthcare experts to ensure their events continue to reflect the changing needs of the sector.

One trend we’re seeing very clearly is a move away from larger, transactional networking towards smaller, more curated communities where every interaction has greater relevance. Healthcare professionals are incredibly busy, so they’re looking for events that respect their time and deliver high-quality conversations rather than simply high volumes of meetings.

We’re also seeing a growing appetite for practical education. Delegates increasingly want content that they can take back into their organisations immediately, alongside opportunities to share experiences with peers facing similar challenges.

That’s why education has become such an important part of the M&I Healthcare experience, developed in partnership with specialists including 3Sixty and supported by accredited learning opportunities from partners in Europe such as Healthcare Venues and, for the US, MPI.

Why is North America the natural next step for M&I Healthcare, and what opportunities does the region present for the forum’s future growth?

PJ: North America was the natural next step because it’s home to one of the world’s largest and most innovative healthcare and life sciences sectors. It brings together leading pharmaceutical companies, BioTech organisations, research institutions, healthcare providers and world-class meeting infrastructure, creating an environment where collaboration is essential.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen growing demand from both buyers and suppliers for a dedicated M&I Healthcare event in North America. Our European forums have demonstrated the value of bringing this specialist community together through carefully curated meetings, industry-leading education and meaningful networking, and we’re excited to introduce that same model to a new audience.

Dallas is an ideal launch destination because of its strength as both a healthcare hub and a major meetings destination, providing the perfect platform for the next phase of M&I Healthcare’s growth.

How will M&I Healthcare’s first US forum in Dallas help connect the healthcare and life sciences community, and what can delegates expect from the experience?

PJ: Our focus has always been on quality rather than quantity, and Dallas will be no different.

Delegates can expect highly relevant, pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings with organisations that genuinely match their business objectives, alongside specialist educational sessions designed specifically for the healthcare meetings community. Every aspect of the programme has been created with the unique requirements of healthcare and life sciences professionals in mind.

What makes M&I Healthcare different is that it isn’t simply a meetings event with a healthcare label attached. It’s a forum built specifically for this sector, where everyone in the room understands the importance of compliance, regulation and responsible engagement.

Alongside the business meetings, delegates will have the opportunity to exchange ideas with peers, learn from recognised industry experts and build long-term relationships that continue well beyond the event itself. That’s ultimately what M&I Healthcare is about – creating a trusted community that supports both professional development and business growth.

Looking ahead, what does the future hold for M&I Healthcare, and how do you plan to continue supporting the growth of the global healthcare meetings industry?

PJ: We’re incredibly excited about the future.

Our ambition is to continue building M&I Healthcare as a year-round global community rather than simply a series of annual events. That means continuing to invest in specialist education, strengthening partnerships with leading industry organisations and creating more opportunities for meaningful collaboration throughout the year.

We’re also seeing increasing demand for more focused, high-value conversations. As the healthcare meetings sector becomes more specialised, we’ll continue refining our matchmaking, educational content and community-building to ensure every connection is relevant and every event delivers measurable value.

The launch of Dallas alongside our continued investment in Europe through Milan marks an important milestone, but it’s only the beginning. Our goal is to continue supporting healthcare and life sciences event professionals with forums that combine compliant business meetings, practical learning and lasting relationships, helping the global healthcare meetings community connect, collaborate and grow together

The post “Healthcare Professionals are Looking for Specialist Events That Understand Their World” : Q&A with Paula Jurvanen, M&I Healthcare appeared first on Healthcare Outlook.

CARE WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Having grown up locally in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles (LA), and volunteered at Los Angeles General Medical Center (LA General) as a teenager, for Jorge Orozco, now CEO of the hospital, his connection to healthcare is both personal and professional.  

“LA General is where my own family received care and a place our community has turned to for generations in moments of crisis, healing, and hope,” he opens.  

His early experiences at the hospital gave Orozco a firsthand view of the compassion, skill, and dedication required to care for a community, and showed him healthcare is not only about treating illness but building trust and dignity.  

Indeed, having served at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center for almost three decades prior to his appointment at LA General, Orozco’s experience transitioning from a volunteer to patient care provider to hospital leader continues to guide him today.  

It is for this reason that he has never forgotten what it feels like to stand at a bedside and support a patient and is dedicated to keeping the patient, family, caregiver, and community at the center of every decision.  

For Orozco, leadership in public healthcare is about more than managing hospitals but honoring their history and value to the community and building a future worthy of the people who depend on them.

BUILT TO SERVE 

Recognized as one of the largest public safety-net Level I trauma centers in the US, LA General has a remarkable place in the history of American public healthcare.   

In the 1960s and 1970s, LA General was one of the largest hospitals in the nation with 2,500 beds. Over time, and as healthcare evolved, the center became smaller in bed count but more advanced, specialized, and efficient.  

Today, LA General remains the largest public hospital west of Texas with 600 beds, operated by Health Services Los Angeles County. 

“Our mission is clear – to provide world-class care and education for all in our community,” Orozco states.  

LA General is the linchpin of the region’s public healthcare safety net, unique not only in size but in the breadth and complexity of services concentrated on one campus.  

“Because we have fewer beds than we once did, we have had to evolve with improved patient flow, redesigned services, expanded outpatient and virtual care, strengthened care coordination, and become more efficient in how we use every bed, resource, and clinical team,” he explains.  

This evolution has made the center not only smaller than its historical footprint, but stronger and more agile and innovative.  

“This combination makes LA General essential to the entire healthcare ecosystem: the place other systems depend on when patients need the highest level of care or specialized public-sector services regardless of insurance status, income, language, immigration status, or circumstance,” Orozco notes. 

In this way, public hospitals do more than care for the underserved; they stabilize the entire region in times of need, and LA General is always there as a hospital of first-class care. 

“Our message is simple: safety-net care can be world-class care. At LA General, that is not an aspiration – it is what our teams prove every day,” he emphasizes.  

SHAPING TOMORROW’S LEADERS 

With education deeply embedded in LA General’s DNA, it has been a teaching hospital, innovation center, and training ground for some of the best and brightest healthcare professionals in the nation for more than a century. 

Generations of physicians, nurses, residents, fellows, allied health professionals, and healthcare leaders have trained at the center, with many going on to shape the future of medicine either locally, nationally, or globally.  

“We are a teaching hospital in the truest sense. Learning is not limited to classrooms or conference rooms; it happens at the bedside, in the emergency department (ED), operating rooms, clinics, on inpatient units, and in the moments when teams come together to solve complex problems for patients who need us most,” Orozco impassions. 

LA General’s long-standing academic partnership with the Keck School of Medicine of USC has allowed it to train the next generation of physicians across nearly every specialty and subspecialty.  

It also has a deep connection to the LA County College of Nursing and Allied Health, which has educated nurses for generations. 

“We also serve as an important training environment for military medical teams, including US Navy personnel, who come here to learn from our experience with high-acuity trauma, emergency care, and complex public-sector medicine,” he adds. 

A combination of excellence, urgency, innovation, and vision has made LA General a powerful force for good, caring for patients with complex medical, social, cultural, and economic needs.  

“While they learn advanced medicine, they also learn humility, teamwork, equity, communication, and service, and see firsthand that world-class care must also be compassionate, culturally responsive, and accessible to all,” Orozco points out.  

He believes the future of healthcare at LA General is shaped by the people it trains, which is why education is not separate from its mission, but central to it.  

“When someone trains at LA General, they leave with more than technical expertise – they leave with a sense of purpose, commitment to equity, and the understanding that healthcare is not only about treating disease, but restoring dignity, reducing disparities, and strengthening communities,” Orozco remarks.

INNOVATION IN ACTION 

Managing a high volume of demand while continuing to deliver first-class care and positive patient outcomes, LA General remains focused on the people behind the numbers.  

Serving some of the most medically and socially complex patients in LA – such as those facing chronic disease, homelessness, or immigration-related barriers – it requires more than traditional hospital operations.   

“This requires teamwork, innovation, disciplined systems, and a relentless focus on quality and safety. We are constantly redesigning care around the needs of our patients, many of whom face barriers that extend far beyond the hospital walls,” Orozco explains.  

With one of the busiest EDs in the US and having had a decrease in the number of inpatient beds over the years, LA General has had to find new and innovative ways to provide care – and its teams have risen to the challenge.  

“Over the past several years, we have made significant progress in quality, safety, access, and operational performance,” he reports.  

Indeed, its teams have strengthened care coordination, improved patient flow, reduced hospital-acquired infections, advanced surgical efficiency, and expanded models of care that allow patients to receive the right medical attention in the right setting. 

“Safer@Home is LA General’s fully remote care-at-home model, allowing carefully selected patients to receive hospital-level care at home for conditions most hospitals would continue to manage in an inpatient setting. 

“This national, award-winning care model allows selected patients to receive fully remote, hospital-level care at home while remaining closely connected to their LA General care team.” 

Published studies show that this model reduces length-of-stay by up to four days per patient, decreases revisits, and does not increase complications, saving the hospital thousands of dollars. 

Other examples of LA General’s ongoing innovation are its ED SWIFT team, which has helped to reduce length of stay, and its work to transform the operating room.   

CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE 

LA General’s quality outcomes have earned it consecutive Leapfrog “A” Hospital Safety Grades, reduced key hospital-acquired infections, improved mortality outcomes, and strengthened care across multiple service lines.  

“The key to our success is our culture – quality is not one department’s job, it is everyone’s responsibility. In a hospital like ours, excellence has to be collective,” Orozco asserts.  

As such, LA General does not lower expectations because its patients face extraordinary challenges – it raises its standards because they deserve extraordinary care.  

The hospital was also recently designated as a Magnet® institution by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and listed among Forbes Top Hospitals rankings, recognitions which mean a great deal to LA General as they affirm what the hospital strives to prove every day – public safety-net hospitals can deliver care at the highest level.  

The Magnet® designation from ANCC is one of the most respected honors in healthcare, reflecting nursing excellence and a culture that empowers nurses to lead change.  

For LA General, the recognition is a tribute to its nursing workforce, whose skills, compassion, resilience, and commitment to patients meet some of the most complex medical and social needs in the city.  

“Our nurses are extraordinary. They care for all manner of patients, including those who may have delayed care for years because of poverty, lack of insurance, immigration-related barriers, or limited access to the healthcare system – to deliver nationally recognized outcomes in that environment is remarkable,” he praises.  

As such, LA General’s nursing teams have also earned prestigious professional recognition, including unit-level honors such as the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ (AACN) Beacon Award for Excellence for their specialty nursing care. 

“These awards matter because they are not based on image; they are granted on evidence-based practice, healthy work environments, nursing workforce strength, and patient outcomes,” Orozco urges. 

Being recognized among Forbes’ top hospitals is also meaningful because it places LA General in a national conversation about quality, value, safety, patient outcomes, and patient experience, and is particularly powerful for a public safety-net medical center.  

“Our patients deserve the same level of excellence as patients anywhere else in the country, and these achievements show that we are delivering on that promise,” he affirms. 

Orozco does not consider these awards as a ‘finish line’ but proof the hospital is moving in the right direction and motivated to keep improving.  

“Recognition lifts the pride of our workforce, strengthens community trust, and sends an important message nationally: public hospitals not only matter – they lead. At LA General, excellence is not reserved for the few – this is our promise to everyone who comes through our doors,” Orozco says.

BEYOND THE HOSPITAL WALLS 

Transforming its campus through significant investment and development over the last two years, LA General is reimagining what a public healthcare campus can be for the community.  

“Our vision is to create a more integrated environment where medical care, behavioral health, recovery, housing, wellness, education, prevention, and community services are connected,” Orozco explains.  

In this way, Orozco believes health does not begin or end inside the hospital’s walls – it is shaped by housing, nutrition, food security, mental health, transportation, safety, family support, and economic opportunity.  

“Our campus transformation reflects that reality, such as The Wellness Center which is an important example of this broader vision,” he says. 

It gives patients, families, staff, and community members access to services that support health beyond the clinical visit – including nutrition education, wellness programs, prevention resources, community classes, and support that helps people make healthier choices in their daily lives.  

For many of LA General’s patients, this type of resource is essential to the continuum of care as it helps to bridge the gap between medical treatment and long-term health.  

The Restorative Care Village is another major part of this work,  bringing together services that help patients recover, stabilize, and transition safely after hospitalization.  

For patients experiencing homelessness, behavioral health challenges, substance-use disorders, or complex medical needs, this type of integrated model can be life-changing. 

The broader Healthy Village vision for the historic hospital campus is equally exciting as it creates an opportunity to honor the history of this iconic institution while building a future that is more connected to the community.  

“We want the campus to be a place of healing, housing, learning, wellness, prevention, recovery, and opportunity.” 

This is the future of public healthcare – not only treating illness but creating conditions that allow people and communities to thrive.  

“At LA General, our goal is to create a true continuum of care — one that supports patients before, during, and after they come through our doors,” Orozco highlights.  

NAVIGATING UNCERTAINTY 

With potential changes to Medicaid funding creating additional pressures for healthcare organizations across the US, LA General is preparing to navigate these challenges while continuing to deliver exceptional care.  

“Safety-net hospitals across the country are facing tremendous financial pressure, and LA General is no exception.” 

Because the hospital cares for a large Medi-Cal and uninsured population, changes to Medicaid funding have a direct impact on its ability to provide care.  

Guided by a core principle to protect patient care, LA General is taking a disciplined approach to cost management, workforce planning, operational efficiency, and revenue improvement.  

Across LA Health Services, efforts have included reducing reliance on contract labor, managing overtime, standardizing supplies and labs, improving billing and collections, expanding telehealth where appropriate, and redesigning care to reduce avoidable utilization. 

“But we also must be honest. Public healthcare cannot simply cut its way out of a funding challenge of this magnitude.  

“Safety-net hospitals are essential infrastructure because we serve patients who would otherwise go without care and provide services the broader healthcare system depends on – trauma, emergency care, burn care, behavioral health, teaching, disaster response, and care for medically complex populations,” Orozco tells us.  

As such, LA General’s responsibility is to be both innovative and steadfast as it continues improving efficiency, but the center will also continue advocating for sustainable investment in public healthcare.  

“At LA General, exceptional care is not optional. It is our commitment to the community,” he prides.

THE ROAD AHEAD  

Looking ahead over the next two years, LA General’s key priorities include remaining focused on access, quality, workforce innovation, and campus transformation.  

First, the hospital must protect access to care for the communities that depend on it.  

Second, LA General must continue strengthening quality and safety, building on the progress that earned it Magnet®, Forbes, and consecutive Leapfrog ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grades. 

“Third, we must support our workforce. The people of LA General are our greatest asset, and their well-being, professional growth, and sense of purpose are essential to our future. 

“I am also excited about innovations that bring advanced care to patients who have historically faced barriers,” Orozco says.  

LA General’s Safer@Home fully remote care-at-home model, meanwhile, is helping selected patients receive effective care outside of a traditional hospital setting.  

Campus transformation will also remain a major priority for the hospital, with the development of a more integrated health, housing, behavioral health, and wellness environment around the site having the potential to become a national model for public healthcare. 

“The next two years will not be easy, but they will be important. We have a rare opportunity to show what public healthcare can become when excellence, equity, innovation, and community are aligned,” Orozco confidently concludes. 

The post Los Angeles General Medical Center : Care Without Compromise appeared first on Healthcare Outlook.

A NEW ERA OF HOLISTIC HEALTHCARE

St. Joseph’s Health System (St. Joe’s) is one of Canada’s largest mission-based healthcare networks, dedicated to improving health outcomes through a compassionate, holistic approach.

Affiliated with McMaster University and Mohawk College, and sponsored by the Diocese of Hamilton, the hospital system serves approximately three million people in Ontario, across areas such as Hamilton, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, and Brantford.

“As an academic health system, we offer a full range of services, from primary and acute care to specialty mental health and addictions, along with long-term, home, and hospice care, and rehabilitation,” introduces Mike Heenan, President and CEO.

“Additionally, we have a housing division, which is one of the many benefits that position us as an integrated health system rather than a standalone hospital,” he continues.

Indeed, St. Joe’s’ integrated method allows it to provide coordinated care from birth to the end of life, including palliative care in the community.

The system includes about 1,800 beds split equally between long-term care homes (LTCHs) and the hospital, which has 400 mental health beds, with the remainder distributed across medical, surgical, and obstetrics departments.

With a workforce of 10,000 and an annual budget of about CAD$1.3 billion, St. Joe’s has a robust research division that dedicates CAD$52 million annually to research.

Furthermore, the hospital is taking steps to continually enhance efficiency and foster innovation.

“We are streamlining governance and management by consolidating operations across sites that currently operate independently,” informs Heenan.

“Ultimately, this corporate renewal initiative aims to create a unified board and management team, focusing on governance and back-office operations to elevate the patient experience in services such as maternity and long-term care.”

INTEGRATED CARE

St. Joe’s is proud to be the lead for mental health, addictions, renal, respirology, eye care, and palliative care within Ontario’s regional health planning structure.

“When individuals experience a mental health crisis, they initially go to St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH). Here, our integrated approach enables us to provide emergency care and connect patients to specialty services for conditions such as schizophrenia, mood disorders, bipolar disorder, or addiction.

“We triage and stabilize patients before directing them to the necessary regional programs,” Heenan explains.

Similarly, for renal issues identified by a family doctor, patients are referred to the kidney clinic at SJHH.

“Our goal is to maintain the patient’s kidney function until a potential transplant or dialysis is needed, providing continuous care from diagnosis through specialized treatment without transferring patients to other facilities.”

The home care division, meanwhile, offers significant advantages through integrated services that meet the growing demand for mental health support at home.

Equally, for patients requiring home dialysis, whether it’s hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, the hospital can send home care nurses or provide personal support workers (PSWs).

“Importantly, we also offer palliative care at home, allowing patients to receive support without admission to our hospices. As such, integration enhances the overall care we deliver,” Heenan elaborates.

ADVANCING HEALTHCARE THROUGH EXPANSION

Investment in St. Joe’s’ Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a new Psychiatric Emergency Service (PES) emergency room (ER), and a new Reactivation Care Unit (RCU) will address urgent patient needs. 

“There are three key projects that impact our continuum of care. The NICU is important because we deliver around 3,500 babies annually – about nine each day. It will expand to accommodate this need.

“Furthermore, we’re renovating the unit to improve infection control, privacy, and provide parents with some alone time,” outlines Heenan.

These upgrades will not only increase capacity but also support anxious parents with newborns facing challenges, helping to stabilize their infants and promote a healthy future.

In addition, the PES ER at SJHH is expanding from 11 to 22 beds.

“The current facility, built 25 years ago, needs urgent renewal. With support from the Ontario government, the new space will offer increased privacy, enhanced safety features, and a consultation room for families, which we currently lack. Moreover, patients can arrive voluntarily with family support or be brought in by police for safety.

“This expansion will provide dignity to those struggling with mental health and addictions and will double our capacity to support individuals in need,” he enthuses.

Finally, the RCU at one of the LTCHs will provide 57 post-acute care beds that will serve both St. Joe’s and other regional hospital patients.

“We are partnering with Hamilton Health Sciences to offer transitional care for patients completing their acute medical or surgery stays. This facility will support patients before they return home or move to another care facility.

“The advantage of our set-up is that we repurposed an empty floor and collaborated with the Ontario government for renovations, allowing us to integrate hospital services within the LTCH,” explains Heenan.

STRENGTHENING SAFETY

In Canada, 61 percent of nurses experience workplace violence, with 50 percent occurring in ERs.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), eight to 38 percent of healthcare workers globally have been assaulted in the past year. Therefore, addressing this issue is a priority at St. Joe’s.

“The board and senior leadership closely monitor reported incidents and lost time due to injuries. Over the last three years, we’ve seen a 44.4 percent increase in reported incidents of verbal, physical, and racial abuse, indicating that staff feel more comfortable reporting issues.

“The good news is that even with that increase in reporting, our workplace is safer with a 43.7 percent decrease in lost time injuries,” notes Heenan.  

St. Joe’s actively encourages reporting, and its key initiatives include fostering an open culture, allowing staff to enter patient rooms in pairs for added safety, and implementing training to assess and manage challenging situations.

“Security measures have been enhanced with additional guards and cameras, and room designs now include two exits for emergencies,” he urges.

Later in the year, St. Joe’s’ home care division will introduce new technology that allows visiting nurses to check in via their phones when arriving at and leaving a home.

“If a nurse feels threatened during an interaction, they can press a button to call for help, as our staff work in various environments. 

“In the ER, they are familiar with the layout and one another, but home care is different,” acknowledges Heenan.

PERFORMANCE PROGRESS

St. Joe’s has shown significant progress in research and performance metrics, as highlighted by improved patient-doctor communication and a notably low mortality rate.

The Research Institute of SJHH, established around 15 years ago, has successfully risen in the rankings to 21st a 40 among Canadian research hospitals, up from 27th just five years ago.

“We aim to break into the top 20, particularly since we are affiliated with McMaster University, one of Canada’s top five universities. Additionally, our annual research funding has increased from CAD$27 million to CAD$52 million, reflecting our expanding research footprint,” reports Heenan.

St. Joe’s conducts research across various fields, including surgery, medicine, emergency medicine, respirology, ophthalmology, and mental health, with a particular focus on addictions and renal care.

This diverse approach allows the hospital to apply innovative research findings directly to patient care.

In addition to research, St. Joe’s is a high-performing healthcare provider due to its focus on quality improvement.

At its main hospital site, St. Joe’s has Ontario’s best ER wait time compared to other teaching hospitals, seeing a doctor within 2.5 hours compared to an average of 4.3 hours.

The hospital also has a low mortality rate post-major surgery at 1.1 percent compared to an Ontario average of 1.6 percent.

In its LTCHs, the system has improved the percentage of residents experiencing pain from a high of 2.3 percent five years ago to 1.2 percent in 2025-26. This score is ahead of both the Ontario and Canadian benchmarks of 4.6 percent and 5.5 percent.

The system has also reduced LTCH resident transfers to the emergency department (ED) from a high of 22 percent five years ago to 16.3 percent in 2025–26, which is ahead of the Canadian benchmark of 22 percent.

Moreover, St. Joe’s’ home care division has just launched a new program in Kitchener-Waterloo called Hospital to Home, which ensures a nurse visits a patient within the required 24 hours after hospital discharge 100 percent of the time.

TRANSFORMING LAND INTO LIFELINES

Plans are underway to develop up to 75 acres of unused land owned by St. Joe’s through various community projects.

“We are fortunate enough to operate on private, charitable land as a publicly funded health system, allowing us to consider how we use it in a way that aligns with our mission.

“Furthermore, we have excess land in areas such as Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph, as well as in some of the communities we serve, including Brantford and Stony Creek. We are currently exploring partnerships with developers to use these lands for ongoing service,” announces Heenan.

For instance, in Guelph, with a population of approximately 400,000, St. Joe’s plans to establish a 160-bed LTCH.

This facility will include an Indigenous health component with designated beds for the care of Indigenous peoples. Importantly, the design will be led by Indigenous communities rather than St. Joe’s, granting them the opportunity to shape their own care environment.

“Health systems worldwide are facing rising costs and reimbursements as public funds become tighter. To address this, we are considering utilizing some of our land to generate revenue streams.

“Moreover, with no shareholders, any financial returns will be reinvested back into care services. This unique advantage allows us to explore various models for sustainable growth,” he tells us.

St. Joe’s has utilized its lands for meaningful projects, such as two hospices – one in Brantford and another in Dundas, Hamilton – to care for both elderly and young individuals.

“We’re not just a hospital; we aim to provide various types of care. Excess land allows us to build facilities cost-effectively, underscoring our commitment to community care,” Heenan ardently concludes.

The post St. Joseph’s Health System : A New Era of Holistic Healthcare appeared first on Healthcare Outlook.

Developed through extensive consultation with leaders across biotech, pharmaceutical manufacturing, investment, regulation, and clinical development, the 2026 agenda will address the operational and commercial challenges shaping the next phase of advanced therapies in Europe.

The event connects stakeholders from across the full advanced therapies ecosystem, from early-stage science and clinical development to manufacturing, investment, market access, and commercial scale.

Conference: Advanced Therapies Europe 2026
Date: 7-9 September 2026
Venue: InterContinental Barcelona, Spain

2026 Content Pillars

The agenda is structured around six core content pillars:

• Regulation, policy, and Europe’s positioning
• Commercialisation and market access
• Manufacturing and operational excellence
• Investment and capital strategy
• Clinical innovation and trial acceleration
• Patient-centric access and outcomes

A More Interactive Learning Experience

Advanced Therapies Europe 2026 is designed to move beyond passive conference attendance.

Delegates can participate in a range of session formats, including:

• Presentations from industry leaders
• Curated panel discussions
• Moderated fireside chats
• Live debates
• Peer-led roundtables
• Interactive workshops
• Special interest groups
• A dedicated Investment Summit
• Live biotech pitches at the Innovation Exchange

These formats create opportunities for open discussion, targeted knowledge exchange, and practical collaboration across the advanced therapies community.

Who Should Attend?

Advanced Therapies Europe is designed for professionals working across:

• Biotechnology and pharmaceutical development
• Cell and gene therapy manufacturing
• Clinical research and trial delivery
• Regulatory affairs and policy
• Market access and reimbursement
• Investment and business development
• Healthcare systems and patient advocacy
• Technology, supply chain, and specialist service providers

Join the Advanced Therapies Community in Barcelona

Advanced Therapies Europe 2026 takes place from 7 – 9 September 2026 in Barcelona.

Across three days, the event will connect the organisations, investors, researchers, manufacturers, and decision-makers working to move cell and gene therapies from scientific promise to sustainable patient access.

Find out more, view the full agenda, and apply to attend via the Advanced Therapies Europe website.

The post Advanced Therapies Europe 2026 | 7 – 9 Sept | Barcelona appeared first on Healthcare Outlook.