Could a future hospital deliver the same amount of care with ten times fewer staff? It may sound almost unimaginable, but the question is becoming increasingly urgent. Demand for healthcare is rising, while the number of healthcare professionals is decreasing. The central theme of the University of Twente’s TechMed Event on Thursday 5 November was how technology can help keep healthcare accessible.
Under the theme Hospital of the Future, nearly 500 professionals from healthcare, academia, government, and the MedTech sector gathered at the University of Twente for a sold-out TechMed Event. The eighth edition centred on a key question: how can we maintain accessible, high-quality healthcare as demand continues to rise while workforce shortages grow?
From AI and robotics to wearables, implantables and technologies that enable remote care, the event showcased a wide range of innovations. The focus was not only on technological advances, but above all on how these innovations can be translated into everyday clinical practice.
If we do not change course, the healthcare system will become unsustainable. The real challenge is therefore not whether healthcare will change, but how quickly. At the TechMed Event, we demonstrate the role technology can play in this transition and why collaboration is so important.Maroeska RoversUniversity of Twente - TechMed Centre, Scientific Director
If we do not change course, the healthcare system will become unsustainable. The real challenge is therefore not whether healthcare will change, but how quickly. At the TechMed Event, we demonstrate the role technology can play in this transition and why collaboration is so important.
Maroeska RoversUniversity of Twente - TechMed Centre, Scientific Director
With a futuristic opening, digital host Nova immediately set the tone for the TechMed Event, surrounded by screens filled with health data and heart-rate tracings. Nova introduced a video message from Dutch Minister Sophie Hermans, who shared her ambition to make the Netherlands Europe's leading MedTech ecosystem by 2035. Her closing call to action echoed the central theme of the day: “Today, seek out as many collaborations as possible, and tomorrow become a driving force for the healthcare of the future within your own organisation.”
Guided by Nova, Maroeska Rovers, Ivo Aarninkhof, Miriam Vollenbroek-Hutten and Ank Bijleveld shared their perspectives on Hospital of the Future from the viewpoints of science, industry, healthcare and regional development. Together, they concluded with a joint call to shape the future of healthcare through collaboration.
The opening concluded with a symbolic moment as the initiators jointly placed their hands on a digital screen, followed by a shared call to action to shape The Hospital of the Future together.
Across nine interactive sessions, researchers, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders explored the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging healthcare technologies.
Medical robotics was one of the central themes discussed during the event. In the session How Robotics Will Shape the Hospital of Tomorrow, researchers, healthcare professionals and industry representatives explored how robotics can help address growing healthcare demand and workforce shortages. The discussion highlighted that successful innovation depends on close collaboration between clinicians, patients, researchers, and companies to ensure that new technologies meet real-world needs and can be widely implemented.
Artificial intelligence was another key topic in the session AI & Data-driven Healthcare. Experts from healthcare, academia and industry emphasised that the impact of AI depends not only on technological advances, but also on high-quality data, appropriate infrastructure and strong partnerships. Widespread adoption across the healthcare system was identified as essential for AI to deliver meaningful improvements in patient care and contribute to a more sustainable future for healthcare.
The shift towards care beyond the hospital setting was explored in Wearables, Implantables, Invisibles & the Hospital of the Future. Drawing on examples from Parkinson’s care, gut health and diabetes, speakers demonstrated how wearables, implantable devices and other digital technologies are enabling more personalised care and bringing healthcare closer to patients’ everyday lives.
Other sessions focused on topics including new opportunities for medical screening, the future of cancer care, and the development of healthy and future-proof cities. Discussions also explored what healthcare can learn from technological applications within the defence sector, where sensors and AI are used to monitor and better predict human performance and wellbeing.
International collaboration also featured prominently in the programme. Representatives from different MedTech ecosystems discussed how knowledge, expertise and networks can be more effectively connected across borders.
The Experience Centre featured around 30 medical innovations, offering visitors the opportunity to explore emerging healthcare technologies through prototypes and interactive demonstrations. Among the highlights was the Holland Hybrid Heart, a project combining soft robotics and tissue engineering to develop an artificial heart for patients with severe heart failure. Visitors could view a prototype of the robotic pump that may one day take over the heart's function.
During the five Innovation Labs organised by the TechMed Academy, participants worked on practical challenges related to topics such as scaling up innovations, regulatory requirements, manufacturing and talent development. The workshops highlighted the many factors involved in successfully developing and implementing medical technologies in clinical practice.
Young MedTech companies were also given a stage. During the finals of the MedTech Twente NextGen Award, four startups presented their innovations to a jury of various experts. The award was won by Ilinka Stanciu of CC Diagnostics, who is working on an innovative patient-friendly test for the early detection of cervical cancer. As the winner, she received a cash prize of €10,000 for the further development of the technology.
Another highlight of the event was the presentation of the Dr G.J. van Hoytema Award 2026 to Stephanie Jansen-Kosterink in recognition of her contribution to innovative healthcare education. The Niersfund eHealth Voucher 2026 was also awarded to the UT project Endo-Manometer, led by Manuel Maria Rocha in collaboration with Françoise Siepel, for the further development of a technology designed to make swallowing diagnostics faster and more patient-friendly.
Filmmaker and AI Magician Hendrik van Zwol closed the TechMed Event with an interactive keynote on artificial intelligence in healthcare. With live demonstrations, he showed how AI can support translations, reporting and image analysis, among other things. He also pointed to the rise of 'Dr ChatGPT': according to Van Zwol, one in three Dutch people now uses AI for medical advice. In many cases, this then leads to users consulting a doctor because AI recommends it. His presentation ended with an AI-generated song about the TechMed Event.
Alongside the programme content, there was ample opportunity for participants to connect and exchange ideas. This year, the TechMed Event also welcomed a strong international presence, including visitors from Denmark, Norway, Canada and Germany.
The event demonstrated the vast potential of technology to transform and reorganise healthcare. The challenge now is to translate these innovations into everyday practice. Achieving this will require continued collaboration between researchers, healthcare professionals, companies and governments, both within and across national borders.
The next edition of the TechMed Event will take place on Thursday 4 November 2027. This year, all places were quickly taken, and we even had to work with a waiting list. Therefore, make sure you are on time next year.