In a world shaped by pandemics, geopolitical tensions, natural disasters, and rising pressure on healthcare systems, the line between defence and healthcare is becoming increasingly blurred. Both sectors face the need to respond quickly, effectively, and in close coordination with others.
This session looks at how defence and healthcare can support one another by sharing technologies, methods, and practical experience. Defence brings speed, structure, and resilience; healthcare contributes adaptability, data-driven practice, and a focus on people. Together, they can develop improved approaches to trauma care, emergency response, medical logistics, and beyond.
Experts from applied science (TNO), military healthcare, logistics, and a dual-sector start-up will share examples of collaboration in practice, from the field to the hospital. The session highlights not just what can be exchanged, but why closer cooperation is increasingly essential. In today’s climate, working together across domains is no longer optional — it’s a shared responsibility.
The planning
Time | Content |
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14.45 - 14.50 | Setting the sceneAn introduction by the moderator, linking today’s theme to earlier insights and setting the stage for the speakers to come. |
14.50 - 15.02 | Military Medical Support: from Battlefield to BedsideMilitary medical services ensure the survival and recovery of personnel from the point of injury to definitive care, operating under challenging and resource-limited conditions. This talk explains how these services function across the medical evacuation chain and highlights critical areas where MedTech innovation is essential to meet future operational demands. Hugo Kuijf, TNO |
15.02 - 15.14 | Innovation at the Intersection of Medicine and DefenceThis presentation explores how 3D technologies, artificial intelligence, and software development strengthen civil–military collaboration within the MAINIAC (Military AI and Innovation in Acute Care) project. By integrating advanced 3D visualisation, surgical planning tools, and the rapid development of patient-specific medical devices with AI-supported clinical decision-making, the project enhances preparedness and interoperability across medical and defence environments. These combined innovations enable more efficient management of complex surgical cases and contribute to improved patient outcomes in acute care settings. Thomas Maal, Radboudumc |
15.14 - 15.26 | Shared missions: how military and medical innovation meet to save livesIn this talk, Nanda van der Stap bridges the worlds of medicine and defence, showing the innovation synergy between the operating room and the battlefield. Drawing on her background in surgical robotics and autonomous defence systems, she reveals how real human needs reach the defence industry and are transformed through use-case-driven, commercially viable design — all in pursuit of one shared mission: saving lives when failure isn’t an option. Nanda van der Stap, StaC & Milrem |
15.26 - 15.34 | MedTech innovation in Conflict Context - Bridging Military-Civilian Medical Chains with Medtech InnovationIn an era of rising global tensions, both civilian and military medical services face unprecedented challenges. In this presentation, we explore the challenges that emerging conflicts pose to both civilian and military medical services — and discover how medical technological innovation can help bridge the gap between these. Based on a stakeholder inventory across both civilian and military medical chains, we identified key challenges and mapped them to knowledge propositions developed at the University of Twente and its partners. Rianne Huis in 't Veld, University of Twente |
15.34 - 15.55 | Dual-use decisions: balancing innovation between defence and careIn this interactive scenario discussion, participants confront the opportunities and trade-offs of technologies that impact both security and health. |
15.55 - 16.00 | From insights to action: closing reflectionsGabriëlle Tuijthof, University of Twente |
The speakers
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