i4KIDS reinforces the role of paediatric innovation at HLTH Europe 2026
Amsterdam has once again become the meeting point for the international health innovation ecosystem during a new edition of HLTH Europe, where i4KIDS has played an active role across four days marked by knowledge exchange, partnership building, and the growing visibility of paediatrics on the global agenda.
This participation has contributed to positioning paediatric and maternal innovation as a strategic field, at a time when collaboration, data and digital transformation are reshaping the future of healthcare systems.
Days 1 and 2: driving visibility and showcasing the innovation model
The congress opened with a significant milestone: the Paediatric Innovation Summit, the first session within HLTH Europe fully dedicated to paediatric and maternal innovation. This forum highlighted the need to move towards a more structured ecosystem with increased investment. It addressed key barriers and opportunities in paediatric innovation, including adoption, access to funding, and the integration of patient and family perspectives. The session also featured several paediatric startups linked to the hub ecosystem, such as Bitsphi Diagnosis, Zoundream, Polycoarct and NeoPredics.
On the second day, i4KIDS took an active role within the Spanish Pavilion. During the Digital Health session organised by ICEX and Fenin, Lluís Cassou, i4KIDS Innovation Project Manager, presented the hub’s innovation model, emphasising the value of structured public–private collaboration and a strong ecosystem approach to advancing paediatric innovation.
The session also included representatives from Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, reinforcing the role of leading hospitals as key enablers in scaling innovation. The Spanish Pavilion once again stood out as a dynamic meeting point for startups, institutions and companies, showcasing initiatives such as Ephion Health — a spin-off of Eurecat and Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital — as examples of how research and clinical insight can translate into real-world impact.
Day 3: paediatrics gains ground in the global conversation
The third day confirmed a clear trend: paediatrics is gaining increasing relevance within the global health innovation landscape. i4KIDS attended several sessions, including the panel “Seen AND heard: The paediatric innovators making a difference to the lives of our children”, which brought together leading experts from clinical, academic and industry backgrounds.
The discussion underscored a shared message: paediatric innovation can no longer be treated as a secondary priority. Designing solutions for children requires an understanding of their diversity — across ages, conditions and developmental stages — alongside the integration of families and caregivers into the process.
Sessions such as “Baby Steps – 25% of the population, 100% of the future” further reinforced a key idea: investing in children is investing in the future, and there is a need to move towards models where they are also active participants in innovation processes.
Day 4: advancing European collaboration
The final day featured the presentation of the Paediatric Health Data Space (PHDS) project, within the PHEMS initiative, by Arnau Valls, Director of i4KIDS and Innovation Coordinator at Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital. This presentation helped bring visibility to a European initiative aimed at improving the use of data in paediatric health and fostering collaboration across institutions.
Key trends and takeaways
Beyond the specific focus on paediatrics, HLTH Europe 2026 highlighted several overarching trends. On one hand, the growing impact of artificial intelligence, which is already transforming healthcare development and delivery. On the other, the need for Europe to act with greater urgency to remain globally competitive in health innovation.
The importance of advancing data equity and governance also emerged as a critical priority, ensuring that digital transformation benefits all populations.
An increasingly aligned ecosystem
Overall, i4KIDS’ participation confirms a clear direction: the ecosystem is becoming increasingly aligned. From public institutions to startups, including hospitals, industry and investors, there is a shared commitment to working collaboratively towards more scalable and patient-centred solutions.
For i4KIDS, this experience has strengthened its positioning, expanded its network and reinforced its mission: to place children and their families at the centre of healthcare innovation.
At a time of profound transformation in the sector, HLTH Europe has delivered a clear message: collaboration will be essential to achieving real impact. In this context, paediatric innovation is set to play an increasingly prominent role.
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