i4KIDS participates in the 4YFN within the framework of the Mobile World Congress 2024

i4KIDS, the Pediatric Innovation Hub coordinated by Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital, has participated for the first time as an exhibitor at the Mobile World Congress 2024, specifically in the space that the organisation dedicates to the most innovative startups and projects in the technology sector, the 4YFN.   

With more than 900 exhibitors, 450 speakers and more than 1,000 investors, the 4YFN is a key event in the global startup ecosystem, with a specific area dedicated to the health sector, which each year consolidates itself as a benchmark for innovation.    

During the four days of the congress, the i4KIDS team and the hospital’s Innovation Department connected with the most disruptive ecosystem in the sector, both from its stand and with activities in which it participated as a guest along with other entities.   

i4KIDS at 4YFN   

For the first time since its foundation, i4KIDS had a stand at the 4YFN, shared with another of the knowledge and transfer networks funded by the Department of Research and Universities of the Generalitat de Catalunya dedicated to innovation in health, XartecSalut.   

This space became a crucial networking space and meeting point with companies and entities from the local and international ecosystem, where the hub’s activities and projects as well as its members and research groups could be showcased.    

The stand attracted many business and institutional visitors, allowing an exchange of ideas and the exploration of collaborations to boost knowledge transfer and investment in the sector. Prominent figures, such as the Catalan Minister of Health, Manel Balcells, the CEO of Biocat, Robert Fabregat, and the Director General of Knowledge Transfer and Society, Laia Arnal, visited the stand, along with companies interested in supporting innovation in paediatrics.  

i4KIDS activities at 4YFN  

Another of the most relevant aspects of this congress was the participation of i4KIDS in different events of the programme in collaboration with key players in the ecosystem.   

This is the case of AstraZeneca, which organised the conference “Leveraging innovation to drive a sustainable transformation of healthcare”, and which was the framework to announce the solution designed by Arkangel AI, “Flu-Copilot”, as the winner of the challenge launched jointly with i4KIDS that aimed to reduce the impact of paediatric influenza, addressing needs such as awareness of the disease, prevention strategies and vaccination coverage.   

The event, opened by Dr. César Velasco, Director of Innovation and Digital Strategy at AstraZeneca, was attended by Arnau Valls, Director of i4KIDS and Innovation Coordinator at Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital, Dr. Antoni Trilla, Epidemiology Specialist at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Laura Velasquez, President and Co-Founder of Arkangel Ai, and was moderated by Ana Pérez, Director of Medical and Regulatory Affairs at AstraZeneca.   

i4KIDS was also part of the delegation invited by the Consorci de Salut i Social de Catalunya, which offered a guided tour of the congress, and the option to participate in a speeddating with companies in the health sector. The event ended with the participation of the Director of i4KIDS, Arnau Valls, in the panel “Healthcare providers as innovation providers, not just buyers” along with other leading hospitals.

Finally, Barcelona Health Hub organised a round table dedicated to digital transformation in the healthcare system in which Sofia Ferreira, Innovation Manager at Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital, participated to explain how artificial intelligence can help patients and clinicians to improve diagnoses and treatments.   

In summary, i4KIDS’ participation in this key global technology innovation event was a significant milestone in its quest to support innovation in foetal, paediatric and maternal health, and to balance access to innovative solutions for paediatric patients.  

 Don’t miss thisvideo summary of i4KIDS’ participation at 4YFN!