i4KIDS Mission Helsinki 2026: Connecting the European Paediatric Innovation Community
The 4th International i4KIDS Paediatric Innovation Mission brought together more than 60 professionals from paediatric hospitals, research centres, innovation organisations, startups and investors from across Europe and the United States in Helsinki, with the aim of gaining first-hand insight into one of the continent’s most advanced and innovative healthcare ecosystems.
Held as part of the Paediatric Innovation Day 2026 week, the Mission provided participants with the opportunity to discover pioneering initiatives, exchange knowledge and build new connections to accelerate the development of innovative solutions aimed at improving fetal, maternal and child health.
Coordinated by i4KIDS and organised in collaboration with HUS Helsinki University Hospital, the event welcomed representatives from i4KIDS network members including Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Eurecat and BCN Natal, alongside professionals from European and international organisations committed to advancing paediatric innovation.
Exploring Helsinki’s health innovation ecosystem
The day began at Terkko Health Hub, one of Finland’s leading health entrepreneurship and innovation centres. Participants had the opportunity to learn about some of the key initiatives driving the transformation of the Finnish healthcare sector, including Health Incubator Helsinki, Health Proof Helsinki, Spark Finland, Clever Health Network and the MedTech Founders Programme.
Through a series of presentations, attendees discovered how these initiatives support knowledge transfer, the clinical validation of new technologies and the creation of companies capable of bringing innovation to market and ultimately to patients.
The first part of the Mission also featured presentations of innovative projects and technologies developed to address real clinical needs, creating an open forum for discussion among researchers, entrepreneurs, clinicians and industry representatives.
Innovation from the hospital to transform paediatric care
The second part of the Mission took place at Helsinki’s New Children’s Hospital, widely recognised as one of Europe’s most efficient paediatric hospitals, where participants gained first-hand insight into its innovation model and multidisciplinary approach to collaboration.
During the visit, several initiatives developed within the hospital environment were showcased, highlighting efforts to improve the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of paediatric patients. These included artificial intelligence-based solutions for the automated analysis of respiratory function tests, new digital tools for the early detection of childhood cardiac conditions, and remote monitoring technologies designed to assess motor development.
One of the highlights of the Mission was the guided tour of the hospital facilities, which gave participants the opportunity to see how innovation is embedded into daily clinical practice and how multidisciplinary teams work together to transform unmet clinical needs into solutions that deliver a tangible impact for patients and their families.
This international Mission marked the beginning of an intensive week dedicated to paediatric innovation in Helsinki. The programme continued later that same afternoon with the Paediatric Investment Forum, bringing together health-focused startups and investors, and culminated the following day with Paediatric Innovation Day 2026, Europe’s leading gathering for the paediatric innovation community.
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