Helsinki Hosts the Seventh Edition of the i4KIDS Paediatric Innovation Day
The Paediatric Innovation Day 2026 brought together healthcare professionals, researchers, hospitals, startups, investors and innovation leaders in Helsinki to discuss the challenges and opportunities that will shape the future of child healthcare.
Organised by i4KIDS, the paediatric innovation hub coordinated by Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital and supported by the Government of Catalonia, together with HUS Helsinki University Hospital and the New Children’s Hospital Foundation, the event attracted more than 400 registrations, including over 200 in-person attendees and more than 100 online participants.
The event marked the culmination of an intensive week in Helsinki, which also featured the International Paediatric Innovation Mission and the second edition of the Paediatric Investment Forum.
Three Major Challenges to Transform Paediatric Care
The PID2026 programme was structured around three key themes: patient-centred care, the role of data and artificial intelligence in healthcare, and innovative solutions developed to address real clinical needs.
Child- and Family-Centred Paediatric Care
The event opened with a reflection on how to design healthcare systems that are more human-centred and better adapted to the needs of children and their families.
The opening session was delivered by Paulina Pérez-Duarte, Clinical Paediatrician and Medical Anthropologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, who explored the role of play and imagination in paediatric care. She highlighted the importance of incorporating children’s perspectives into innovation processes and healthcare design.
Next, the first panel discussion of the day brought together Marie Korhonen, Paediatric Psychiatrist at HUS Helsinki University Hospital, Paulina Pérez-Duarte, Linnea Karlsson, Co-founder and Principal Investigator of the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study and Co-leader of the Centre for Population Health Research at the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, and Casper Mathiesen, Lead Play Designer at Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital in Copenhagen. The panellists discussed emerging strategies to promote the emotional well-being of children and families, from the moment of diagnosis through to everyday life.
The session was followed by presentations from Monika Rogalska, President and CEO of KIDS Foundation, and Karri Budde, Psychologist at HUS Helsinki University Hospital, who highlighted how leading hospitals are increasingly integrating patient-centred design, play environments and family support as key elements of the care experience.
Data and Artificial Intelligence for the Next Generation of Care
The second thematic block focused on the transformative potential of data and artificial intelligence in paediatrics.
Joseph J. Frassica, Professor at the MIT Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES) and Executive Director of the MIT-Hood Pediatric Innovation Hub, presented real-world examples of how high-frequency data and artificial intelligence are being applied in clinical settings. His presentation highlighted how data quality and digital literacy will be critical factors in unlocking the full potential of these technologies to improve healthcare delivery.
The subsequent panel discussion brought together experts from HUS Helsinki University Hospital, including Pekka Kahri, Andrew Taylor from Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Aida Felipe, Paediatric Internal Medicine Specialist at Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital, to explore the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of artificial intelligence in paediatrics.
This session also featured the official presentation of the Paediatric Health Data Space (PHDS) by Rubén Díaz, Director of ECHO. The initiative, developed within the framework of the PHEMS project, aims to strengthen European collaboration around the use of paediatric health data to advance research and drive innovation.
Innovative Solutions to Address Real Clinical Needs
One of the highlights of the day was the presentation of the finalist projects from the Paediatric Hospital Innovation Challenge 2026, a call aimed at identifying and supporting innovative solutions developed within European paediatric hospitals. The five selected projects showcased different approaches to improving the patient experience, optimising care pathways, and strengthening the involvement of children and families in healthcare.
The finalist projects were:
- The Stick Adventure (Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden), a gamified tool designed to help children cope with needle-related procedures.
- The Check-In Tools (Great Ormond Street Hospital, United Kingdom), a series of tools aimed at helping adolescents and families prepare for medical appointments.
- Antek (Children’s Memorial Health Institute, Poland), a solution for tracking and monitoring child growth and development.
- Connected Paediatric Care (Hospital Pedro Hispano, Portugal), a digital model for the remote monitoring and follow-up of paediatric patients.
- AI-Powered Pediatric Appointment Optimization (Children’s Clinical University Hospital, Latvia), an artificial intelligence-based tool designed to optimise the management of paediatric appointments.
Following the presentations and the evaluation by an international jury comprising Alessio Morley-Fletcher (Boston Children’s Hospital), Ann Quinn (Children’s Health Ireland) and Sturla Owren Solheim (Oslo University Hospital), The Check-In Tools, developed by Great Ormond Street Hospital, was selected as the winner of the 2026 edition.
The session also featured a presentation of the Impact4kids programme, a joint initiative launched by Impact1 at Stanford Biodesign and i4KIDS to accelerate innovation in paediatric and maternal health through collaboration between Europe and the United States. The session was led by Elisabet Rosàs, Associate Director of Impact1, and Arnau Valls, Director of i4KIDS and Innovation Coordinator at Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital.
A Growing International Community
Beyond the sessions and projects presented, more than 10 startups specialising in paediatric and maternal health solutions took part in the Paediatric Innovation Day, once again highlighting the strength of an increasingly connected international community. Professionals from more than twelve nationalities shared experiences, identified collaboration opportunities and strengthened partnerships, united by a common goal: advancing innovative solutions with a tangible impact on the health and well-being of children and families.
The seventh edition of the Paediatric Innovation Day reaffirmed Helsinki’s role as a leading meeting point for paediatric innovation in Europe and reinforced the commitment of hospitals, researchers, companies and institutions to developing solutions for the most pressing challenges in child health.
The next edition of the Paediatric Innovation Day already has a confirmed location and date: Barcelona will host the event on 18 November 2027, ensuring the continued growth and consolidation of this international community.
Photo credit: Laura Koskenniemi.
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