GET TICKETSSpeakersProgram (TBA)
OCT 28–29 | HELSINKI |

health_
design_
2026_

Join live with +400 leading experts and innovators

RESILIENCE, innovation &
Leadership THROUGH Change

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Partner and co-create the future with leading Hospitals, Companies and Research Organisations across Nordics, Baltics and the wider European ecosystem around real Healthcare Needs in and out of the Hospital.

Navigate change and build more resilient health, wellbeing and performance through AI, prevention, prediction, preparedness and more.

Experience latest in AI, health technologies and service innovation at our Expo and Startup pitching competition up to 200K€ Angel Track and VC Track.

Explore workshops in Womens health, Crisis response, Remote care and more.

#RDI #ServiceDesign and #Funding for
#MedTech, #DigitalHealth and #Pharma

Get Early Bird Now for a (50€ discount) deal ending soon

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See the full list of partners, sponsors and suppporters

Learn about:

Partnership and Co-Innovation opportunities
Technology  and Service Innovation
Venture Building and Growth thorugh RDI
IP, Patenting and Regulatory Strategy

Clinical topics:

Women's Health, Aging population, Pediatric Innovation and Mental Health

#Digitalization #Platforms #Mentalhealth

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Venture Building and Growth thorugh RDI

Learn how we can design physical and virtual surroundings that support our wellbeing
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Learn how tomorrows healthcare can be both physical and virtual as well
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#VR #XR #PhysicalReality # Architecture

IP, Patenting and Regulatory Strategy

How to design interactions between patients and healthcare professionals.

How to enable wellbeing at home.

#UX #UI #Applications #HomeCare

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Virpi Roto

Virpi Roto is working as a professor of practice in experience design at Aalto University, Department of Design. She is the most cited user experience researcher in Finland. She is the Chair of Aalto Experience Platform, which facilitates multidisciplinary collaboration in experience research.

Jere Finne

Jere Finne is a Service Manager in Service Center Helsinki. Through technology they can offer their customers a chance to live a good and sociable life in the safety of their home. By utilizing cutting-edge technology, vast liaison network and firm knowledge on healthcare service design they have been able to develop a concept that is internationally renowned. At this year’s Helsinki Design Week they launched this concept as a new ’At Home Concept’, which is a continuum for previous development.​

Nina Karisalmi

Before graduating as M.Sc.(Tech) Nina worked as a pediatric nurse in the Childrens's hospital. Now she is doing her Phd in the usability group at Aalto University. Karisalmi has been involved with the Lapsus research project for three years, studying the patient experience of children.

Saara Hassinen

is the CEO of the Healthtech Finland representing about 200 companies operating in Finland. Health technology is one of the fastest growing high-tech export sectors in Finland.

A favourable operating environment envisages the R&D and production of patient-safe, effective and innovative solutions for both Finland and the world.

Janene Fuerch MD

is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Assistant Director of the Biodesign Innovation Fellowship Program at Stanford University, and Co-Director of Impact1 where she mentors and advises new entrepreneurs through all aspects of medical device development, from identifying clinical needs to commercialization.

But her work extends outside of the academic realm to industry having co-founded EMME (acquired by Simple Health 2022), medical director for Novonate (acquired by Laborie 2023) and notable consultant for Vitara , Laborie and Avanos™. Janene is passionate about improving the health of children and newborns through medical device innovation and research.

Juha Jolkkonen

is the Director of Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division in the City of Helsinki. The division is Finland's largest social services, health care and rescue services organizer, serving almost 700 000 Helsinki residents with some 15 000 employees and various other service providers.

Juha Jolkkonen is a Medical Doctor specialized in geriatrics, and he also has an Executive MBA degree. His areas of interest are especially transformation, digitalization and social and health service integration.
Photo: Sakari Röyskö

Kristiina Patja

is Professor of Healthcare at the University of Helsinki and Chief Physician at Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) and is a president of Public Health Section of Public Health in the European Medical Specialist Union UEMS. She holds an MD and PhD and is a specialist in healthcare medicine, with extensive leadership experience across academia, healthcare organizations, and international public health initiatives.

Her research focuses on health promotion, tobacco control, sustainable healthcare, and the ecological reconstruction of health systems. She has led many national and EU-level projects, including initiatives in lifestyle medicine, digital health interventions, and competency-based medical education. In addition to her academic work, she serves in advisory and governance roles nationally and internationally and is an active contributor to public discourse on health, sustainability, and health system development.

Erki Mölder

As Managing Partner at Verge HealthTech Fund, Erki Mölder supports founders in building transformative HealthTech companies. With over two decades of experience in healthcare investment and entrepreneurship, he is dedicated to enhancing the accessibility of quality healthcare.

He co-founded Health Founders to mentor ambitious HealthTech innovators and serves on the Supervisory Board at a leading Latvian hospital, where he advises on strategy and innovation.

Niilo Ryti

is Chief Medical AI Officer at Gosta Labs, and Finland’s first Docent of Disaster Medicine, his research has advanced understanding of how environmental and climate-related exposures affect human health from the individual to the global level.

He has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed scientific publications in leading international journals and contributed to public health policy He serves as Finland’s representative in the Multi-Country Multi-City Collaborative Research Network (MCC). At Gosta Labs, he focuses on the safe and effective integration of AI into health systems.

Anastasiya Markvarde

is a recognized women’s health advocate and thought leader. As a member of Femtech Across Borders, a global association connecting women’s health ecosystems across more than 70 countries, she actively contributes to advancing innovation and collaboration in women’s health. She works closely with the public sector to drive health innovation, supporting Business Turku in launching Finland’s national Women’s Health Hub and the Eir Accelerator.

Her contributions extend to international initiatives, including the Canadian G7 Brain Economy Summit and the European Policy Centre’s Compendium. A frequent speaker at more than 20 events each year, she has shared insights on women’s health, innovation, and ecosystem development at conferences across Helsinki, Barcelona, Milan, Dubai, and beyond. She has also completed Imperial College London’s Sex and Gender in Research course, strengthening her expertise in inclusive and evidence-based health innovation.

Matti Hautsalo

Matti has a deep-rooted background in venture capital, working extensively with early-stage technology companies. He has also run a private investment vehicle focussing on research based spinout co-creation in Nordics, UK and North America.

Over the years, Matti has held key board roles and managed investments and early team building processes across a range of deep tech sectors, spanning from adaptive materials to quantum chemistry and cancer therapies. Matti is also a board member of Syniad Innovations, a materials technology IP investor in Canada.

Pasi Heiskanen

Pasi is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of Noona Healthcare. He is an digital heath professional with passion for building solutions that work in practice. Pasi combines his health industry and cancer care expertise with deep knowledge in utilizing IT and digitalization to yield value. Ramping up Noona service and Noona Healthcare as a company is his latest mile stone in this path. Pasi’s mission is to build sustainable solutions for cancer hospitals in providing better care to their patients.

Johanna Kaipio

Johanna Kaipio, D.Sc.(Tech.), is working as a research fellow at Aalto University, Department of Computer Science. Johanna has a strong background in user-centered design and usability evaluation. Her areas of research include usability of healthcare information systems, integrating usability into procurement of IT systems for healthcare and social care, and patient experience.

Anna-Maria Henell

is the CEO and Co-Founder of Disior, where she drives innovation and co-creation with Clinicians and Medical Researchers. Founded in 2016, Disior develops a novel way to analyze and model bone fractures and soft tissue for diagnostics, pre-operative planning and treatment optimization. The company brings together clinical needs and product development experience from orthopedics, maxillofacial surgery and latest modelling technology.

Milvi Soosalu

Milvi Soosalu (M.A.) is industrial designer working as Senior User Experience Designer at GE Healthcare. She designs graphical user interfaces and UX for patient monitoring devices.  She also works on product usability evaluation and validation.  Helsinki is one of GE Healthcare’s leading centers of excellence for Monitoring Solutions R&D and marketing. In Finland there are approx. 1,100 employees in 6 sites, 2 manufacturing plants, 2 R&D Centers of Excellence and over 110 years of history.

Full program with more speakers coming soon >

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University of Helsinki main building: Great Hall & Agora


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Day 2: Dipoli serves as the main building of Aalto University. It is a new type of multi-use building which reflects the skills and knowledge, activities, and people of the University.

Pictures: Jan Ahlstedt & Northbay Agency

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2026 Workshop themes:

1. Women’s Health Strategy with Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and Healthscape Design
2. RDI & Growth with DigitalHealth Finland
3. Prevention and Hearth Health with MSD Finland
4. Measuring and Improving Performance and Resilience with University of Jyväskylä / CoDesign Sport
5. Tekoäly, koulutus ja tulevaisuuden roolit hyvinvointialueilla, Diginet verkosto / Laurea
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Contact to suggest a workshop theme: otto.olavinen@northbay.fi / +358 40 763 7918

Unlocking the Scalability of Innovation in 2024: Workshop organized by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and Biodesign Finland, representatives from wellbeing services counties, businesses, and other stakeholders had a chance to discuss the types of additional expertise and support needed to drive processes aimed at producing innovations that are scalable both nationally and internationally.

2025 had 5 workshops:
1. Kansallinen TKI-malli: Rakennetaan kansallista mallia hyvinvointialueiden, yritysten ja tutkimuslaitosten TKI-yhteistyön vauhdittamiseksi. (STM) 2. Co-innovation: Diagnostics and Therapheutics for Wellbeing, Mental Health and Brain Health. (Aalto University & Digimind project)
3. Innovative Procurement: Aging and Home Care (VTT & Business Finland)
4. Cancer Patient Journey: Improving National Lung Cancer Outcomes (MSD Finland & University of Helsinki)
5. Learning: AI, Education and the Future Roles in Healthcare (Laurea & HUS)

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OPENING DAY 28th OF OCTOBER | University of Helsinki, Fabianinkatu 33 (Day 2 at Aalto University)

*All sessions included short talks and a panel discussion
Main host: Riikka Rajaviita, Main organiser: Otto Olavinen
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‍9:00 EXPO SPACE AT AGORA OPENS, REGISTRATION & COFFEE

10:00 CRISIS RESPONSE AND RESILIENCE IN HEALTHCARE – HEALTH, SECURITY AND GROWTH

Johanna Moisio, Secretary General, Research and Innovation Council, Prime Minister’s Office
Kristiina Patja, Prof. Univ. of Helsinki and Chief Physician at HUS and is a president of Public Health Section of Public Health in theEuropean Medical Specialist Union UEMS.  
Juha Jolkkonen, Director of Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services City of Helsinki. 
Niilo Ryti, Chief Medical AI Officer at Gosta Labs,and Finland’s first Docent of Disaster Medicine,
TBC, Leidos UK

11:40 LUNCH  

12:40 KEYNOTE: Inka Mero, Voima Ventures: Radical solutions for health, wellbeing and growth

13:10 COFFEE BREAK 

13:30 PRE-WORKSHOP CASES: Predictive, Preventive, Personalized, and Participatory (4P) Medicine
*Company examples

13:50 – WELLBEING SERVICES COUNTIES CO-CREATION WORKSHOPS: REDESIGNING HEALTHCARE       
  
Chairs: Birgitta Tetri, Annika Järvelin, Anna-Mari Laitio, Rauni Koronainen and Tomi Laitinen
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Women’s Health Strategy with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
RDI & Digital Health Growth with DigitalHealth Finland
Prevention and Hearth Health Strategy with MSD Finland
Measuring and Improving Human Performance and Resilience with University of Jyväskylä
Tekoäly, osaaminen ja tulevaisuuden roolit hyvinvointialueilla, Diginet verkosto / Laurea

13:50 STARTUP PITCHING SEMI-FINALS (Pre-seed to Seed)
Angel and VC tracks for Digital Health, MedTech and Pharma up to 200K€

15:50 BREAK
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16:10 – INNOVATING WITH HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL FROM NEED TO ADOPTION
Taneli Raivio, Acting Director of Research and Research Innovations at HUS (Chair)
Janene Fuerch Hogan, Stanford Biodesign Fellowship Director
Prashant Jha, Prof at Kings College London
Anastasiya Markvarde, EIR Women’s Health Accelerator

17:30 Day 1 CLOSES
18:00 NETWORKING EVENT AT HELSINKI CITY HALL / TERKKO HEALTH HUB

AI DAY 29th OF OCTOBER | Aalto University, Otakaari 24, Dipoli‍

‍8:00 Doors open

8:30 Expo opens at Dipoli

8:30 MORNING COFFEE

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8:30-14:00 Side event: Wellbeing Service Counties RDI directors roundtable Chaired by HUS

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Main event 9:00-18:00: Keynotes, Panels, Pitching & Networking

*All sessions included short talks and a panel discussion
Main host: Riikka Rajaviita, Main organiser: Otto Olavinen

09:00 WHAT AI CAN AND CANNOT SOLVE IN HEALTHCARE

Jussi Nissilä, Chair Aalto University

Jiancheng(JC) Yang Group Leader,Health Intelligence (HINT) Lab
Principal Investigator, ELLIS Institute Finland

Shinya Yamamoto, Prof.,Serial Entrepreneur and Investor at Link & Innovation and Osaka University

Adrian Yijie Xu, SILO AMD

Henrik Honkanen (TBC), CSC LumiAI Factory

Erki Mölder, Health Founders

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10:40 COFFEE BREAK

 

11:00 Applying AI to HEALTH and Life Sciences

Case-studies connected to clinical workflows from Nordics and UK

Rauni Korolainen (Tentative Chair), Health Capital Helsinki

 

12:00 LUNCH

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13:10 LIVE PODCAST: Accelerating invovation through investment Aki Soudunsaari, Springvest

14:00 Reverse pitching with Investors – Angels and VCs pitch where they invest 

14:10 STARTUP PITCHING FINALS
Angel and VCtracks for Digital Health, MedTech and Pharma up to 200K€

 

14:45 COFFEE BREAK

 

15:00 CONCLUDING SESSION:  WELLBEING SERVICE COUNTY REVERSE PITCHING:

ENABLING INNOVATON THROUGH RDI COLLABORATION AND PILOTS

 

Otto Olavinen, Main organiser of Health Design (Chair)

Veera Vihula, LUVN, Innovation through hackathons with SOTE AI hackathon

Virpi Rauta, CleverHealth Network, Innovation through company collaboration

Aarno Dietz, University of Eastern Finland (TBC)

Nordictech Advocates & NHS UK (TBC)

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16:15 PITCHING WINNERS ANNOUNCED AND AWARD PARTY & AI NETWORKING WITH LUMI AI FACTORY & ELLIS INSTITUTE

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18:00 Event concludes

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Interested in Partnerships? Learn more!

Main Partners:

Key Partners, Sponsors and Program Partners

Supporters, Exhibitors & Community:

Main Partners:

Instrumentarium
Science Foundation

Supporters, Investors & Community:

2026_first_partners_

Interested in Partnerships? Learn more!

Main Partners:

Key Partners, Sponsors and Program Partners

Supporters, Exhibitors & Community:

Main Partners:

Instrumentarium
Science Foundation

Supporters, Investors & Community:

Want to learn about partnerships with Health Design?

Fill the form or send email directly at otto.olavinen@northbay.fi or call +358 40 763 7918

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Join ticket waiting list for early bird discount (sales open in 15th of July)

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29.11.2017  

08.00-9.30. Registration and coffee  
09.30. Welcome to Health Design 2017: Otto Olavinen & Risto Ilmoniemi  

09.40. Designing health technology for patients and customers. Saara Hassinen, Jyrki Nieminen, Sami Niemelä

10.45-11.00 Coffeebreak in Expo space  

11.00. Design that addresses global health needs. Prashant Jha, Zeynep Falay von Flittner

12.00-13.00 Lunch break + Networking  

13.00. Hospital spaces that improve patient life. Pekka Lahdenne, Sakari Forsman

14.00. Coffee break in Expo space  

14.15 Service design and digital health services. Visa Honkanen, Emil Virkki.

15.15 Coffee break in Expo space  

15.30 Markku Mäkijärvi Instrumetarium Science Foundation & Finals of the competition  

16.15 Anne Pitkäranta: Design for the Caretakers (Health and aesthetics)  

16.45 Expo + Cocktails and networking
17.30 Health Design Award Gala + prices for 1-3rd place winners.

20.00 Closing doors

Pitching competition for research teams for innovative healthcare design.    

Semifinals on the 28th of November. Finals on the 29th of November at Health Design 2017
 
Prizes: 50 000  € for implementing the  solution

Even if the team doesn’t win, they have a chance to get valuable feedback from the Health Design jury. Teams also have an opportunity to form new partnerships.

Competition partner: Instrumentariumin Tiedesäätiö sr

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Towards the Future Workshop will be held after the conference. More details to be announced
Host: THL / STM Well-Being and Health AIRO project

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Need & research based pitching competition for innovative #Medtech, #Healthtech, #DigitalHealth and #Pharma solutions

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
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Thank you! Your submission has been received!
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Welcome to the Health Design 2025 pitching competition: Health_Spin_

Do you want to improve and impact human well-being? Do you have a novel health product/service that has a strong clinical and market need?

Investor lead partner: FIBAN

Want to join in as investor contact: otto.olavinen@northbay.fi / +358 40 763 7918
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Apply by 10th of October. The competition is held live at Aalto University Finland on 28th and 29th of October.

Health Design Pitching Competition is open for  Nordic / Baltic startups and university spinouts establishing their companies.

The language of the competition is English. Participants will be pre-selected by a Health Design Jury based on their applications.

Our emphasis is on innovations that address real needs for patinets and clinicians while providing solutions that can scale globally.Wheather you are a spinout from a univiversity of a startup started from a garage you are welcome as long as you provide a solution that creates a real and measurable impact that can also generate a profit for your company and investors.

Previous winners:
2025: Surgerix (Round closing in spring 2026 – 200K€ Angel syndicate winner & VC favourite)
2024: Kiwecare (Round closed in spring 2025 – 100K€ Angel syndicate winner), Otos (VC track winner), Polku Therapheutics (VC track winner)

2017–2019: Glucomodicum 30K, Afekta 15K, Maculaser 5K, Brain Care 20K, Advaneedle 15K, Resistomap 5K

This year the winners will get investment discussions with Nordic / Baltic Angels and VC's.

For Angels interested to join the pitching syndicate tickets are typically in the range of 20K€-10K€
Inquiries: otto.olavinen@northbay.fi +358 40 7637918

Use the code contestant to get 30% of all normal and late bird tickets: inlcuding attendee and startup exhibitor ticket (inc 2 tickets):
Pre register here: https://link.webropol.com/ep/healthdesign2026-Pre-Register
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APPLICATION OPENING SOON!

start.hopohopo.io/apply/
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Criteria

Need: What is the problem? Who needs your solution? What is the outcome they need vs their current state?
Approach: What is your solution and what is the impact you hope to achieve in the future?
Benefits: What are the outcomes and benefits you offer
Competition: Who are your competitors, how does your solution compare?

Team: Why are your team and your working environment uniquely qualified to make all this happen?

partners_

Organisers:

Northbay is a company that builds ideas. A Creative agency that Directs, Designs and Develops. By specializing on research and technology intensive clients, we look to make an impact in a local and global landscape.

Healthtech Finland is is an industry association and part of Technology Industries of Finland. Healthtech Finland is also a community: we foster our industry’s growth and collective knowledge.

Aalto University is a multidisciplinary community where science and art meet technology and business. We are committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future.

HUS - The Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa - is a Joint Authority formed by 24 municipalities. The aim is to offer patients in all member municipalities a timely and equal access to specialized medical care.

All rights reserved by Northbay