MEDICA 2025 as a hotspot for “Future Health Tech” – be there for a live firework display of ideas and innovations

In 2025, MEDICA in Düsseldorf, the world’s leading trade fair for the healthcare and medical technology industry, is once again setting standards as the focal platform for future technologies in healthcare, true to its campaign motto “Meet Health. Future. People”. The redesigned MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM – which incorporates the previous MEDICA HEALTH IT FORUM – forms a showcase for the full spectrum of digital innovations. Whether artificial intelligence, robotics, mobile health or digital twins: this is where top international speakers, key opinion leaders, influencers and start-ups come together to think ahead and discuss the trends of tomorrow. Together with the Wearable Technologies Show and the extended MEDICA START-UP PARK, a vibrant “Future Tech Hotspot” comes into being in Hall 12 for the trade fair’s duration (17 – 20 November 2025).

Monday, 17 November: Wearables, genomics and digital twins

To kick things off, the MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM stage will focus on wearables, health tech, genomics and digital twins. Dr. Saskia Biskup, co-founder of CeGaT, Centre for Human Genetics Tübingen, will show how next-generation sequencing is advancing personalised medicine, from tumour diagnostics to preventive medicine. Opportunities and ethical issues will be discussed together with experts from Roche, Tailor Bio and Antegenes.

From 1:15 p.m., it all revolves around digital twins: Day Zero Diagnostics uses genome sequencing and machine learning to identify pathogens and antibiotic resistance within hours – on “day zero” of hospital admission. Prateek Singh (CEO of Akita) will show what role organ-on-chips, i.e. biochips for simulating cell cultures, can play in this. Mixed reality solutions and data models based on real human bodies (such as those developed by DARERL) support diagnostics and the development of wearables and medical devices, as Prof. Sune Darkner, Head of Clinical and Knowledge Management at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, will explain. Ebenbuild and BreathAssist combine digital lung models with innovative ventilation technology to help patients return to independent breathing.

Just think ahead! A look into the future

One highlight on Monday will be the keynote speech by Dr. Daniel Kraft, one of the world’s foremost thought leaders in digital health and future medicine, on 17 November from 2:15 p.m. – 3 p.m. His presentation on the stage of the MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM (2:15 p.m. – 3 p.m.) dissects what the future will look like as rapidly developing technologies converge, from AI and robotics to digital health, CRISPR and mixed reality. As CEO of NextMed Health, Digital.Health and Continuum Health Ventures, he is himself a driver of disruptive technologies as well. Afterwards, twelve health entrepreneurs will present their innovations on stage in the final pitches for this year’s “HEALTHCARE INNOVATION WORLD CUP” (from 3 p.m.) – a firework display of ideas and new developments! The finalists were selected from more than 250 applications. In addition to the expert jury, which will adjudicate live on site, the MEDICA audience will also vote for its favourites for the first time.

Tuesday, 18 November: How AI supports human expertise

On the second day, one of the most renowned AI experts, Prof. Paul Lukowicz from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, will introduce the possibilities of AI and big data in everyday medical practice. A panel discussion under his moderation, with Dr. Gregor A. Stavrou, Head Physician of the Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery at Klinikum Saarbrücken, and Dr. Markus Vogel, Chief Medical Information Officer at Microsoft, will shed light on how AI can support human medical expertise. In the subsequent presentations, companies such as Amazon Web Services and Semvox will demonstrate how AI companions can optimise clinical workflows, improve patient retention and support accessibility through the use of contextual and proactive technologies.

Connecting Women Leaders in Healthcare

Concurrently, the “Women Leaders in Healthcare” will meet for networking at the MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM from 11 a.m. At themed round tables, they will discuss what the innovations of tomorrow will look like and what role women will play in these.

Specifically, from 1 p.m., Dr. Antonella Santuccione Chadha (Women’s Brain Foundation), Audrey Sherman (Solventum), Dr. Isabel Schellinger (Angiolutions) and female investors such as Emily Jordan (EiT Health) will be discussing which “gender gaps” exist and why female founders and researchers still have too little access to capital and visibility – and how these gaps can be closed (e.g. through market knowledge and fairer financing models).

Prof. Ina Otte from the Institute of Diversity Medicine in Bochum will highlight how strongly gender, skin colour and social factors influence care, calling for medicine that takes everyone into account from the outset. Practical examples will be provided by Emilė Radytė (Samphire Neuroscience, winner of the “HEALTHCARE INNOVATION WORLD CUP 2024”), Polina Sergeeva (Menstruflow) and Julia Yukovich (aicuflow), who will demonstrate how their companies and solutions are closing specific gaps in care.

This will be followed in the afternoon by the 14^th MEDICA START-UP COMPETITION, with the final pitches from twelve selected start-ups and their new developments in the categories of AI, robotics, health apps and laboratory diagnostics. The jury includes Inga Bergen, one of the most sought-after innovation and digital health experts. You can also network with her beforehand at the “Women Leaders in Healthcare” event. The forum day ends with the “MEDICA Start-up Night”, which brings together the start-up scene, investors and – once again – “Women Leaders”.

Wednesday, 19 November: “Dr. Robot” and the hospital of 2030

Wednesday will start with robotics, one of the hot topics at MEDICA 2025: AI and robotics expert Prof. Claudio Castellini (FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg) will moderate a discussion on the Forum stage about how “man” and “machine” can work better together in everyday clinical practice – from assistance systems to innovative prostheses. A special practical perspective will be delivered by Harpal J.S. Mandaher, CEO of Sarcomere Dynamics from Canada, who will illustrate the potential of robotic technologies for therapy and care with an “empathic hand” and give a presentation on the role of embodied AI.

From 1:45 p.m., the session will focus on “Connected Medical Things”. Companies such as UL Solutions and S3 Connected Health, along with start-ups, will be showcasing the opportunities and challenges of connected medicine – from laboratory automation to blockchain-supported studies.

The “Hospital of 2030” will be examined from 2.30 p.m. Examples range from vocal biomarkers for recognising emotions to robot-assisted operations and AI-supported triage. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology will provide insights into the future of brain surgery. And because a clinic should not only be highly efficient and modern from a medical point of view, Circularmed will present software for sustainable waste management. Finally, bestselling author Thomas Schulz will talk about innovations to extend life. After that, and continuing the context of longevity, Prof. Thomas Penzel (World Sleep Society) will address the role of sleep for cardiac health.

Thursday, 20 November: Start-up innovations

On the final day, international start-ups will step onto the stage to present their innovations for future-oriented diagnostics, (mobile) monitoring and therapy. Many of the start-ups giving presentations, such as HeartHero, Cortrium, Albani Baby, Novlead and Ultrabright Biotech, will also be exhibiting in the MEDICA START-UP PARK (in Hall 12) in the immediate vicinity of the Forum stage. This is once again the central meeting point for networking and business with the start-up scene and this year boasts a record participation of more than 70 start-ups.

Support for global market access

The exhibition area of the MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM is also an exciting address for start-ups and SMEs (small to medium-sized enterprises) over all four days of MEDICA. Companies such as UL Solutions and Emergo will be in attendance: they support the certification of medical devices and their materials, components and processes. S3 Connected Health develops customised digital health solutions for pharmaceutical companies, medical technology manufacturers and healthcare providers. Semvox offers efficient AI voice control and intelligent assistance systems. And Woodmark Consulting Partner of Amazon Web Services is the point of contact for European cloud solutions.

The MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM places the future’s key topics on the agenda, as Dr. Sonja Sulzmaier, Managing Partner of Navispace GmbH and one of the organisers of the forum, explains in summary: “MEDICA is a must-attend event every year for anyone who wants to know where we stand in terms of healthcare innovations and where the journey is heading. This year, we are looking forward to international thought leaders and more than 100 hand-picked start-ups in the programme who will show us exactly that.”

Direct link to information on MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM, incl. registration for the networking event “Women Leaders in Healthcare”: https://www.medica-tradefair.com/mif2. 

Direct link to MEDICA START-UP PARK: https://www.medica-tradefair.com/msup2.

All of the details on MEDICA 2025 are available online at: https://www.medica-tradefair.com.