Health Tech Forward 2025

This is no ordinary tech conference – Health Tech Forward stands apart for its focus on quality content and unmatched networking opportunities.

Prepare yourself for two days of action, featuring targeted 1:1 meetings, empowering keynote speeches, dynamic panel discussions, and interactive fireside chats that delve into technologies revolutionising health and wellness.

Why join?

• Unparalleled networking: Make new partnerships effortlessly by using curated networking opportunities at Health Tech Forward. Book meetings with leaders, innovators, and investors and achieve your goals.
• Remarkable speakers: The event brings together leading health tech entrepreneurs, visionary investors, and key industry players to share candid insights on making a positive impact in health tech.
• Exclusive insights: Health Tech Forward is your main destination for the latest market trends. Peek into the next decade of health and wellness together with the coolest minds in the biz.
• Curated meetings: This is where the health tech crowd gathers for 1:1 meetings with key players in healthcare. Our meetings program powers over 3,000+ focused, high-quality meetings in just two days.
• Startup pitches: Every year, we host an epic pitch battle for early and growth stage startups. Join us to see how 80 rising stars are shaking up the health tech scene with their out-of-the-box solutions.
• Evening activities: Once you’ve filled up on wisdom at the event, it’s time to fill up on fun. Get ready for a mind-blowing experience set against the backdrop of Barcelona’s cityscape.

Biocat, with the support of the Government of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council, will lead The BioRegion of Catalonia Pavilion, a key space within the framework of Health Tech Forward aimed at enhancing the visibility and international projection of the most cutting-edge initiatives from the BioRegion of Catalonia.

This pavilion, conceived as a strategic meeting point within the congress, will host 10 Catalan startups from the health and wellness technology sector. These companies will have the opportunity to showcase their innovative proposals, connect with investors and key international stakeholders, and explore new avenues for collaboration and business development.

What’s the promise of AI agents in healthcare and how will we navigate the integration hurdles?

Wednesday, 03/12/2025 - 10:00h - 10:35h

AI’s role in healthcare is still being formed, and turning its potential into something truly useful isn’t easy. With LLMs becoming more accessible, bringing them into clinical practice takes careful planning and balance. Join our speakers in discussion on the real-world hurdles of integration, data governance, and adoption of AI agents.  

Speakers:

• Andreas Ringman Uggla, Partner. Serendipity Partners
• Christian Lautner, Managing Partner. Heal Capital
• Christophe Dufour, Global Head of Digital Precision Healthcare. AstraZeneca
• María González Manso, CEO & Co-Founder. Tucuvi

Immersive Technology for Cognitive and Emotional Enhancement in Long COVID Insights from Scientific Research Using Immersive Technology

Wednesday, 03/12/2025 - 10:00h - 10:45h

RehabCOVID is an innovative multimodal intervention that combines mindfulness, cognitive training, and physical activity through immersive virtual reality. The program consists of 60-minute group sessions held twice a week over 12 weeks. Designed for individuals with Long COVID, this evidence-based approach integrates advanced immersive technology to strengthen cognition and enhance emotional well-being. Results from our study demonstrated significant improvements in cognition and functionality, underscoring the potential of immersive digital interventions and the importance of timely implementation to prevent functional decline.

Speakers:

• Maite Garolera, Head of the Neuropsychology Unit. Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa

Catalonia Startup Pitch

Wednesday, 03/12/2025 - 10:00h - 10:50h

A vibrant ecosystem of Catalan companies shaping the future of healthcare through Medtech, Digital Health, and Diagnostics innovations. Remarkably, 40% of these companies are led by women CEOs, reflecting a strong commitment to diversity and leadership in the sector.

Speakers:

• Alfons Carnicero. CEO &  Founder. Able Human Motion
• Carmen Pauline Rios Benton, CEO. Doctomatic
• Laura Lizama, CEO &  Co-Founder. Heecap
• Enrique Hernandez Jimenez, CEO &  Co-Founder. Loop Diagnostics
• Aleix Serrahima, CCO &  Co-Founder. Made of Genes
• Marina Rigau, CEO &  Co-Founder. MiMARK Diagnostics S.L
• Tomás Escuin, CEO. MiWEndo Solutions
• Markus Wilhelms, CEO. MOWOOT
• Marc Casellas, CEO. Point Pressure
• Blas Diaz, COO. Time is Brain

Clyype is here to transform respiratory protection worldwide

Wednesday, 03/12/2025 - 11:20h - 11:30h

Our mission is to save lives, and we are fully committed to achieving this goal. Clyype has a direct impact on people’s health and, as an industrial initiative, it also helps strengthen the productive fabric and the communities it touches. The project is progressing as planned and is already entering key sectors, such as hospitals, clean rooms, veterinary services, and industry, across multiple countries. This global expansion demonstrates its high scalability and long-term relevance.

Speakers:

• Albert Plasencia, CEO. Clyype

European Health Data Space (EHDS): Collaboration and partnerships for successful implementation

Wednesday, 03/12/2025 - 11:55h - 12:30h

Who is responsible for ensuring data readiness – and who pays for it? Join the speakers as they explore the financial, operational, and strategic implications of building a secure, compliant, and collaborative EHDS ecosystem. What partnerships are essential for EHDS implementation, and how are vendors preparing for compliance? Learn all about it from the experts.

Speakers:

• Jesus Berdun Peñato, Project Manager at Digital Health Validation Center. Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau
• Sergio González Álvarez, Head of Innovation. EIT Health

Health Data Under Attack: Emerging Vulnerabilities in Healthcare

Wednesday, 03/12/2025 - 12:30h - 13:00h

With digital innovation taking over healthcare, new risks are emerging. It affects all market sectors – from diagnostics to medical devices and health apps we use. That comes down to sensitive patient data moving through increasingly complex systems. 

This panel will examine vulnerabilities in health tech, medtech, and AI. Experts will discuss ransomware, device security gaps, and data misuse. Join in to explore how innovation and security must advance together to protect patients and sustain trust.

Speakers:

• Laura Busquet Raich, Head of Data Protection and Compliance. Consorci de Salut i Social de Catalunya

Can AI in drug discovery actually shorten the road to real therapeutic breakthroughs?

Wednesday, 03/12/2025 - 14:00h - 14:30h

As TechBio pushes precision medicine forward, let’s take a look at how AI is being used across drug development. From AI-powered target discovery to drug repurposing, biomarker identification, and clinical trial acceleration, we’ll explore how machine learning is reshaping R&D.

Experts will weigh in: is AI delivering on its promise – or are we still chasing the hype?

Speakers:

• Jonas Béal, Head of Scientific Strategy. OWKIN
• Valentina Isetta, Global AI Innovation Lead. AstraZeneca
• Vincent Lepreux, Investment Director. Debiopharm Innovation Fund

Youth Mental Health & Immersive Engagement: Why Immersive Tools Are Effective for Teens and Young Adults (SPANISH)

Wednesday, 03/12/2025 - 15:00h - 15:30h

This session presents the real case of the Psychiatry Unit at Vall d'Hebron Hospital, where immersive technology has been used over the past four years to support teenagers during hospitalization. It will highlight how immersive experiences foster emotional regulation, engagement, and recovery in youth mental health care.

Speakers:
 

• Bárbara Citoler Naval, Clinical Psychologist, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit. Hospital Universitari de la Vall d'Hebron
• Marina Lopez Fluxa, Specialized Mental Health Nurse, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit. Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron

Value-based care but make it European: why the models from the US don’t translate

Wednesday, 03/12/2025 - 15:00h - 15:30h

Value-based care may be a global buzzword, but how it's implemented is truly regional. In the US, positive patient outcomes can translate into upside revenue for providers, while Europe, focuses skews toward cost savings and centralized incentives. 

In this session experts will uncover why US models for value-based care don’t work in the European market.

Speakers: 

• Guillem Masferrer, Partner. Asabys
• Samantha Jérusalmy, Partner. Elaia
• Ward Bijlsma, Chief Medical Officer. Equipe Zorgbedrijven

How much risk is too much? Payers and providers in the value-based care

Wednesday, 03/12/2025 - 15:30h - 16:00h

Aligning incentives between payers and providers is key, but risk is also part of the equation. So, what’s too much? This panel explores the full range of risk-sharing models, examining how financial and operational risk can be balanced when introducing new technologies into care. A lively debate is expected on how payers and providers can scale innovation while keeping long-term sustainability in mind.

Speakers:

• Sebastian Anastassiou, Partner & Head of Investments. Nina Capital
• Eric Machado, Director of Health Strategy. Cigna Healthcare
• Sílvia Vinyes Roca, Head of Innovation. DKV Innolab

Greener & smarter hospitals of the future: real-world success stories leading the way

Wednesday, 03/12/2025 - 16:30h - 17:00h

As climate change continues to challenge healthcare systems, creating climate-resilient and tech-enabled infrastructure isn’t optional – it’s essential. How can modern estates, digital tools, devices, and clinical care come together to create the smarter, greener hospitals of the future? Through real-world success stories, we’ll unpack how infrastructure decisions are evolving and why they’re core to building a more sustainable, future-ready healthcare system.

Speakers:

• Ana Maiques, CEO. Neuroelectrics

Startup pitches - Disruptive diagnostics

Wednesday, 03/12/2025 - 17:00h - 18:00h

Speakers:

• Tomás Escuin, CEO. MiWEndo Solutions

Startup pitches - Chronic Disease Management

Thursday, 04/12/2025 - 10:00h - 11:00h

Speakers:

• Roberto De La Rica Quesada, CEO. Nanodecal

Can FemTech finally go mainstream now or will the investment gap keep holding it back?

Thursday, 04/12/2025 - 10:50h - 11:25h

Despite a surge in innovation, investment in women’s health remains disproportionately low. Can FemTech finally break through and go mainstream, or will the investment gap keep holding it back? 

This panel will share behind the scenes of economics behind this market. And most importantly – what do investors need to see before they commit?

Speakers:

• Annie Theriault, Managing Partner. Cross-Border Impact Ventures
• Maxime Huerre, VP Digital Health. Eurazeo
• Oliver Pou, Strategic Partnerships Officer. Health Tech Forward
• Patricia Ripoll Ros, Patient Advocate, Health Adviser, Chief Patient Officer. Fundación VISIBLE

Success through the right partnerships: identifying the not so obvious partners and creating the unexpected value

Thursday, 04/12/2025 - 11:55h - 12:30h

Success comes from the right partnerships – but how do you spot them

This panel dives into the art of identifying strategic and sometimes surprising partnerships that competitors may overlook. Learn how thinking outside-the-box can unlock value, accelerate scaling, and boost innovation hubs.

Speakers:

• Delphine Demeestere, Director External Innovation. Lonza
• Hank Capps, EVP, Chief Information Digital Officer / President. Catalyst by Wellstar Health System
• Jorge Juan Fernández García, Chief Innovation Officer. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona

Investing in prevention: how to calculate ROI?

Thursday, 04/12/2025 - 14:00h- 14:30h

Everyone agrees that prevention is key, but who’s willing to fund it, and how do we prove it pays off? Let’s explore how to measure ROI in prevention-focused digital health, examine emerging funding models that reward long-term outcomes, and look at real-world examples of data-driven attribution. From public and private financing to innovative partnerships and investment strategies, we’ll shine a light on what it really takes to scale prevention.

Speakers:

• Daniel Oliver, Director. Capital Cell

Companies from the BioRegion interested in exploring active participation options —such as exhibition, presentations, or sponsorship opportunities— can enjoy a special 20% discount on the available packages.

For more information, please contact sponsors@healthtechforward.com, including the code Biocatpartner in the subject line of the message.