AI, robotics and quantum computing redefine future of healthcare at Tech Spirit Barcelona

On December 10 and 11, La Llotja de Mar in Barcelona hosted the sixth edition of  Tech Spirit Barcelona, a congress that has become one of the most disruptive major technology innovation events in Europe. This year, the event particularly emphasized the tensions and dualities of the digital era, analyzing how today’s technological decisions will shape society tomorrow.

Among the more than fifteen sessions on the program, the life sciences and healthcare sector played a prominent role, with leading stakeholders from sector organizations, startups and scaleups, as well as key professionals from hospitals and research centers across the country. 

Biocat organized a session titled “Lifecode 5.0: The tech awakening”, moderated by Strategic Foresight and International Relations Director Montse Daban. With the tagline “Five years, infinite disruption”, the panel explored how artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum computing will transform biomedical research and healthcare systems in the coming years. Daban opened the session by underscoring the role of women in technology and the need for more inclusive innovation: “I am sure that the technology of the future will be female, diverse and collaborative. And the disruptions ahead will only be possible if we break down the silos between sectors."

Three experts brought complementary perspectives to the debate. Marta Ivón Cárdenas, associate professor at the UPC and expert in artificial intelligence applied to heterogeneous data, stressed the need for a paradigm shift in how artificial intelligence models are developed: “Every human body is unique. Artificial intelligence models can’t continue to work with averages: omics data will define who we are and enable truly precise treatments.” She also highlighted the potential of AI to analyze energy data, with applications ranging from wearable medical devices to efficient management of hospital facilities.

Anaís Garrell Zulueta, a researcher at the CSIC-UPC Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial, emphasized that the emergence of artificial intelligence has redefined the relationship between humans and robots: “The challenge is no longer programming efficient robots, but robots that understand and adapt to humans. Natural communication will be key in healthcare robotics in hospitals.” She also warned of the associated social and educational challenges: “We need to start educating from an early age. Everyone must understand what a robot can and can’t do.” 

Finally, Arantxa Sanz, CEO of Catalonia.Health and PhD in Quantum Chemistry, shared a realistic view of the current state of quantum computing: “The theory has been solid for a century, but implementation is a massive challenge. Current systems have very few qubits and require extremely low temperatures.” Responding to a question from the audience about the potential use of nuclear fusion to maintain these temperatures, she noted: “There is research into operating at less extreme temperatures. But the challenge isn’t just about temperature: stability, scalability and security are also needed to unlock the biomedical potential of quantum computing.” Despite these obstacles, Sanz emphasized the transformative impact they can have on pharmaceutical research: “Simulating biomolecular interactions precisely is impossible with current systems. Quantum computing could change the rules of the game in drug design.” 

Experts analyze the real challenges of rolling out AI in healthcare 

Beyond Lifecode 5.0, Tech Spirit Barcelona 2025 included other sessions that reinforced Catalonia’s role as a health innovation hub and addressed the challenges of rolling out artificial intelligence in healthcare. One of these sessions was “AI in healthcare decoded: What’s real, what’s next?”, delivered by Hospital Clinic Barcelona Director of Innovation Jorge Juan Fernández. 

The speaker presented a four-layer framework—energy, data centers, models and integration— to understand the real constraints on AI adoption in healthcare, emphasizing that the success of these technologies depends as much on physical infrastructure as algorithms. In this context, he warned that “Europe faces an existential choice: to build genuine technological sovereignty now or accept governance by platforms whose architects consider democracy an obsolete operating system.” 

Fernández also addressed the relationship between humans and “machines”, stating that the future healthcare workforce will be an alliance of people, agents and robots, with key leadership to redesign work and the economy. Regarding the role of private capital, he stressed that when the underlying unit economics model isn’t viable, the current system can’t be sustained over time: history shows that in such cases the status quo eventually breaks down, giving way to profound change, not just minor adjustments. 

Finally, on the current state and short term evolution of AI, he noted that models will continue to evolve and become obsolete, while workflows and methodologies endure. In this sense, the highest performing AI players will be those capable of using it to transform their business and design new workflows.

Another sector session was “Promise vs practice: What healthcare really gets from AI”, a conversation between Jorge Juan Fernández and Pep Martorell, partner at Invivo AI, who offered a critical, nuanced view of what is real and what is hype in artificial intelligence applied to healthcare. Despite the spectacular advances in artificial intelligence, the speakers pointed out emerging limits, like data quality and governance, the physical constraints of microelectronics and rising energy use. They agreed that, despite the pace of technological change and the expectations bubble that often surrounds artificial intelligence, "real adoption in healthcare will be slow, as it depends on human and organizational factors: people, culture, processes and good governance."