Alicante (27.05.24). The Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), a foundation under the Regional Ministry of Health, organised the third edition of the INNOVA Summit in the auditorium of the Doctor Balmis General Hospital of Alicante. The event served as a meeting point to foster collaborations in the health sector among researchers, companies, science parks, and technology centres across the Valencian Community.
The innovation day, held on 27 May, was opened by the Managing Director of the Alicante – General Hospital Health Department, Francisco Soriano; ISABIAL’s Deputy Scientific Director, Enrique de Madaria; the Director of the Research Structures Secretariat at the University of Alicante (UA), Maribel Beltrán; the Innovation Coordinator of the Vice‑Rectorate for Planning and Social Responsibility at the Miguel Hernández University (UMH), José Manuel Ramos; and the Head of the Networks and Centres of Excellence Promotion Service at the Regional Ministry of Health, Ana Peiró.
The aim of the ‘Innova Summit 2024’ was to facilitate bilateral meetings between biomedical researchers and various organisations from Alicante with an interest in the health sector, in order to identify common interests, exchange needs and capabilities, and explore potential collaboration opportunities in the fields of biomedicine and health‑related biotechnology.
As the main new feature of this third edition, the event welcomed Xavier Marcet, an international benchmark in strategy, innovation, and transformation, who, under the motto ‘Strategy Is About People’, delivered a motivational lecture on the challenges facing healthcare in a future shaped by innovation and artificial intelligence, where healthcare professionals will remain the most valuable asset of institutions.
During his address, and following the central theme of innovation in healthcare, Marcet offered an inspiring perspective on current trends in artificial intelligence and its impact on the diagnosis of diseases and treatments. He also discussed innovation models in hospital management and encouraged a culture of innovation grounded in leadership, staff management, and generational change.
The programme of the ‘Innova Summit 2024’ also included a round table titled ‘Health Research – Industry, a Necessary Partnership’, featuring the startups Oscillum and Avamed Synergy from the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) Science Park, as well as the University of Alicante (UA) spin‑off InterIA. This discussion forum made it possible to analyse the synergies and challenges involved in collaboration between the academic, business, and healthcare sectors.
Innovation agent Luz López also took part in the event, delivering the lecture ‘Research and Entrepreneurship: A Science and a Path’, in which she introduced attendees to the ecosystem of open innovation, entrepreneurship, and business models.
To conclude the event, a hands‑on workshop was held, delivered by the business innovation consultancy ¿Por qué no?, where participants worked on identifying innovative ideas. The activity offered attendees an opportunity to put creative concepts into practice and apply them to their respective fields of work.
The ‘Innova Summit 2024’ was primarily aimed at ISABIAL research groups and healthcare staff from the Alicante–General Hospital health department, innovative companies and startups, staff from science and technology parks, innovation agents and technology‑transfer services, as well as any organisation interested in partnering activities within the healthcare sector.
