The TIC Salut Social Foundation returns to 4YFN 2026 with the Catalonia Health Innovation Ecosystem

From March 2 to 5, 2026, the TIC Salut i Social Foundation will be present at 4YFN 2026 with its Catalonia Health Innovation Ecosystem stand, located in Hall 8.0, stand 8.0B10. Organized in collaboration with Biocat, the Foundation is leading this flagship space for the third consecutive year, with the active participation of organizations and entities that are part of Catalonia’s Health System and Social Services System, including the Department of Health and the Department of Social Rights and Inclusion, the Catalan Health Service, the Catalan Health Institute, La Unió – Association of Health and Social Entities, the Health and Social Consortium of Catalonia, the Catalan Association of Health Entities, the Catalan Association of Care Resources, and the Third Social Sector Platform of Catalonia. ACCIÓ and the Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS) are also participating.

A four-day programme bringing together public and private talent and innovation

The Catalonia Health Innovation Ecosystem is the agora that will showcase Catalonia’s most innovative and disruptive talent and projects through a total of 27 sessions presenting initiatives. Five innovation debates stand out — the Ecosystem Networking Sessions — focusing on key areas such as transfer, development, supply vs. demand in the sector, scalability, and how all of this is articulated within the European Health Data Space (EHDS):

Monday 2, 13:45–14:45: Humanistic innovation and organizational models fostering the adoption of innovation
Moderated by Marc Gibert, Innovation Coordinator at La Unió, with the active participation of professionals from Hospital Sant Joan de Déu involved in the I4kids project. This debate will highlight the importance of incorporating humanistic principles into health innovation. Through a real case study, we will explore how to put technology at the service of people, align innovation with real human needs, and ensure the ethical use of personal data.

Tuesday 3, 13:15–13:30: Testimonies from the death valley: Explaining failures so they don’t happen again!
Moderated by Jordi Jordà, Innovation Director at the Health and Social Consortium of Catalonia, this networking session will address know-how and technology transfer from research to spin-offs. The session will focus on lessons learned, shared by key stakeholders across different stages: research, development, and investment.

Tuesday 3, 15:40–16:40: Implementing and scaling up innovation: from PoC to implemented services
Moderated by Francesc Xavier Cos, Director of the Innovation and Research Support Office at the Catalan Health Institute, and Frederic Llordachs, Head of Innovation at ACES, with the participation of the Catalan Health Service, AQuAS, the Diagnostic Imaging Institute, and Biocat. The debate will focus on key aspects for adoption and scalability of innovative products and services at the intersection of public administration and industry.

Wednesday 4, 12:30–13:15: European Health Data Space, a call to action
Moderated by Montserrat Daban, Director of Strategy and International Relations at Biocat, with the participation of the Health Data Protection Office of the TIC Salut i Social Foundation, the Catalan Health Service, the Catalan Health Institute, and AQuAS. This session will address practical challenges, evolving technical standards, and real operational issues data providers face in moving from regulation to implementation.

Wednesday 4, 14:00–15:00: Social innovation, opportunities & challenges ahead
A debate bringing together representatives from the social sector, jointly moderated by Xavier Trabado, President of the Third Social Sector Platform of Catalonia, and Ascensió Heredia, Executive Director of the Social and Health Innovation Hub. This networking session will focus on four key pillars: the social ecosystem context, strategic versus operational vision, strengthening a methodological framework for innovation, and current funding programmes to drive social innovation.

The stand will also host four pitching sessions featuring some of the most significant startups in the ecosystem and will conclude on Thursday 5 from 11:15 to 13:30 with Finding solutions for the future, a pitching competition promoted by the Catalan Association of Health Entities (ACES) and the Catalan Society for Digital Health (SCSD). The competition targets health startups with innovative solutions ready for implementation, aiming to identify technologies with real impact and facilitate their market entry.

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