#DHWS2023
The Digital Health & Wellness Summit was held once again at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, 28 February
Join us at the DHWS23 to:
Meet the key healthcare leaders, providers and clinicians to understand their roadmap in terms of investment and deployment;
Discover the latest innovative digital solutions for health and wellness;
Identify business opportunities and projects;
Share your knowledge and learn from a community of digital health experts from across the world.
About MWC & 4YFN
MWC Barcelona is the industry’s largest and most influential connectivity event. It’s where world-leading companies and trailblazers share the latest thought leadership about the progression and future of connectivity. And it’s the best place for networking opportunities with mobile and tech industry influencers.
4YFN is the most influential startup programme in the world.
4YFN is the home of the growing global tech startup community, creating lasting connections among startups, investors and corporations.
4YFN is an event of MWC Barcelona, the premier event for the global mobile industry.
Exhibitors
Startups founders
Countries and territories
Agenda
28 February
9.10-9.20
Opening & Welcome
- Bleddyn Rees, Chair at The Digital Health Society, UK
- Andy Bleaden, Communities Director at ECHAlliance, UK
9.20-10.00
Global Digital Health, What is happening, new, and trending?
Speakers with experience from Health systems, academia and technology and pharmaceutical industries will share insight into the latest developments and opportunities in digital health.
- Martin Curley, Professor of Innovation at Maynooth University and Visiting Professor at University of Bath, IRELAND
- Jon Warner, US President at ORCHA & Panel, USA. PRESENTATION
- Julio Sánchez, Head of Innovation at CINFA, SPAIN
10.00-10.30
The role of HCP in innovation, deployment, procurement and startups & Q&A from Startups
What is the role of healthcare professionals in the development of digital health, its deployment and procurement? Perspectives from HCP in the world of consulting, technology, and clinical practice. An opportunity to ask questions about clinical roles in digital health start-ups.
- Tobias Silberzahn, Partner at McKinsey & Company, GERMANY
- Monica Povedano, Head of the department of Neurophisyiology at Bellvitge Hospital, SPAIN
- George Margelis, Independent Chair at Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council, AUSTRALIA
10.30-11.10
Scaling Digital Health Globally
The global leaders of digital health, coming from Europe, India, Africa and the US will share their experience in connecting the dots globally for a more accessible and scalable digital future of tomorrow. They will also share calls to action for global transformation of health and wellbeing.
- Brian O’Connor, Chair at ECHAlliance, IRELAND
- Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Chair at Health Parliament, INDIA
- Dr Amit Thakker, Executive Chairman, Africa Health Business, AFRICA
- Ann Mond Johnson, CEO at American Telemedicine Association, USA
11.10-11.30
Break & Networking
11.30-12.10
Patients voices & user-centric design to increase access to health services and products
The speakers representing civil society, healthcare provider as well as industry will discuss the importance of applying the user-centric design perspective to the development of digital health products and services, as well as their practical experience in their implementation and potential costs of ignoring listening to the patients.
- Denis Costello, Executive Director at CML Advocates Network, SWITZERLAND
- Janette Hughes, Director of Planning and Performance at DHI, SCOTLAND
- Teresa López-Fando, Coordinator of Programmes and Services at the Spanish Association Against Cancer, SPAIN
- Victoria Betton, Director at PeopleDotCom, UK
12.10-12.20
Fireside Chat with Rich Scarfo
- Bleddyn Rees, Chair at The Digital Health Society, UK
- Rich Scarfo, President at HLTH, US
12.20-12.50
SKILLS: What skills do we need for digital health scale?
We won’t be able to implement the digital products and services at scale without skilling, reskilling and upskilling the patients, healthcare professionals and solution providers. How do we know which skills are needed and how to ensure everyone has them, not only today but also in the future?
- Zara Pons Vila, Collaboration Lead Scandinavia at EIT Health, SWEDEN
- Michael Peolsson, BSc, MSc, PhD, International coordinator, Programme officer at Swedish eHealth Agency, SWEDEN
12.50-14.00
Lunch break & Networking
14.00-14.30
DATA: Business opportunities in wellness and healthcare
What is happening in the global marketplace for health data and what are the latest technology innovations relating to that data? Listen to the insight from the Head of the McKinsey Health Tech Network and Qualcomm’s leader in multi-device experiences across wireless platforms and ecosystems
- Tobias Silberzahn, Partner at McKinsey & Company, GERMANY. PRESENTATION
- Kabir Kasargod, Senior Director at Qualcomm Technologies Inc, USA. PRESENTATION
14.30-15.00
GREEN HEALTH: The industry takes responsibility
According to the data, healthcare systems’ climate footprint is 4,4% of global net emissions and if it was a country, it would be the 5th biggest CO2 emitter. The industry can help limit its impact on the climate through a variety of actions, investing in decarbonising healthcare and driving them through sustainable procurement practices. The speakers will share their experience on this emerging topic.
- Elisa Frenz, CEO & Co-Founder at Health Procurement Europe, GERMANY
- Dr Oriol Estrada Cuxart, Chief Strategy Officer at the Germans Trias Hospital in Badalona, SPAIN
- Ilias Iakovidis, Adviser at DG CONNECT, European Commission, BELGIUM
15:00-15:30
CinfaNext. A collaborative way to innovate in the Health Sector
- Julio Sánchez, Head of Innovation at Cinfa, SPAIN. PRESENTATION
15.30-15.50
Data: Examples of health innovation- how to share and curate
- Dr. Apostolia Karabatea, Project Manager at Gnomon, GREECE. PRESENTATION
- Adam Milward, CEO and Co-Founder at Metadataworks, UK. PRESENTATION
15.50-16.10
Break & Networking
16.10-16.40
The role of technology in Independent living
While the technology has a potential to ensure that all people will be able to live at home independently, the question of sustainability, user-friendliness, user acceptability and uptake remains. The session will explore the potentials and identify the areas for further actions.
- Moderator: Jon Warner, US President at ORCHA & Panel, USA. PRESENTATION
- George Margelis, Independent Chair at Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council, AUSTRALIA. PRESENTATION
- Kari Kohtamäki, Senior Advisor at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, FINLAND. PRESENTATION
- Sergio Murillo Corzo, Minister for Social Action at Government of Biscay, SPAIN
16.40-16.45
Join a Global Community
- Andy Bleaden, Communities Director at ECHAlliance, UK
16.45-17.35
Digital Health Disruptors – Pitch Battle
Meet the 5 top Digital Health startups exhibiting at 4YFN23 and watch them pitch on stage to investors to become winner of the 4YFN 2023 Digital Health pitch battle!
Jury:
- Helena Torras, Venture Partner at Hans(wo)menGroup, SPAIN
- Sara Secall, General Partner at Inveready, SPAIN
- Yahel Halamish, Investment Principal at Nina Capital, SPAIN
Start ups:
- Anna Bondarenko, Founder at DeHealth, FRANCE
- Carmen Pauline Rios Benton, Co-Founder & COO at Doctomatic, SPAIN
- José Carlos Pulido, founder CEO of Inrobics, SPAIN
- Tomàs Lóbez Pérez, CEO at Nixi for Children, SPAIN
- Soumya Sunder Dash, Co-Founder & CEO at Sleepiz AG, SWITZERLAND
17.35-17.45
Conclusion & Closing
- Brian O’Connor, Chair at ECHAlliance, IRELAND
1 March
9:30 – 11:30
Global Health Connector Council meeting – by invitation only
13:00 – 14:50
A vision for the future of digital health: a stakeholder workshop re: the 2030 agenda – by invitation only
This multi-stakeholder workshop is the part of the dialogue on the 2030 digital health agenda that the ECHAlliance leads together with its ecosystems within the EU-funded preparatory action “CONNECTINGHEALTH”. The results will contribute to the designing of the futures scenarios for the digital health and be part. It’s an important step in designing the action plan that will guide the future actions and spending in this area in Europe.
15:30 – 17:00
Kick-off the Value Based Procurement Subcommittee of the Innovation and Transformation Commission of the Catalonian Department of Health – by invitation only
Speakers
Registration
We will be again at the heart of MWC Barcelona at Fira Gran Via. This means that all MWC Barcelona 2023 tickets give you access to the full 4YFN startup event experience.
ECHAlliance members have special discounted registration.
Become a partner
Become a partner to increase your opportunities to raise your profile and showcase your products, services and innovations, meet other innovators, investors and buyers. Find other business opportunities and associate your brand to a leading international innovation event.
Please contact Beatriz through the button bellow for more information

Check DHWS 2022 edition:
Learn more about the speakers, sessions, attendees and highlights of the day. Check the photo gallery and interesting speakers interviews.