MTSI Day gathered stakeholders around preventive healthcare

How can healthcare needs drive research and innovation in early diagnostics and medical technology? This was the focus of MTSI Day 2026, which brought together researchers, healthcare professionals, industry and public stakeholders in Uppsala. The day featured presentations, panel discussions and workshops centred on a more preventive healthcare system.

MTSI Day is organised by the Uppsala MedTech Science and Innovation Centre, MTSI, and serves as an annual meeting place for stakeholders in medical technology. This year’s event focused on how needs within healthcare can be translated into research, innovation and new solutions.

MTSI is led by Maria Tenje, Professor and Head of the Division of Biomedical Engineering at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Uppsala University.

“It is highly stimulating to lead a centre that brings together actors from many different organisations. It is exciting to be part of these meetings across disciplinary and organisational boundaries. As a society, we face major challenges in meeting future healthcare needs, and it is crucial that we find new ways to work more preventively,” says Maria Tenje.

During the day, current research was presented in a pitch format, with researchers from Uppsala University and SciLifeLab highlighting new approaches in areas such as AI-enabled diagnostics, antibiotic resistance and genetic risk assessment.

Collaboration for future healthcare

A recurring theme was collaboration between academia, healthcare and industry. A panel discussion addressed both opportunities and challenges related to early diagnostics, including ethical considerations, data management and equitable healthcare.

Parallel workshops explored concrete challenges, such as how data can be used more effectively and how patient involvement can be strengthened in research and innovation processes.

“As a new member of the MTSI management group and representative of Region Uppsala and Uppsala University Hospital, I particularly appreciated the presentations and the constructive discussions during MTSI Day. Collaboration between healthcare, academia and other stakeholders provided both inspiration and strong conditions for future partnerships that can benefit healthcare,” says Mattias Holmgren, Head of Medical Technology at Uppsala University Hospital.

Focus on continued collaboration

The day concluded with information on funding opportunities and available support for further development of ideas and collaborations.

MTSI Day 2026 is part of Medtech Year 2026. Next year, MTSI celebrates its tenth anniversary.

Peter Westman