The project was represented at the Digital Transformation in Health (DiTH) 2026 Conference, held on 2–3 November 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece. Bringing together researchers, healthcare professionals, innovators and industry representatives, the event offered an opportunity to showcase EVOLVE2CARE’s achievements and the experiences of HealthTech innovators who collaborated with Living Labs through the project’s Open Call.
Organised within the framework of the European ManagiDiTH initiative, the two-day conference provided a platform for exchanging knowledge and exploring developments in digital healthcare, from artificial intelligence and telemedicine to interoperability, digital skills and the adoption of innovative healthcare solutions.
The Medical Physics and Digital Innovation Laboratory (iMedPhys Lab) of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), which coordinated EVOLVE2CARE, also hosted the conference, reinforcing its commitment to advancing research, collaboration and innovation in digital health.
From experimentation to innovation: EVOLVE2CARE and its Open Call innovators take the stage
A highlight of the first conference day, Monday 2 November, was the “Accelerating Demonstrations” pitching session, which brought EVOLVE2CARE and HealthTech innovators into the spotlight.
The session provided an opportunity for innovators who had participated in EVOLVE2CARE’s Open Call to showcase their solutions and build on their experiences of collaborating with Living Labs. These collaborations, enabled through the project’s financial support and experimentation framework, offered innovators the opportunity to test and refine their technologies in real-world healthcare environments, engaging with relevant stakeholders and gathering valuable feedback.
Representing the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), Francesca Sperandio delivered the EVOLVE2CARE presentation, entitled “Accelup as a matchmaking infrastructure for HealthTech experimentation: design, feedback, and innovator perspectives from the EVOLVE2CARE project.”
Her contribution highlighted the role of Accelup, the project’s matchmaking platform, in connecting innovators with Living Labs and facilitating access to experimentation opportunities. Drawing on the project’s implementation and the experiences of participating innovators, the presentation illustrated how structured collaboration, user feedback and real-world validation can help promising HealthTech solutions progress towards adoption.
Together, the EVOLVE2CARE contribution and the innovators’ pitches offered a practical perspective on the project’s approach: moving beyond the development of innovative technologies to creating the conditions for their testing, improvement and potential uptake in healthcare settings.
Connecting with the wider digital health community
Beyond the pitching session, the first day of DiTH 2026 featured discussions on digital healthcare services, telemedicine, interoperability, the European Health Data Space and emerging digital health technologies, providing broader context for the challenges and opportunities addressed by EVOLVE2CARE.
ViLabs was also represented at the conference by Vassilis Voulgarakis, contributing to the project’s continued engagement with the European HealthTech innovation ecosystem. As the partner responsible for EVOLVE2CARE’s communication, dissemination and exploitation activities, ViLabs has played an active role in promoting the project’s results and supporting their visibility and uptake.
The participation of AUTH, ENoLL and ViLabs offered another opportunity to connect EVOLVE2CARE’s outcomes with wider European discussions on innovation, experimentation and sustainable digital healthcare.
Continuing the EVOLVE2CARE journey
Although EVOLVE2CARE has completed its implementation, its results, resources and collaborations continue to contribute to the European HealthTech ecosystem.
The project’s presence at DiTH 2026, alongside innovators who benefited from its Open Call, demonstrated the value of creating meaningful connections between technology developers, Living Labs and healthcare stakeholders.
From the continued promotion of Accelup to the sharing of practical experimentation experiences, EVOLVE2CARE’s legacy lies in strengthening the pathways that bring HealthTech innovation closer to real-world care.
Learn more about DiTH 2026: Official conference website and programme
