From 20 to 22 September Healthcare Week Luxembourg brought together health experts and political representatives who addressed current and future health challenges including digitisation, data management and digital innovations. The HWL Awards 2023 recognised the best hospital projects in the fields of innovation.
The Healthcare Week Luxembourg (HWL) held its first edition from 20 to 22 September 2023 at Luxexpo The Box.
Launched at the initiative of the Federation of Luxembourg Hospitals (FHL) the event brought together professionals in health, research and technological innovation, education and the economy, as well as representatives of state, professional or social institutions.
FHL positioned the event as an incubator to develop ideas, partnerships and innovations that can contribute to building an efficient and resilient health system in the Greater Region.
More than 80 international experts addressed current and future issues including the evolution of health systems in Europe, the strengthening of cross-border cooperation, the lack of human resources, as well as digitalisation, data management and digital innovations.
Around a hundred exhibitors presented the latest trends, technological advances and developments in the field of healthcare, as well as medical equipment and solutions in building management, hotels and logistics. The event attracted 2,500 visitors.
“In Luxembourg and the Greater Region, we face common challenges,” said Luxembourg health minister Paulette Lenert. “The healthcare system is complex, and we must anticipate the needs of the future, and continue to develop our healthcare offers in order to maintain Luxembourg’s attractiveness”.
Social security minister Claude Haagen added that one of the solutions to the many challenges is digitalisation: “It facilitates the automation of procedures, increases the efficiency of the system, and makes it possible to cope with demographic change,” he said.
Philippe Turk, the president of the Fédération des Hôpitaux luxembourgeois (FHL), recalled that Luxembourg positions within the Greater Region with 11.7 million inhabitants, and that its health sector deals with an increasing number of patients and staff from cross-border regions as well as of expatriate workers from multiple nationalities.
HWL Awards 2023
Addressing the current cultural, social, economic and political challenges of the health sector, both nationally and across borders, he invited the audience to reflect on a common governance model for the health systems of the economic basin of our Greater Region.
“Our challenges are fundamentally the same, let’s look together for common and cross-border solutions that may be suitable for Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Luxembourg,” he said.
“Digitalization Remains One Of The Major Challenges In The Hospital And Healthcare Sectors”
During the event, the HWL Awards 2023 rewarded the best hospital projects in the fields of innovation presented by start-ups from the Greater Region.
i-Virtual, a French start-up specialised in vital-sign monitoring received the Start-up Award for its Caducy project, a CE-certified medical device that measures physiological parameters without contact with a simple 30-second video selfie. The start-up was awarded by the FHL, the Luxembourg Ministry of the Economy and Luxinnovation.
The title of “Medical Research Project of the Year” was awarded by the FHL and the Society of Medical Sciences of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the project “NHL-CHIREX: Multiprofessional cross-curricular program of theoretical, procedural, technical and non-technical teaching applied to radiotherapy in the Greater Region” of the Centre de Radiothérapie François Baclesse (CFB).
The project also received the special prize from the Ministry of Social Security.
The South/Southwest Hospital Group (SSWHG-Ireland) received the Management Award for the best innovative project in the field of hospital management in Europe and neighboring countries, from the European Association of Hospital Directors (AEDH-EAHM-EVKM).
At the closing of the HWL 2023, Philippe Turk concluded: “I think the goal has been achieved: This first Healthcare Week Luxembourg was able to mobilise the sector and generate enthusiastic and constructive exchanges.”
The second edition of Healthcare Week Luxembourg will take place from 2 or 4 October 2024.
