From 26 to 28 January 2027, the international healthcare, technology and policy communities will come together in Maastricht for the fourth edition of the ICT&health World Conference. For three days, the focus will be on a single question: how do we ensure that innovations do not get bogged down in ambitions and pilot schemes, but actually contribute to better, accessible and future-proof healthcare?
The challenges facing the healthcare sector are now well known. Staff shortages are increasing, financial pressure is mounting and, at the same time, demand for care is rising. Meanwhile, technologies such as AI, robotics, digital diagnostics and remote care are developing at a rapid pace. As a result, the discussion is shifting ever more emphatically from the possibilities of technology to the question of how innovations can be deployed responsibly, effectively and on a larger scale.
It is precisely at this intersection that the ICT&health World Conference 2027 will take place. For three days, MECC Maastricht will serve as the meeting place for an expected 10,000 healthcare professionals, executives, policymakers, researchers, technology partners and innovators from more than fifty countries. The programme features national and international keynote speeches, over 130 sessions and workshops, and more than 350 speakers.
From plans to practice
The 2027 edition builds on a trend that has become increasingly evident at previous conferences. Whilst innovation long revolved primarily around new technology and its possibilities, the emphasis is now much stronger on implementation, collaboration and demonstrable impact.
During the 2026 conference, Bianca Rouwenhorst, CIO and Director of Information Policy at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, described this development as a shift from vision to action and upscaling. This is not just about technology, but also about digital maturity, organisational strength and the question of how professionals can actually be supported by technology.
This approach will be further developed in 2027. AI in healthcare, the European Health Data Space (EHDS), data exchange, interoperability, cybersecurity, hybrid care, data infrastructure, diagnostics and robotics are among the key thematic areas. In addition, topics such as nursing innovation, workforce transformation, governance, leadership and prevention will receive particular attention. Behavioural change forms a common thread throughout.
International platform
Since its first edition, the World Conference has increasingly established itself as an international platform for substantive discussion. From the outset, the conference has brought together healthcare professionals, administrators, policymakers, IT experts, researchers and innovators from the Netherlands and abroad in Maastricht. Topics such as AI, big data, telemonitoring, patient-centred digital care and new care models played a key role, alongside the latest technologies and innovations that could be seen and experienced in practice.
In early 2026, this international element was further expanded. The conference brought together visitors from fifty countries, with over 300 speakers and more than 150 knowledge sessions. In addition to the public programme, workshops and consultation sessions took place between, amongst others, government bodies, university medical centres (UMCs), healthcare organisations and companies. This meant the conference was emphatically more than just a venue for showcasing innovations: solutions, collaboration, policy and implementation took centre stage.
The venue also contributes to this international character. Maastricht lies at the heart of the Euregio Meuse-Rhine, with Belgium and Germany nearby. Moreover, MECC Maastricht is easily accessible via international transport links and is within walking distance of Maastricht Randwyck station.
Three days, different perspectives
The programme for 2027 is spread over three substantive days, each with its own focus. On 26 January, the emphasis will be on developments transforming healthcare, including AI, diagnostics, data availability and new care models. The second day will focus more strongly on the transition from strategy to implementation, with attention to leadership, governance, funding, upscaling and collaboration between the healthcare sector, government and technology.
On the final day, the focus shifts to day-to-day healthcare practice. Nursing leadership, innovation on the shop floor, workforce transformation and smarter organisation of care will be among the key topics.
Speakers already announced include representatives from the healthcare sector, government, academia and international organisations, amongst them Marco Marsella from the European Commission, Bianca Rouwenhorst from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), Helen Mertens from Maastricht UMC+, Eric Sutherland from the OECD, Eyal Zimlichman from Sheba Medical Centre and Rasu Shrestha from Advocate Health. The programme will be finalised in the coming period.
Meet, learn and collaborate
In addition to keynote speeches and presentations, the programme comprises knowledge sessions, workshops, panels, in-depth sessions and live demonstrations. The conference thus provides an opportunity not only to discover new developments and insights, but above all to exchange knowledge and experiences on what works in practice, where the challenges lie and which innovations can truly make a difference. Many of these solutions and applications can also be seen and experienced first-hand.
Networking and knowledge-sharing are therefore an essential part of the conference. It is precisely outside the day-to-day healthcare setting that there is scope for discussions which do not always take place naturally within organisations – about what is holding things up, what choices need to be made, and how successful applications might work elsewhere. The international setting adds an extra dimension to this: experiences from different countries, healthcare systems and disciplines come together, enabling participants to compare solutions, learn from one another and forge new collaborations.
Ultimately, the ICT&health World Conference 2027 is therefore about the next phase of healthcare innovation. It is not just about demonstrating what is technologically possible, but about highlighting what actually works, what can be scaled up responsibly, and what is needed to embed innovations sustainably in day-to-day healthcare practice. For the challenge in the coming years is not a lack of innovation, but the ability to actually integrate proven solutions into healthcare.
The ICT&health World Conference 2027 will take place from 26 to 28 January 2027 at MECC Maastricht. The more than 130 sessions and workshops are currently being scheduled and will be announced in stages over the coming period. There is already considerable interest in attending, and registrations are coming in fast.
Further information about the speakers, key themes and participation can be found on the website of the ICT&health World Conference 2027.
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