Global Health Connector Summit: From Connectivity to Care: Scaling Digital Health Together

Global Health Connector will host the 13th edition of its Global Health Connector Summit (formerly the Digital Health & Wellness Summit) at MWC / 4YFN in Barcelona, bringing together innovators and leaders from digital health, healthcare, telecoms, and startup ecosystems across Europe and globally. The event where telecommunications, healthcare and technology converge.

This year's programme, From Connectivity to Care - Scaling Digital Health Together, will explore how AI, data interoperability, 5G connectivity, and innovation are shaping the future of health, with discussions on real-world hospital use cases and health data exchange across borders.

Through fireside chats and ecosystem dialogues, participants will exchange insights and build connections to accelerate inclusive and sustainable digital health transformation.

Global Health Connector brings you CollaborAction.

Agenda 2 March 2026 | 3:00 – 7:00 PM

OPENING & KEYNOTES

15:00 – 15:10 | Welcome & Introduction
Bleddyn Rees – Deputy Chair, Global Health Connector
Karolina Mackiewicz – Innovation Director, Global Health Connector

15:10 – 15:20 | Keynote: Connectivity between Digital Health & Telecommunications
Dr. Mike Short CBE – Chair, UK Telecomms Innovation Network Advisory Board

GLOBAL VISIONS

15:20 – 15:40 | The Asia-Pacific Vision for the Future and the Role of Diagnostics in Digital Health
Gisela García-Álvarez – Executive Director APAC, Global Health Connector (Speaker & Host)
George Margelis – Chief Technology Advisor, Ageing Australia
John Jeans – Chair, 52North

15:40 – 16:05 | Panel: Connecting Health, Finance, Science and Economy to Unlock Digital Health Opportunities
Brian O’Connor – Chair, Global Health Connector (Moderator)
Joan Cornet – Founder and Promoter, InnoHealth Academy
Amit Thakker - Executive Chairman, African Health Business, and Chairperson of Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority
Karolina Mackiewicz – Innovation Director, Global Health Connector
Declan Kirrane - Chairman and Managing Director, Annual NY Science Summit coinciding with United National Science Summit (UNGA)

RESPONSIBLE DIGITAL HEALTH, AI & INTEROPERABILITY

16:05 – 16:30 | Responsible Digital Health, Including AI Adoption at Scale for Stretched Healthcare Systems
Eric Thraikill – Executive Director US, Global Health Connector (Moderator)
Verena Thaler – Manager, Data Governance & Digital Regulation, MedTech Europe
Jordi Piera - Director of the Digital Health Strategy, Catalan Health Service

16:30 – 16:55 | Access to Health Data for Research & Innovation
Karolina Mackiewicz – Innovation Director, Global Health Connector (Moderator)
Dr. Rajendra Pratap Gupta – Founder, Health Parliament
Prof James McLaughlin Cbe - Director Engineering Research Institute And Nibec Centre, Ulster University (Northern Ireland)
Ashley Pitcher - Senior Director, Real World Evidence, IQVIA
Catherine Chronaki - Secretary General, HL7 Europe

17:00 – 17:20 | Keynote: The Future of Digital Connectivity for People with Disabilities
Chris Lewis – Founding Director, Lewis Insight

INVESTMENT, PROCUREMENT & MARKET UPTAKE

17:20 – 17:45 | Investing in Digital and Mobile to Transform Healthcare
Richard Eagleton - Business Impact and Growth Director, Global Health Connector
Marloes Kibacha - Managing Director, Africa Health Business
Rossana Alessandrello - Value Based Procurement Director, Agència de Qualitat i Avaluació Sanitàries de Catalunya (AQuAS)
Adrian Johnston MBE - Innovation Commissioner, Innovation City Belfast

IMMERSIVE TECH, 5G & CONNECTIVITY IN CARE

17:45 – 18:10 | 5G PCN Technology for HoloLens, VR and AR in Hospitals
Norman Fekrat – Managing Partner, Imagine Wireles
Dr. Yujia Gao – Assistant Group Chief Technology Officer, National University Health System (Showcase)

18:10 – 18:30 | Global Cancer Ecosystem Launch
Brian O’Connor – Chair, Global Health Connector
Eduardo Pisani – CEO, All.Can
Prof. Mark Lawler - Chair in Translational Cancer Genomics, Queen's University Belfast