Twente Spring School 2026 - Shaping the future of health: from concept to impact
Blanca, Sergi and me (Joana) had the opportunity to attend to the Twente Spring School 2026. The theme was “Shaping the future of health: from concept to impact”, and it offered the opportunity to explore how technology, data, and society intersect in shaping the future of health.
The spring school was designed to guide us through the full lifecycle of a health innovation project:
- Day 1 – Health Systems, Technology & Society: we explored how technology is transforming health systems, policy, and society, while reflecting on the importance of responsible innovation in healthcare.
- Day 2 – New Frontiers in Data, AI & Health: through hands-on sessions, case studies, and interactive workshops, we engaged with emerging computational and data-driven approaches that are redefining health research.
- Day 3 – Implementation, Evaluation & Responsible Practice: the final day focused on human factors, systems engineering, health technology assessment, and the ethical dimensions of implementing responsible AI in healthcare.
Each day was full of very interesting talks delivered by experts from a wide range of disciplines. However, beyond the academic programme itself, what made the experience remarkable was the group of participants we shared it with. Although we all came from health-related fields, the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives made every discussion richer and gave us the chance to learn from very different ways of approaching similar challenges.
We have to say that the organisation was exceptional. Not only did the University of Twente put together an inspiring programme, but they also took very good care of all of us — a large group of highly caffeinated researchers (with three to four coffee breaks a day). Their attention to detail made possible a stimulating, collaborative, and genuinely enjoyable experience.
To top it all off, on the fourth day we had the opportunity to join a cultural trip to Amsterdam organised by the hosting university. We spent the day wandering through the city, admiring the tulips, and, of course, enjoying plenty of Dutch classics such as bitterballen.
We are very grateful for this experience and look forward to future editions of the Twente Spring School. We encourage other researchers interested in health, technology, and innovation to take part in the years to come!
Here you can see the whole group on the only day we did not eat potatoes, cheese, or mustard:
