Conferences and symposiums Engineering the Future of Medicine – Methods, Models and Innovation
05-11-2026 Add to iCal
Bringing together researchers, international experts, research leaders, and decision-makers, the conference explores how interdisciplinary collaborations create new opportunities for discovery, innovation, and societal impact, and how universities can develop the environments, leadership, and research ecosystems needed to support them.
Bridging disciplines. Sharing knowledge. Creating solutions for tomorrow.
How do we create the conditions for interdisciplinary breakthroughs? Where will you find your next collaborator beyond your own field?
Join us at “Engineering the Future of Medicine – Methods, Models and Innovation” to explore how medicine, engineering, AI, and bioengineering can come together to address complex challenges and create new opportunities for discovery and societal breakthroughs. Discover how researchers are combining expertise across disciplines through research spanning infection biology, bioengineering, advanced materials, microfluidics, and nanoscale structures, showcasing how new methods, models, and technologies emerge when fields come together.
Free of charge and lunch included.
Keynote speakers
James Ricci
Dr. James Ricci is a Director at Schmidt Sciences, working to break down barriers in the research ecosystem and advance bold, cross-disciplinary science.
"Interdisciplinary science has the power to accelerate progress, but realizing its full potential requires research structures, strategies, and cultures that actively support bold, cross-cutting work."
Drawing on his experience shaping the structures that enable interdisciplinary collaboration, James Ricci will share insights on how organizations, funding, and evaluation frameworks can better support cross-disciplinary innovation — directly relevant to advancing medicine through engineering. The keynote will be followed by an in-depth workshop, on what it takes to make interdisciplinary research and education succeed.
Hedvig Kjellström
Hedvig Kjellström is a Professor at KTH's Department of Robotics, Perception and Learning (RPL), where her work in AI, machine learning, and computer vision bridges advanced technology with applications in health and life sciences.
As AI takes on a growing role in research, diagnostics, and decision support, questions of reliability, transparency, and trust become critical. Hedvig will share her perspective on the opportunities, risks, and responsibilities of AI's rapid development, and how we build the trust needed to use it responsibly in medicine.
Emma Kjellander
As Investment Associate, Emma Kjellander plays a key role throughout the investment process, from finding the companies and building the investment case, to backing them as they scale and measuring the impact they create. In her talk, she takes the innovation angle: what it takes for Europe's best scientists to turn deep tech breakthroughs into companies big enough to move the needle on the world's hardest problems.
Norrsken Launcher is an early-stage deep tech impact fund, rooted in the Norrsken Ecosystem. Launcher partners with Europe's best scientists and engineers to industrialise, commercialise and scale the innovations that can fundamentally change the future for people and the planet.
Programme
November 4 – Inspiration and Perspectives
A full day of presentations and discussions exploring research, leadership models, institutional structures, technologies, and collaborations that enable interdisciplinary excellence.
November 5 – From Conversation to Collaboration
A highly interactive half-day session designed to move beyond presentations and into dialogue. Engage directly with speakers and participants in discussions on interdisciplinary research, future collaborations, and the conditions that enable scientific breakthroughs.
Poster presentations and research pitches will serve as the foundation for these discussions, creating a unique opportunity to receive direct feedback from experts and peers across disciplines. Bring your own ideas, challenges, and research questions, and explore how perspectives from medicine, engineering, AI, materials science, and beyond can help advance your research, inspire new collaborations, and strengthen future projects and funding opportunities.
Registration
Deadline for registration is 20 October 2026. You will receive a confirmation by e-mail shortly after your registration. If you have not received a confirmation within about a day (please check spam), please contact the conference secretariat at engineering2026@akademikonferens.se.