Winter School 2026

Workshop on Managing Digital Transformation in the Health Sector

Date: 26th – 30th of January 2026
Location: Laurea UAS, Otaniemi Campus, Finland

ManagiDiTH Winter School and Innovation Bootcamp 2026

Invitation

We warmly invite your company to take part in the ManagiDiTH Winter School and Innovation Bootcamp 2026, held at Laurea Otaniemi Campus in Espoo, Finland, at January 26–30, 2026.

This dynamic, five-day event brings together an international cohort of approximately 100 professionals from the health sector to co-create innovative solutions to real-world challenges presented by participating companies.

Why Should Your Company Join?

By presenting a challenge, your company will:

  • Gain fresh perspectives from international and interdisciplinary teams.
  • Receive innovative concepts and prototypes tailored to your challenge.
  • Boost visibility as a forward-thinking organization committed to co-creation and innovation.

What We Ask From You?

1. Submit a Challenge

Your company can propose a real-world challenge related to product or service development in healthcare. The challenge may stem from needs such as internationalisation, reaching new target groups, or improving sustainability.

Before the event, you should formulate and submit the challenge. Participants will receive the challenges prior to the event. Challenges should be concise enough to fit the five-day timeframe. ManagiDiTH contact person will support you in refining the challenge.

2. Participate Onsite at Laurea Otaniemi campus (Espoo, Finland)

  • Tuesday, January 27 from 10:00 till 17:00: Present your challenge (5–10 min) to all participants. After the presentations and for the rest of the day, you should be able to participate in face-to-face session with students.
  • Friday, January 30 from 10:00 till 14:00: Attend final presentations where students showcase their concepts and prototypes addressing your challenge.

Who Will Be There?

  • Approx. 100 students from 15 different countries. The participants have professional background from the health sector, including doctors, nurses, engineers, and other specialists
  • Experts and teachers from the ManagiDiTH Master’s Programme
  • Other companies

About the Event

The Winter School and Innovation Bootcamp 2026 is part of the ManagiDiTH Master’s Programme. This event is a cornerstone of the Master’s Programme, offering a rare opportunity for the full international cohort to meet face-to-face and collaborate intensively. The event includes expert-led lectures, interactive workshops, and team-based innovation challenges focused on digital transformation in healthcare—from ethical AI to cross-border data sharing.

Learn more:


Join us in shaping the future of digital health innovation.
We look forward to your participation and challenge proposal!

General Agenda

(*agenda may be subject to change)

MONDAY Day 1 (January 26th)

Opening ceremony

Objective: Kick off the event with the start of the winter school and innovation bootcamp, be welcomed by the university leaders and be part of keynote sessions.

Activities

  • 09:30 – 10:00 (lobby)

    Registration – Pick up your name badges and welcome kits!

  • 10:00 – 10:15 (Auditorium)
    Welcome to Laurea – Dr. Jani Merikivi – Director of Laurea Masters’ School
  • 10:15 – 10:30 (Auditorium)

    Welcome to Winter school & Innovation bootcamp – Prof. Margarida Santos from Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon and Prof. Ruusa Ligthart from Laurea University of Applied Sciences.

  • 10:30 – 11:00 (Auditorium)

    Keynote Session with Senior Advisor Jukka Lähesmaa – Digitalization and Data Management Unit at Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health

  • 11:00 – 11:30 (Campus park)
    Coffee break
  • 11:30 – 12:15 (Auditorium)

    Keynote Session with Dr. Hugo Plácido da Silva – Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT)

  • 12:15 – 13:00 (Auditorium)
    Keynote Session with Ira Haavisto – NHG
  • 13:00 – 14:00 (Cafeteria)
    Lunch
  • 14:00 – 14:15 (Auditorium)

    Greetings from WP5 and Innovation bootcamp – Prof. Octavian Postolache

  • 14:15 – 15:30 (Auditorium)

    Teamwork – Getting to know your team, working on your challenge, understanding the context

  • 15:30 – 16:00 (Campus park)
    Coffee break
  • 16:00 – 17:45 (Auditorium)

    Teamwork – Working on the challenges, defining the scope

    Focus group interview with MundiConsulting (venue TBC)

  • 18:00
    Campus closes

TUESDAY Day 2 (January 27th)

Innovation Bootcamp: Ideation and sketching

Objective: Provide theoretical and practical insights into innovative health technologies, interact with various enterprises and participate in hands-on-activities!

Activities

  • 09:00 – 09:30 (Lobby)
    Registration
  • 10:15 – 10:30 (Auditorium)

    Intro for the day

  • 10:30 – 11:00 (Auditorium)

    Enterprises’ introductions

  • 11:00 – 11:30 (Campus park)
    Coffee break
  • 11:30 – 13:00 (Auditorium)

    Enterprises’ introductions continue

  • 13:00 – 14:00 (Cafeteria)
    Lunch
  • 14:00 – 15:30 (TBC)

    Teamwork: Student teams will have dedicated time to interact with the enterprise that proposed their challenge. This is an opportunity to ask questions, clarify doubts, and gain insights into the enterprise’s challenges, such as industry context, customer needs, and market constraints. These discussions will help students develop a well-informed Business Model Canvas and align their solutions with real business needs.

  • 15:30 – 16:00 (Campus park)
    Coffee break
  • 16:00 – 17:00 (TBC)

    Teamwork continues

  • 17:00
    End of the day
  • 19:00 (Helsinki Center)

    Winter School Dinner (self-paid) 

WEDNESDAY Day 3 (January 28th)

Innovation Bootcamp: Ideation and prototyping

Objective: Collaborative creation, ideation, testing of ideas and development of prototypes.

Activities

  • 09:30 – 10:00 (Lobby)
    Rgistration
  • 10:00 – 11:00 (TBC)

    Teamwork – Ideation

  • 11:00 – 11:30 (Campus park)
    Coffee break
  • 11:30 – 13:00 (TBC)

    Teamwork – Testing ideas, selecting the best ones

  • 13:00 – 14:00 (Cafeteria)
    Lunch
  • 14:00 – 15:30 (TBC)

    Teamwork – Prototyping

  • 15:30 – 16:00 (TBC)
    Coffee break
  • 16:00 – 17:00 (TBC)
    Teamwork – Prototyping and testing
  • 17:00 – 18:00 (Auditorium)

    MT18 Master Thesis Session

  • 18:00 
    Campus closes

THURSDAY Day 4 (January 29th)

Innovation Bootcamp: Concept creation

Objective: Collaborative creation, and concept creation.

Activities

  • 09:00 – 09:30 (Lobby)

    Registration

  • 09:30 – 10:00 (Lobby)

    Keynote Session – Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Smart Physical Therapy with Prof. Octavian Postolache from IT

  • 10:00 – 11:00 (TBC)

    Teamwork – Concept building

  • 11:00 – 11:30 (Campus park)
    Coffee break
  • 11:30 – 13:00 (TBC)

    Teamwork – Concept building

  • 13:00 – 14:00 (Cafeteria)
    Lunch
  • 14:00 – 15:30 (TBC)

    Team work – Creating a presentation

  • 15:30 – 16:00 (Campus park)
    Coffee break
  • 16:00 – 17:45 (TBC)

    Teamwork – Documentation, final rehearsal

  • 18:00
    Campus closes

FRIDAY Day 5 (January 30th)

Showcasing results

Objective:  Final presentations and closing ceremony of Winter School and Innovation Bootcamp.

Activities

  • 09:00 – 09:30 (Lobby)
    Registration
  • 09:30 – 09:40 (Auditorium)

    Intro for the day

  • 09:40 – 11:00 (Auditorium)

    Final presentations

  • 11:00 – 11:30 (TBC)
    Coffee break
  • 11:30 – 13:00 (Auditorium)

    Final presentations continue

  • 13:00 – 13:15 (Auditorium)

    Sum up of the Innovation Bootcamp and feedback 

  • 13:15 – 13:30 (Auditorium)

    Closing of the event – Final speeches from the masters’ programme committee members Prof. Margarida Santos from Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon, Prof. Ruusa Ligthart from Laurea University of Applied Sciences and Prof. Octavian Postolache from IT.

  • 13:30 – 14:30 (Cafeteria)
    Lunch

End of the Winter School and Innovation Bootcamp 2026

Acknowledgement

The Winter School 2026, taking place in Finland from 26th – 30th of January 2026, is co-financed by the European Commission and the ManagiDiTH Project partners: Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT), Mundi Consulting, Clinipower, and Whymob.