Tec2Med News around the World
Article Next Big Idea | The future of SNS depends of Multidisciplinary approach
27th April, 2026
(Article in Portuguese)
“É tentador dividir o mundo em caixinhas. Cada uma correspondendo a uma realidade específica que podemos facilmente abraçar, ignorar ou até atacar. Um mundo de muitas nuances e tonalidades é desconfortável porque ele revela que somos mais semelhantes do que pensávamos e que portanto precisamos mais uns dos outros do que talvez gostássemos de admitir. Atualmente, os recursos em Saúde existem, as ideias existem, os talentos existem, mas frequentemente não existe colaboração, nem visão articulada de conjunto. Ao invés de criarmos pontes e traçarmos visão de forma realista, rumo a um SNS mais eficiente, traçamos rios e oceanos ideológicos entre nós.”
Tec2Med cofounds Algarve Health Innovation Valley
27th April, 2026
Last week Tec2Med had the honor of officially joining the Lagos WellTech Summit (LWS) for the first time, and already as a cofounder of the Algarve Innovation Valley enterprise. This project aims to transform Algarve and place it as a rich international innovation region and not merely a sun, beach and golf location. LWS was an amazing event where leaders from all over the world joined forces and insights on the discussion of how territories can and should be seen as living sensors for healthcare and organic test beds for patient driven innovation.
Tec2Med had the opportunity to present its newly recently created International Innovation Center in Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, a joint project with Hospital de Amor and Harena | Hospital de Amor, which currently has 5 startups incubated in Algarve. This is a direct response to CCDR Algarve‘s statements during the event and a confirmation of the ability of the portuguese youth to drive innovation despite the odds and the lack of local governmental support. After all, innovation is not only for the elites to wave conquests on LinkedIn but a power of the bold.The Lagos WellTech Summit was also a great opportunity for networking, to make new partners, meet old ones and to access the pulse of the region and the country in health innovation.
Many lessons could be taken but here are a few from this event:
– Portugal has yet much to work on communication between all healthcare players;
– Healthcare needs more transparency and open discussion, specially in what regards the influence of the political power;
– Territory should be used as a test bed for health innovation and a sensor for the needs of the population;
– There’s a lack of a long term plan and a common purpose driven project to join the country and Algarve’s region;
– There’s a lack of efficiency in the alocation of resources and fixation of talent which could be targeted by addressing communication and transparency.
Yet, despite the problems there’s also energy, talent and willingness in Algarve to make things happen. Tec2Med Global Innovators is here to help support that innovation on the biomedical engineering front with CIIMEB. This center is already a reality and it is here to change the ecossystem.
A new International Innovation Center in Biomedical Engineering
27th April, 2026
“The Tec2Med Summit, a pioneering technological ideation platform in medicine and One Health in Portugal, took place last October in Lisbon. Created and mostly organized by youth, the platform connects biomedical engineers, clinicians, scientists from all generations worldwide, to design new ideas to save lives. Born at FCT NOVA, Tec2Med Summit has received over 1000 people since 2019, supporting over 20 business, research, or education ideas, some still in this edition. The recent 5th European Edition of the event in Lisbon marked the 1st World Tour of the event, which debuted in São Paulo, Brazil, during September, with the support of some of the largest healthcare giants. During both events was announced the creation of the new International Center for Innovation in Medicine and Biomedical Engineering (Tec2Med CIIMEB), a pioneering R&D institution resulting from a partnership with the largest oncology center (Hospital de Amor de Barretos) and one of the largest healthcare incubators in Latin America (Harena Inovação).
The center also counts with the collaboration of Algarve Evolution, ESSCVP – CROSS ID, researchers associated with other national laboratories, including NOVA and UAlg, as well as companies. This new technological unit, located in Algarve, will revolutionize the region’s position in engineering, addressing a clear gap in the region and country. In the south of Lisbon Metropolitan area, there are no large units linked to Biomedical Engineering, which is currently conditioned by a National Health Service (SNS) with limited technological innovation and still with class stigmas regarding the presence of engineers in healthcare units. Compared to other European countries, this finally results in added pressure to healthcare professionals and increased financial resource consumption by the State.The presence of biomedical engineers benefits clinical units with more resources, optimizing their work and offering more personalized care. Many hospitals in Portugal, including in Lisbon, still manage internal information using Excel sheets and don’t cross clinical data between specialties as a practice, something Biomedical Engineering has already solved in other countries. Notably, Tec2Med association, a 2-year-old project, has supported 10 projects in the last year, without public support and mostly backed by young Portuguese talents who decided to “fight for better working conditions in their country.” The brand is already working on projects in Responsible AI, Biomedical Sensors, Wearables, and Digital Health. Solutions include virtual reality software for medical surgery, clinical resource management apps, and AI diagnostic algorithms.
“The choice of Algarve was obvious for us, as this region, due to its geographical location, potential, demographics, and needs, should be at the forefront of European technology. A region driving new ideas between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Creating new bridges and catalyzing new tourism segments. Portugal can’t continue to be stuck in a competition model based on institutional control and favoritism. We must compete with ideals, we must collaborate. There’s space for everyone, and a need for everyone. Especially since we live in a connected world. CIIMEB is the new “School of Sagres” of Biomedical Engineering” – Says the team.
Tec2Med CIIMEB aims to value biomedical engineering in Portugal, which has long been reported as needing more incentives and SNS openness to its integration into the clinical environment. The brand intends to put biomedical engineering in Portugal in line with more advanced European countries.
Assuming itself as a One Health technological transfer center, focused on communities and seeking to act in complementarity with other existing centers in the country, Tec2Med CIIMEB seeks to create bridges, fill gaps, and boost Portuguese and European technology transfer worldwide, supporting international solutions with high impact potential in Europe and Portugal. The mains areas of CIIMEB will be:
The center will also have a partner hub in Margem Sul do Tejo and another in lands of Vera Cruz. Seeking public and private investors and patrons, the entire Tec2Med brand, which presents itself as a non-profit movement driven by purpose and open to all, is an example of excellence in the highest values defended in human society.
Although already focused on one of the region’s municipalities, the brand is open to municipalities interested in transforming the region, prioritizing support for young people and entrepreneurs over other interests, and accelerating bureaucracy. The search for Truth, a deep sense of duty in serving the community, and a collaborative spirit are Tec2Med’s pillars.
Tec2Med Summit 1st World Tour
20th April, 2026
In 2025 we chose to do the impossible, expanding our mission to the other side of the Atlantic. It was not an easy decision. We had very few resources despite our immense energy and passion. Still we had faith and we committed to the challenge. After a successful 1st International edition premiered in Almada, Portugal, hosted by FCT NOVA, Tec2Med team rolled up sleeves and started planning new sailing routes for the brand. The 2023’s edition had proven that our commitment to the mission of connecting clinicians, engineers and scientists in a thriving ideation environment was worth the fight. We saw first hand the result of doing everything with a spirit of Truth and honest desire to boost impactful ideas. Douzens of people felt inspired, many ideas appeared during the Summit, some with great potential for further investment. It was once more clear to us that just doing the summit was not nearly enough.
And so we started investing in all the promising contacts and partnerships which were born during the event. And one of them, which appeared actually without us expecting at all, led us to the most special partner we could have ever met. Joel Júnior, founder of the amazing LuckieTech startup had been invited to the European Summit after presenting to us his moving company idea on a linkedin message. After the event he led us to Harena Inovação – Hospital de Amor and presented them to us. Our prayers of many years had been answered. Without fully knowing, Joel joined two teams and brands which completed each other perfectly. Right up in 2023, we started planning a potential edition in Brazil and after lots of work, in late 2024, the World Tour project was born. A year of events where we would do at least a Summit in Portugal and another in Brazil. And so we did it. In September 2025 a delegation of our Team went to Brazil, visiting Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Barretos. At each moment in Brazil, our team felt like leaving a real dream. The people, the passion, the willingness to do more and better, and the deep gratitude to a higher power invaded our spirit making us feel humbled by the opportunity we were receiving. The 1st International Edition of Tec2Med in Brazil was a success, with more than 100 people registered, most of them doctors, entrepreneurs and investors, some the biggest in Brazil. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and right away we received major proposals to expand the event in Brazil. Everyone was fascinated by how we built the Tec2Med idea and fought for it. For us, that cheered our hearts once we were receiving support from tremendously successful people as never people. After the event which brought new clients and partners, we visited Hospital de Amor de Barretos, one of the biggest oncology networks in the World. A network so well designed and equipped with the best technologies and renowned medical partners in the world, it made itself an example to all the Western Civilizations. Our team was unanimous, visiting Hospital de Amor, for itself, was worth the trip to Brazil. The whole experience brought us to our knees. Used to the Portuguese reality, visiting a hospital where doctors, nurses and even secretaries are treated as equals, and fundamental pieces of joint mission was something remarkable. The work done by Henrique Prata and his parents in this institution is worth a movie, or even a series. And not surprisingly, as Tec2Med, they built the Hospital with their eyes on Truth.
After Brazil, it was the time of the European Edition, for the first time in Lisbon. This edition was tremendously challenging. Our team was smaller, we were doing the event on a completely new date and space and with far less resources. We had one decision. Either do the event or delay it. We decided to go this time. And despite some points for improvement, 2025’s edition brought us the biggest number of partnerships and work proposals ever. The feedback was extraordinarily positive and once more we felt the fight was worth it.
“It was truly an honour to participate and contribute, even as a small component, to a gathering that is shaping future minds and empowering the people who will transform the future of health. Congratulations on the remarkable achievement of delivering such a high-impact summit. I was personally inspired by the speakers you gathered in your event.” – Medical Student
“So good! Thank you. It was worth the journey (from Algarve). Thank you so much. These people are special. Congratulations.”. – Speaker
“Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the event. It was very good” – Bank Manager (Participant)
“I loved to go, I always do. I left the event feeling inspired about life and Biomedical Engineering” – Biomedical Engineer (Participant)
Prior, in July of 2025, we also did a special course on Deep Learning techniques for Healthcare in partnership with Safe AI 4U. The amazing course sessions done by David Belo helped participants initiate new work in the field. Later in November Tec2Med participated in a roundtable in Algarve Tech Hub Summit, closing its first World Tour of events with hundreds of people involved across the Atlantic.
Tec2Med Summit 1st International Edition
19th April, 2026
The first International Edition of Tec2Med is a significant landmark in Tec2Med’s journey. By the first time ever the event was designed to welcome people from across the world, both as speakers and participants. The event was hosted in May, 2023 by FCT NOVA, and marked its 4th European edition. In an incresingly more connected world, where Science and Technology are daily evolving, building and discussing Healthcare’s future must overcome all limits, barriers and old mindsets. Values such as creativity, humbleness, altruism, excellency and empathy are crucial. Tec2Med Summit is the bridge between the present and the future of Healthcare, a platform where researchers, clinicians, future professionals (the students) and companies from any country can meet, learn and grow together. We aim to inspire people, to challenge paradigmas and to foster new interdisciplinary ideas which ultimately can improve healthcare jobs and help to save more lives.
In 2023 Tec2Med managed to welcome people from 12 different countries, to build the largest Portuguese Biomedical Job Fair, with + 40 institutions confirmed, with many job and internship opportunities, and to unite + 40 sponsors and partners under common goals. We promoted 2 competitions, one to inspire impactful research in Healthcare and another to promote new young entrepreneurial ideas in partnership with CUF Academic Center. The event offered 3 masterclasses, 12 talks, a roundtable on entrepreneurship, 2 debates and + 30 certified workshops. All of this was organized by a team of 32 young people, from 18 to 25 years old, some studying, others already working, but all united in a common mission. We thankful to all the words and messages of support like this:“I was shocked by your level of organization. I participated in many medical conferences during the years, and I know how difficult it is to organize something like this, I think you were more organized than some of those conferences.” – Dr. Jonathan Clark, Former NASA Medical Space Surgeon
We are humbled and conscious of the weight of the responsibility we carry as Tec2Med Ambassadors. Our path must not be one of pride, but one of constant growth and improvement. We faced many “impossible” situations during these last months but we listened to that old fashioned whisper inside saying: ‘We shall never surrender.’ This edition proved that we can, and that we must continue to challenge ourselves more and more every edition, that there are increasingly more people who believe in us, who share the same values, that are willing to build the future at our side.
Thank you to all the people who supported and believed in us, the partners, the sponsors, the speakers, the instructors, the ambassadors. Thank you to my team. Always remember that the world’s future depends on our personal determination to defend common values, to challenge ourselves, to accept failure and learn from it, to have empathy, to embrace duty. Never diminish your light regardless. Our resolution prevails, to inspire the future of healthcare, connect people and foster ideas that can save more lives!
Tec2Med - A Team, One Vision
18th April, 2026
Tec2Med was officially founded in 2018 by Núcleo de Biomédica da NOVA (NBN), the biomedical engineering students group of NOVA FCT. The initial idea was presented by João Nunes, president of NBN at the time, and consisted of making an event where biomedical engineering and medical students could meet to discuss the creation of new medical technologies. In the same year Alexandra Lopes, Filipa Rebelo and Miguel Barbosa joined the project and the first event happened, with remarkable success in march of 2019 with the support of NBN’s team and volunteers.
Since then and until October 2022 the event continued to be promoted by NBN. After that, by approval of the NBN’s General Assembly, the Tec2Med brand got its own independence with an agreement for the creation of a new scientific non-profit association whose mission would be to build new events, open new research lines and expand the summit to the world.
Tec2Med brand is a multidisciplinary mission, which brings together many generations and talents, with a simple goal, to create solutions which help to save lives. Through events, r&d projects and social impact projects our Team aims to build a global movement of ideation and enthusiastic innovators from medicine, engineering and science.