More than 2,500 Visits Recorded for Luxembourg's 1st Healthcare Week

The first edition of Healthcare Week Luxembourg, which took place at Luxexpo The Box in Luxembourg-Kirchberg from Wednesday 20 to Friday 22 September 2023, recorded more than 2,500 visits.

Launched at the initiative of the Luxembourg Hospital Federation (Fédération des Hôpitaux Luxembourgeois - FHL), in partnership with the event agency Quinze Mai, the event consisted of three days of conferences, round tables, debates and the presentation of the HWL Awards 2023. About 100 exhibitors were present throughout the event.

The first Healthcare Week Luxembourg kicked off on Wednesday in the presence of Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Paulette Lenert, the Minister of Social Security, Claude Haagen, the Mayor of Luxembourg City, Lydie Polfer, and FHL President Dr Philippe Turk. The event brought together healthcare representatives to discuss and debate current and future issues in the sector.

"In Luxembourg and the Greater Region, we face common challenges," stated Minister Lenert. "The health system is complex and we must anticipate the needs of the future and continue to develop our health offers in order to maintain the attractiveness of Luxembourg. In this sense, this [...] is an important event which positions Luxembourg as a leading player."

Minister Haagen added: "The field of healthcare is one of the pillars of our society. The challenges we face and will face in the future can only be overcome in collaboration with all stakeholders. One of the solutions to the many challenges is digitalisation, because it facilitates the automation of procedures, increases the efficiency of the system and makes it possible to cope with demographic developments."

Aimed at professionals in the areas of health, research and technological innovation, education and the economy, as well as representatives of state, professional or social institutions, the first Healthcare Week Luxembourg served to inform participants on the latest trends, technological advances and developments in the field of healthcare.

Dr Philippe Turk invited the audience "to think about a model of common governance of the health systems of the economic basin of our Greater Region. Our challenges are fundamentally the same; let's look together for common, cross-border solutions that may suit Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Luxembourg. The HWL 2023 is positioned as the starting point of a collective journey of exchanges within our Greater Region on health systems and a European laboratory of ideas to which your presence today gives all its legitimacy."

According to the organisers, more than 2,500 visits were recorded at Luxexpo The Box. In addition to the exhibitions on-site, the scientific programme - recognised as continuing education by Luxembourg's Ministry of Health for health professionals - gave the floor to some 80 international experts. During conferences and round tables, they addressed various current themes: the evolution of health systems in Europe, the strengthening of cross-border cooperation, the challenges linked to human resources, the patient partner and his/her care pathway, the adoption of digital innovations and the role of research and teaching in the sector.

"I think the objective has been achieved for this premiere; Healthcare Week Luxembourg was able to mobilise the sector and generate enthusiastic and constructive exchanges," noted Dr Philippe Turk.

Another highlight of the event was the HWL Awards 2023 award ceremony. These awards serve to reward the best hospital projects in the field of innovation. The FHL, Luxembourg's Ministry of the Economy and Luxinnovation awarded the Startup of the Year prize to I-virtual for its "Caducy" project, a CE-certified medical device making it possible to measure contactless physiological parameters with a simple 30-second selfie video. The FHL and the Society of Medical Sciences of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg awarded the Medical Research Award to Centre François Baclesse's project "NHL-CHIREX: Multiprofessional cross-curricular programme of theoretical, procedural, technical and non-technical teaching applied to radiotherapy in the Greater Region". This project also received the special prize from the Ministry of Social Security. Finally, the European Association of Hospital Managers awarded the Management Award (prize for the best innovative project in the field of hospital management in Europe and neighbouring countries) to Ireland-based South/Southwest Hospital Group's project "Transforming theatre, a perioperative improvement initiative across 10 hospitals".

The second edition of Healthcare Week Luxembourg will take place from 2 to 4 October 2024.