Digital health revolution: Hamburg in the spotlight of new innovations!

Digital health revolution: Hamburg in the spotlight of new innovations!

On July 7, 2025, an important event will take place in Hamburg under the motto “Competencies and skills for digital change in health”. This conference is hosted by the FernUniversität in Hagen, Faculty of Economics. The event highlights the digital transformation in healthcare, which is characterized by a growing demand for professionals with entrepreneurial thinking and digital skills.

The event brings together a wide range of participants, including startups, students and industry experts. Introductory keynote speeches from well-known experts will form the framework. Among the speakers are Ralf Degner from Techniker Krankenkasse, Dr. Friderike Bruchmann from XO Life and Philip Ihde from HelloBetter, all of whom provide significant insights into the digitalization of healthcare. The focus is also on the presentation of digital solutions by startups as well as the ideas and prototypes from students from the “Applied Digital Entrepreneurship” seminar.

Program and highlights of the event

The program begins at 4:30 p.m. with admission, followed by a welcome by Prof. Dr. Winkler at 5:00 p.m. A marketplace pitch session by founding teams and student innovation teams starts at 5:30 p.m., with eight teams presenting their digital health solutions. A subsequent panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. will provide space for discussions about crucial competencies for innovation in healthcare. The event ends at 7:15 p.m. with a celebration of the FernUniversität's 50th anniversary.

Prof. Dr. Winkler will end the event with a closing and thank you note. At this event, the necessary skills for specialists and founders are on the agenda, and a call is also made to universities to prepare for training the next generation of digital health experts.

The challenges in healthcare

The digital transformation in healthcare is not only discussed at the event, but it also reflects the current challenges facing the industry. Loud PMC Demographic change is a key challenge, accompanied by the increase in age-related diseases and new diseases such as Covid-19. A significant proportion of older people suffer from multimorbidity, which makes care even more complex.

The aim of digital support in the healthcare sector is to help both service providers, i.e. doctors and pharmacies, as well as patients. In particular, the causes of the existing shortage of skilled workers in the healthcare system must be addressed. Solutions are needed that can support both patients and the healthcare system itself. Digital applications in the area of ​​e-health promote a more active involvement of patients in their healthcare.

A series of laws that lay the foundation for an improved digital infrastructure will create the legal framework for digitalization in the healthcare sector. These include the E-Health Act, the Digital Care Act and the Patient Data Protection Act, to name just a few. These legal regulations aim to promote the digital networking of everyone involved in the healthcare system.

From 2025, everyone with statutory health insurance will receive an electronic patient file unless they object. This innovation is supported by the telematics infrastructure, which enables the secure exchange of information between different healthcare actors. However, in order to realize these advances in the e-health sector, technical requirements such as appropriate technologies and user-friendliness as well as data protection requirements are also crucial.

In summary, the event in Hamburg shows that digital transformation in healthcare is more than just a trend; it is a necessity. The challenges are diverse, but so are the opportunities. In order to optimize digital healthcare, innovative ideas and exchange between the various players are essential. The focus on digital skills could be crucial for the future of healthcare. Therefore, it is time to prepare the next generation of digital health experts well.