Hacking Health Camp: Strasbourg at the heart of health innovation

Each year, Strasbourg becomes the global hub of health innovation for one weekend during the Hacking Health Camp (HHC). This major event, organized in close partnership with the University of Strasbourg, brings together over three days a unique community of healthcare professionals, engineers, designers, entrepreneurs, patients, and students from across the globe.

Designed to break down disciplinary silos, the Hacking Health Camp is now recognized as one of the world’s largest health hackathons. Its concept is both simple and powerful: turning innovative ideas into tangible prototypes, capable of addressing today’s healthcare challenges, in just 50 hours. Since its launch in 2014, the event has led to the creation of hundreds of projects, several of which have grown into leading startups, including Pixacare and Hypno VR.

Strasbourg students in the spotlight

The 2026 edition took place from March 20 to 22 at the Strasbourg Faculty of Medicine. Over three days, participants worked in multidisciplinary teams to tackle real-world challenges, exploring topics ranging from chronic disease management to artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Among the award-winning projects in 2026 were two initiatives led by students from the University of Strasbourg:

• MediSignes Urgence, led by a student of EM Strasbourg, won the Best Patient Solution award. It introduces a tool designed to facilitate communication between healthcare providers and patients in emergency situations, particularly in cases involving language barriers or disabilities, improving both the quality and speed of care.
• Another award-winning project, REPER (Quest for Health prize), follows the same goal of improving care pathways. Developed by a multidisciplinary Strasbourg-based team of pharmacology students and a developer from Télécom Physique Strasbourg, it aims to create a tool enabling pharmacists to quickly identify potential drug interactions in elderly patients, helping to prevent hospitalizations.

Beyond these projects, other award-winning initiatives reflect the diversity of innovations emerging from HHC, such as PRIORA, a platform designed to broaden access to adaptive clinical trials and support the advancement of precision medicine.

Alsace, a hub of collaborative innovation

Beyond its tangible outcomes, projects and startups, the Hacking Health Camp showcases the strength of Alsace’s life sciences ecosystem, which includes nearly 20,000 healthcare professionals, 14,000 students, and around 450 companies. Notable examples include:

• The University of Strasbourg, its schools, and partners, which train thousands of students each year in healthcare, digital technologies, and engineering, fostering highly sought-after hybrid skill sets in healthtech.
• The trinational BioValley cluster, unique in Europe, which promotes collaboration between French, German, and Swiss stakeholders around key areas such as innovative therapies, diagnostics, and e-health.
• The Nextmed campus, which brings together researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, and industry players in a single location to shape the future of healthcare, illustrating the region’s ability to turn ideas into real-world innovations.
• Quest for Health, the Grand Est Region’s health incubator, specializing in biotech, medtech, and e-health startups. Notable companies from this program include Spartha Medical, RDS, and Hypno VR: three rising stars in biomedical research.
• The pH8, a business incubator founded in 2012 and dedicated exclusively to startups in healthcare, new technologies, and creative industries. It currently hosts over 30 companies, including Doctolib, Firalis, and Kwit.

Learn more about it: Business facilities and incubators in Alsace

By bringing together an international community around health innovation each year, the Hacking Health Camp underscores the role of Strasbourg and Alsace as major players in healthtech in Europe and globally. More than just an event, it reflects a dynamic ecosystem where students, researchers, and entrepreneurs come together to shape the medicine of tomorrow. See you in March 2027 for the next edition!