ManagiDiTH – Master of Managing Digital Transformation in the Health Sector – is an EU co-funded education programme. The ManagiDiTH programme develops expertise isocietal impact, and digital skills in healthcare.
In January 2026, a 5-day Winter School will be organised for the students, and we are currently seeking company partners for this event. The Winter School 2026 supports companies’ innovation and R&D strategies by offering an international collaboration opportunity to interact with ManagiDiTH students. The students are healthcare professionals who, during the Winter School, will develop innovative concepts and prototypes that directly support the product development and digitalisation projects of the participating companies. The programme provides a hands-on way to implement R&D strategies in real-world business contexts.
What is Winter School 2026 and who is it for?
Winter School 2026 is an official event of the ManagiDiTH Master’s programme. It will take place 26–30 January 2026 at Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Otaniemi Campus, Espoo, Finland.
The event is specifically targeted at organisations working with digital transformation in healthcare that are looking for fresh, multidisciplinary perspectives on their challenges.
The programme brings together approximately 100 Master’s-level healthcare professionals from across Europe. The students are already working professionals — doctors, nurses, engineers, and other experts in the field. During the week, they work in multidisciplinary teams tackling real challenges presented by participating companies in the area of digital health transformation.
To participate as a company/organisation, you are required to:
- Submit a concrete, real-life challenge related to the digitalisation of healthcare (examples include internationalisation, reaching new target groups, improving processes with digital tools, data utilisation, etc.).
- Have a company representative present on-site on:
- Tuesday, 27 January to pitch the challenge to the student teams, and
- Friday, 30 January to attend the final presentations and receive the teams’ proposed solutions, concepts, and prototypes.
How does Winter School 2026 connect to the practical implementation of a company’s innovation and R&D strategy?
Winter School 2026 serves as a concrete channel for translating your R&D and innovation strategy into practice by providing external expertise and fresh approaches to your organisation’s real development challenges.
Over the course of five intensive days, multidisciplinary teams analyse the challenge presented by your company and develop practical, actionable solutions grounded in international healthcare expertise and the best practices of digitalisation.
Participating companies gain direct access to methods and tools introduced through expert lectures and workshops, all of which can be immediately applied to your own product development processes. These include, among others:
- Implementation of ethical AI
- Cross-border sharing of health data
- Adoption of new health technologies
The event helps identify areas for improvement in your organisation’s digitalisation projects by offering an international benchmark. Since the teams consist of healthcare professionals from different European countries, their solutions incorporate perspectives from diverse healthcare systems, regulatory environments, and patient needs. This rich, multifaceted feedback strengthens your internal innovation process and reveals opportunities that in-house development might otherwise overlook.
What practical benefits does Winter School 2026 offer companies?
What practical benefits does Winter School 2026 offer companies?
Winter School 2026 provides companies working in healthcare digitalisation with three key benefits: fresh international perspectives on your challenges, tailored innovative concepts and prototypes, and enhanced reputation as a pioneering organisation.
Networking opportunities represent a significant advantage. During the event, your company will interact with approximately 100 students from the international Master’s programme, ManagiDiTH partners, and other participating companies. These connections can lead to long-term partnerships and collaboration opportunities that extend beyond immediate challenge resolutions.
Expertise is deepened naturally as your company receives feedback and development proposals from multidisciplinary teams. This helps you better understand international operating models, regulatory expertise requirements across different markets, and ways to improve risk management in product development processes. The hands-on approach ensures that the developed solutions are feasible and grounded in real healthcare expertise.
The long-term impact on organisational development stems from the concrete tools and methods provided by Winter School, which can be applied to future innovation projects. Participation strengthens your company’s innovation strategy and R&D activities by offering real-world experience in international co-development and the opportunities it brings to product development.
If your organisation is developing products related to healthcare digitalisation and needs support in product development processes, managing regulatory requirements, or digitalisation projects, join Winter School by contacting us!
