Spain Advances Digital Health Initiatives with New Committees and Challenges
Spain enhances healthcare efficiency through digital innovation initiatives in Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha.
Key Points
- • Madrid launches II Open Innovation Challenge for healthcare AI startups.
- • Applications for the challenge are open until September 22, 2025.
- • Sescam in Castilla-La Mancha creates a Central Digital Health Commission.
- • The commission will prioritize technological needs and oversee major healthcare projects.
Spain continues to advance its digital health landscape with two key initiatives. In the Comunidad de Madrid, the Clúster de Inteligencia Artificial has launched its II Open Innovation Challenge, aimed at fostering healthcare advancements through artificial intelligence (AI). This challenge invites startups and scaleups to submit applications until September 22, 2025, where selected teams will receive a €10,000 proof of concept funding and permission to test their solutions in real clinical settings at HM Hospitales in Madrid. This initiative seeks to replicate the success of its previous challenge in journalism, which drew over 70 applications and resulted in five successful projects designed to incorporate AI into actual workflows in media outlets.
In Castilla-La Mancha, the Regional Health Service (Sescam) has established a Central Digital Health Commission to oversee and enhance technological policies within the healthcare sector. This consultative body will identify priority technological needs based on factors such as urgency and impact. It aims to ensure a coherent approach toward the adoption of digital tools and infrastructure, and will also monitor major projects while enhancing staff training in digital competencies.
These developments reflect a significant commitment from regional health authorities to integrate advanced technologies for improved healthcare efficiency and service delivery. The Clúster’s initiatives bolster Madrid's ambition to become a European hub for AI-driven healthcare solutions, while Sescam's commission aims to streamline technology usage within its operations, positioning both regions at the forefront of health digitalization in Spain.