RSU Research Week Hackathon MedTech Sprints will explore solutions to healthcare challenges

On 25 and 26 March, the hackathon MedTech Sprints will take place in Riga during the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Research Week. Students, researchers, and healthcare professionals are welcome to participate, to develop innovative solutions and engage in start-up entrepreneurship. During the event, participants will be encouraged to generate ideas for one of two challenges, aiming to reduce the workload of healthcare professionals and improve the efficiency of care.

Register for the hackathon

Students, researchers, healthcare professionals, and innovators are invited to participate either individually or in teams, regardless of their experience, specialisation, or field of study. The event will serve as a platform for developing new ideas and fostering professional growth, offering participants the opportunity to work with mentors, take part in idea workshops, refine their presentation skills, and discover their strengths. The best ideas will be presented to a jury, with the first-place winners receiving a 700 EUR grand prize, while the second-place winners will be awarded €300. 

The hackathon is organised by the RSU Innovation Centre in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company STADA Latvia and the Latvian hub of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s (EIT) Health Knowledge and Innovation Community.

The challenges in healthcare require broad perspectives and a creative approach. Participating in hackathons is a great opportunity to combine expertise in medicine, technology, business, and product development skills such as programming to create new, viable ideas. During MedTech Sprints, participants will also be able to develop their presentation skills, learn idea-generation techniques, and establish valuable professional connections. Additionally, the best teams will receive cash prizes to encourage them to continue developing their projects

Līga Žūka, Director, RSU Innovation Centre

As part of MedTech Sprints, participants will be introduced to two healthcare challenges and invited to develop innovative solutions for one of them. STADA Latvia will focus on educating patients about biological therapies by providing clear, personalised, and accessible treatment information. Meanwhile, Rīga Stradiņš University’s challenge will address patient motivation and adherence to treatment—many patients take prescribed medication irregularly and fail to attend scheduled procedures or tests, which can negatively impact treatment outcomes. Solutions are needed to help motivate patients to follow medical recommendations diligently.

'One of the biggest challenges in healthcare today is improving patient experience and optimising the use of medical professionals' time. To help patients feel more secure in different life situations, better understand their conditions, and follow their treatment plans, while also ensuring more efficient time management for healthcare professionals, we need innovative solutions—this is exactly what we will be seeking at the MedTech Sprints hackathon,' says Jevgenija Dubro, Medical Marketing Manager Baltics at STADA Latvia.

The MedTech Sprints hackathon will take place at the RSU Innovation Centre, 12 Vīlipa iela, Riga. The event will take place on 25 March from 9:00 to 20:00 and continue on 26 March from 9:00 to 18:00, with the option to work through the night. The idea presentations and awards ceremony will be held at the RSU Pharmaceutical Education and Research Centre, 21 Konsula iela, concluding the innovation section of the RSU Research Week conference Innovation and Artificial Intelligence: The Path from Research to Practice.

RSU Research Week will begin with the 11th International Student Conference Health and Social Sciences, an annual event that traditionally brings together students from across Europe and around the world.

Four international conferences will take place in parallel from 26 to 28 March:

• The International Conference on Medical and Health Research Knowledge for Use in Practice;
• The conference Society. Health. Welfare. will bring together researchers, practitioners, and students from six disciplines: public health, psychology, environmental and occupational medicine, health management, social work, and nursing and midwifery;
• The interdisciplinary conference PLACES will bring together representatives from political science, law, economics, communication, and other branches of social sciences;
• A new addition this year will be the conference Innovation and Artificial Intelligence: The Path from Research to Practice, which will focus on the role of innovation and artificial intelligence in healthcare development.