On April 14, 2026, at the PKO Rotunda in Warsaw, during the MCSC 5.0: Morning with Innovation event, the jubilee 5th edition of the MCSC Hospital Leadership Innovation program was officially launched – the largest initiative in Poland connecting hospitals with technological innovators, organized by the Mother and Child Institute.
Five years of innovation growth
“Five years ago, we started with five hospitals and one belief: that innovations must be tested in real clinical conditions and respond to the needs of specific institutions. Today – with nearly 50 facilities – we know this need was real and that the program has addressed it,” emphasized Dr. Alicja Karney, Director of the Mother and Child Institute, in her opening speech.
The significant increase in the number of medical facilities engaged in building the ecosystem and developing the MCSC Hospital Leadership Innovation competition proves the growing need to implement innovation in healthcare, as well as the trust placed in the program by both hospitals and technology partners.
Since 2022, the program has consistently built a collaborative ecosystem between hospitals and startups and technology companies. In 2022, the MCSC community included 5 institutions; today, it consists of 37 entities representing 44 medical facilities. It is one of the largest medical innovation ecosystems in the world.
A full photo report from the event can be found HERE.
Focus areas of the 5th edition
In this anniversary edition, hospitals are seeking solutions in two key areas:
- Organizational challenges of medical facilities:
- process digitization,
- operating room management,
- administrative automation,
- increasing operational efficiency.
- Medical challenges:
- diagnostic support,
- patient care,
- improving quality and safety of treatment.
Program schedule
- April 14, 2026 – launch of applications
- May 31, 2026 – application deadline
- June 17, 2026 – TOP 20 announcement
- August 10, 2026 – TOP 10 announcement
- September 15, 2026 – Hospital Innovation Summit & Demo Day
- October 2026 – Grand Finale Gala
Opening: healthcare leaders on “invisible” innovation
The event opened with a speech by Dr. Alicja Karney, followed by a presentation by Nikoletta Buczek, Deputy Head of the Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Center at IMiD, who showcased the development of the MCSC ecosystem.
The highlight of the event was two panel discussions featuring representatives of hospitals and innovators.
The first discussion, titled “Innovations invisible to patients – how healthcare organization in Poland is changing,” focused on organizational changes in hospitals – often unseen by patients, yet crucial for treatment quality.
Participants included:
- Hubert Burek – Director of Medical Technologies, PORR Group
- Paulina Tylecka – Business Director at Promedheus
- Jacek Owczarczyk – Deputy Medical Director, Warmia-Masuria Center for Lung Diseases in Olsztyn
- Dr. Marek Migdał – Director of the Children’s Memorial Health Institute
- Jacek Graliński – CEO of Bonifraters Medical Center
The discussion was moderated by Weronika Kolczyńska, Innovation Manager at the Mother and Child Institute.
Experts highlighted the importance of:
- automation of administrative processes,
- optimization of operating rooms,
- integration of systems and infrastructure.
“Decisions made at the hospital design stage – such as the location of the operating block or the layout of communication routes – are paid for by the hospital for decades. Infrastructure is not the background for innovation; it is often its prerequisite,” noted Hubert Burek from PORR Group.
The human-centered perspective was emphasized by the President of Bonifraters Medical Center:
“A patient arriving at a medical facility is often confused and frightened. They do not understand the system’s language and are unfamiliar with procedures. A hospital is not a natural or familiar place for them – on the contrary, it can evoke fear. In this context, the question arises: do we really want such a patient to interact with a bot or system? Don’t they primarily need a human being to guide them through the process?” said Jacek Graliński.
The panel concluded that the greatest innovations in hospitals are invisible not because they are small, but because their goal is to prevent undesired outcomes – such as infections, delays in surgeries, or inefficiencies in staff workflows.
Innovation in healthcare rarely emerges on its own. It arises where a hospital and a technology company meet around a specific problem and jointly search for a solution. This is precisely the goal of MCSC.
Technology and practice – from theory to implementation
After the coffee break, a presentation by technology partner VSoft took place. Milena Kamińska presented solutions supporting the management of medical facilities, focusing on digitization and operational efficiency.
Dr. Tomasz Maciejewski, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Health, also spoke:
“Innovations in healthcare should address real patient needs. Technology should support clinical decisions, improve quality of care, and enhance treatment safety – otherwise, it does not fulfill its role.”
From competition to success
The second panel, “From competition to success: stories of MCSC finalists,” focused on the experiences of participants from previous editions. The discussion was moderated by Ewelina Tomaszczyk, MBA (Mother and Child Institute).
Representatives of companies such as Clebre, UES Ultra Echo Scan, SemiRobotics, and Medbase shared practical insights on:
- implementing innovations in hospitals,
- collaborating with medical institutions,
- scaling projects in the market.
The discussion demonstrated that participation in the MCSC program significantly accelerates the development of medical technologies and facilitates their implementation within the healthcare system.
Networking and further collaboration
The meeting concluded with a networking session, where participants had the opportunity to:
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- exchange experiences,
- establish business contacts,
- discuss potential collaborations within the MCSC ecosystem.
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Report: Polish hospitals in transformation
Alongside the launch of the anniversary edition of MCSC, a report summarizing the 4th edition of the program was published.
The publication indicates that Poland’s healthcare system is at a crucial stage of transformation. The main directions of change include:
- development of outpatient care,
- integration of healthcare services,
- automation of administration,
- building a digital-first hospital model.
The report is available only in Polish.
