The initiative of the Institute of Mother and Child has been recognized as one of the best operational solutions in global healthcare! The proprietary program MCSC Hospital Leadership Innovation, which supports collaboration between hospitals, innovators, and decision-makers, won the bronze International Hospital Federation (IHF) award in the category Mastercard Award for Hospital Operational Excellence.
Polish Competition Supporting Hospital Innovation Recognized Worldwide
The Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw was selected from over 700 entries from 37 countries. A jury of 61 international experts highlighted the unique nature of the program, which brings together the scientific community, startups, and medical facilities, creating a space for practical testing of new technologies and tools that support hospital operations.
“This is a tremendous honor for the Institute and the entire Polish healthcare sector, showing that innovations developed in Poland can shape the future of global medicine,” said Nikoletta Buczek, Deputy Head of the Implementation Department – Center for Innovation and Artificial Intelligence, while receiving the award in Geneva.
World Hospital Congress – A Prestigious Industry Event
The awards ceremony took place on November 12, 2025, in Geneva, during the 48th World Hospital Congress – an event that brings together healthcare leaders, innovators, and experts from around the world.
The World Hospital Congress is a unique global forum where IHF members and leaders of hospitals, health services, and healthcare organizations come together. This event offers an invaluable opportunity for learning and networking, focusing on the latest trends and pressing challenges in the healthcare sector.
The Congress features plenary and parallel sessions led by experts, open forums, workshops, masterclasses, poster presentations, the IHF Awards ceremony, hospital visits, the Innovation Hub, an industry exhibition, and numerous opportunities for networking and social interaction. It is a vibrant center for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and innovation, where the international healthcare community meets to learn from one another and improve service delivery at the local level.
MCSC – The Sandbox for Polish MedTech
The awarded project is part of a broader initiative by the Institute of Mother and Child – MCSC Hospital Leadership Innovation. In 2025, the fourth edition of the competition took place, with a mission to support solutions that have a direct impact on the quality of healthcare in Poland.
This year’s edition attracted 90 submissions from 21 countries, and 16 medical facilities joined the competition, demonstrating how strong and open to collaboration the network of hospitals engaged in digital medicine development has become.
“MCSC is not just a competition but a space for collaboration where innovations become reality. The fact that initiatives like MCSC are recognized and appreciated internationally is a tremendous honor for the entire team at the Institute of Mother and Child,” emphasizes Dr. Alicja Karney, Director General of the Institute.
Poland’s First Hospital-Based Medical Innovation Ecosystem
Since 2022, MCSC has consistently built an ecosystem of cooperation between the medical and technology sectors. In 2026, the fifth, anniversary edition of the competition will take place, while in parallel, the Institute is developing the concept of the MCSC Innovation Incubator – the first initiative of its kind in Poland within a hospital, aimed at creating a safe testing environment for medical technologies before their full clinical implementation.
“The incubator will allow us to shorten the distance between idea and practice. In a hospital where we face real clinical challenges every day, we can verify not only the technological potential of solutions but also their impact on treatment processes, staff comfort, and patient safety,” says Radosław Nowak, Head of the Implementation Department, Center for Innovation and Artificial Intelligence.
