Nearly 100 Hungarian SMEs Join International Health Innovation Circuit

Over the past six months, more than 90 Hungarian SMEs have had the opportunity to showcase their healthcare innovations on the international stage. The innovation competition, organised by EIT Health and iLex powered by Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has opened doors for these companies to find European partners to validate and market their projects. Among numerous outstanding projects, nine were awarded first place in six categories by an international jury. These projects range from a smart pen for post-stroke rehabilitation to a needle-free medication delivery system.

The competition concluded in early June with an awards ceremony at the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BKIK) headquarters. EIT Health InnoStars, part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union and the iLex Group, a legal-innovation development and AI research start-up group, invited applications from innovative SMEs whose projects promise significant impacts in the healthcare industry.

Participating teams showcased their innovations to a European audience through EIT Health’s extensive network, gaining insights and feedback from international experts, and learning about European best practices in health innovation. The entries were judged by a nine-member jury of Hungarian and international experts, chaired by Hans Hofstraat, former Vice President of Innovation at Philips Research. Other notable jury members included Dr. Ferenc Dietz, President of Dennis Gabor University; Bertalan Jászkuti, CEO of Syreon Research Institute; Ákos Csókay, Secretary General of BKIK; and Dr. Tamás Bábel, a biotechnology expert.

Distinguished guests at the award ceremony included László Bódis, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, who spoke about SME innovation activities and state programmes aimed at strengthening SMEs. Ádám Rottenbacher, Chief Operating Officer of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) was also a key speaker of the event, highlighting the contribution the EIT makes to support innovative SMEs. Honoured guests at the ceremony included László Korányi, Deputy Director General of the National Innovation Agency; and Ákos Karsay, Head of Department at the National Health Insurance Fund Management.

The EIT emphasizes collaboration between education, research, and industry, the so-called knowledge triangle. To underline this commitment, representatives from several higher education institutions attended the ceremony, including the University of Óbuda, University of Debrecen, Hungarian University of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, and Dennis Gabor University. Investors and accelerators, such as the White Unicorn incubator and venture capitalists from Óbuda University, including Imre Hild from Széchenyi Capital Fund and Ákos Dervalics from GreenBrother, were also present.

“No one can innovate alone; collaboration and networking are essential—and this competition has significantly facilitated that. We are proud to provide a platform where talented entrepreneurs can showcase and validate their developments, finding new partners to enter the European market. Hungarian entrepreneurs can collaborate with organizations like SYNLAB Italia, one of Europe’s largest diagnostics groups. Networking proves effective, as recently demonstrated by a French research institute developing and marketing a test for diagnosing bipolar disorder with SYNLAB Italia. We hope to soon assist Hungarian innovators in finding the partners they need to advance,” said Dr. Ferenc Pongrácz, Deputy CEO of EIT Health InnoStars and one of the jury members.