Health AI Awards Ceremony: Celebrating Innovation in Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare

16/06/2026

The inaugural Health AI Innovation Awards Portugal (HAIA), held on 16 June 2026 at Lispolis – Lisbon Technology Centre, brought together healthcare leaders, policymakers, clinicians, researchers, startups, technology companies and innovators to celebrate one shared ambition: using Artificial Intelligence to create better healthcare.

Organised by Digital Health Portugal and HealthTech Portugal, the awards recognised projects that demonstrated not only technological excellence but also real-world implementation, clinical impact, responsible data governance, interoperability, and measurable value for patients and healthcare organisations.

A celebration of implementation

More than an awards ceremony, HAIA 2026 celebrated a new phase in Portugal's digital health journey.

Throughout the afternoon, representatives from Local Health Units, hospitals, universities, technology companies, startups and public institutions came together to discuss how Artificial Intelligence can move beyond pilots and become part of everyday healthcare practice.

The event reinforced an important message that emerged repeatedly throughout the discussions:

Successful AI implementation depends first on trusted data, strong governance and collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem.

Distinguished speakers

The ceremony featured contributions from leading voices in healthcare and digital transformation, including:

Ricardo Baptista Leite, CEO of HealthAI – The Global Agency for Responsible AI in Health and Chair of the HAIA Jury;
Luís Goes Pinheiro, Chairman of the Board of SPMS – Shared Services of the Portuguese Ministry of Health;
Maria de Belém Roseira, Former Minister of Health of Portugal;
Francisco Pinheiro Catalão, Secretary of State for Health Management.

Their contributions highlighted both the opportunities and responsibilities associated with adopting Artificial Intelligence across healthcare systems.

Recognising excellence across the ecosystem

The inaugural edition attracted around 30 submissions from across Portugal, representing Local Health Units, private healthcare providers, startups, research organisations and technology companies.

Projects were assessed by an independent multidisciplinary jury using a national scorecard designed to evaluate implementation maturity, clinical relevance, governance, interoperability, ethics, scalability and contribution to healthcare transformation.

Rather than focusing solely on innovation, the Awards recognised organisations demonstrating that AI can deliver meaningful improvements in clinical practice, organisational performance and patient outcomes.

Building a national community

Perhaps the greatest achievement of the first Health AI Innovation Awards was the atmosphere created throughout the event.

Healthcare professionals, innovators, policymakers and technology leaders were not simply celebrating successful projects—they were building relationships and identifying opportunities for future collaboration.

The ceremony demonstrated that Portugal possesses the talent, expertise and institutional commitment required to become a leading European ecosystem for responsible AI in healthcare.

Looking ahead

HAIA 2026 marks the beginning of a long-term initiative to benchmark best practices, encourage collaboration and accelerate the responsible implementation of Artificial Intelligence across the Portuguese healthcare system.

It also complements the broader Real Data, Better AI movement, reinforcing a simple but essential principle:

Better AI begins with better data, stronger governance and well-prepared institutions.

The journey has only just begun.

Watch the Highlights

This short video captures some of the moments, conversations and people who made the inaugural Health AI Innovation Awards Portugal such a memorable occasion.

🎥 Watch the ceremony highlights and discover how Portugal's digital health community is working together to shape the next generation of healthcare.