Why Wales Is the Living Lab the World Needs Before Glasgow

When I think about the coming months, two events stand out: our Health Data Forum Summit in Cardiff (24–26 September 2025) and ISPOR Europe in Glasgow (9–12 November 2025).

At first glance, they might seem like competitors. Both bring people together around health data, evidence, and innovation. But the truth is: they complement each other perfectly.

• Cardiff gives us signal. A small group of 120, sitting in roundtables, world cafés, and fireside chats. Wales becomes our living lab — a national example of trusted research environments, ethical AI, and patient engagement at scale. We get to see, touch, and debate how data governance works in real life.

• Glasgow gives us scale. Thousands of professionals, dozens of tracks, posters, and scientific sessions. ISPOR is where methods are tested, shared, and amplified across the global HEOR community.

When you put them together, the journey is powerful:

• Start in Wales → build trust, see the system in practice.

• Continue in Glasgow → scale those lessons through science and policy.

That's why I'll be talking about Cardiff not just as a conference, but as a signal that guides the larger conversation. Wales is offering itself as a living laboratory. The rest of us now have the responsibility to carry those insights into global platforms like ISPOR.

For me, this is the real beauty of collaboration: signal meets scale, and local practice meets global science.

About the Editor

Paul Nunesdea is the English pen name of Paulo Nunes de Abreu, an IAF Certified™ Facilitator, Master of Ceremonies, author, and publisher of the Architecting Collaboration book series. He designs and facilitates high-impact events for corporations, public institutions, and civic organisations across Europe and beyond.

As the curator of Architecting Collaboration, Paul writes about the intersection of collaboration, facilitation, and digital transformation, drawing from decades of practical experience and system thinking. He is also the founder of col.lab | collaboration laboratory, which serves as a hub for innovation in meeting design and participatory processes, including its spin-off, Debate Exímio Lda.

In the health data space, Paul leads the Health Data Forum, a UK-registered charity advancing ethical AI adoption and digital health transformation. He spearheads the Data First, AI Later movement and manages a curated network of independent consultants specializing in health data governance and AI strategy.