Innovating Biomedical Devices
Student Competition & Showcase 2026
The Innovating Biomedical Devices (BMDs) Competition & Showcase invites students from Three Unite! partner universities — KTH Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Politecnico di Torino (PoliTo), Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Wroclaw Tech) — to propose innovative solutions addressing challenges in the design, development, and application of Biomedical Devices.
The competition includes two stages, first-stage selection and an in-person showcase at Politecnico di Torino (PoliTo) on 4th September 2026. Participants will gain hands-on experience, interact with experts, and compete for recognition and awards.
✨ All Disciplines Welcome (Engineering × Medicine × Design × Science…)
🏆 The top 15 shortlisted teams from the first-stage selection will attend the event at PoliTo (Turin, Italy)
💰 The top 10 teams (excluding the PoliTo teams) will receive a reimbursement of €350 per person.
🎁 During the event, they will present their work and compete for final cash awards: 1st place – €800; 2nd place – €600; 3rd place – €400; Best Presentation – €200.
Innovating Biomedical Devices (BMDs)
Possible biomedical applications include (but are not limited to):
- Wearables (exoskeletons, smart prosthetics, biosensing patches, glucose monitors, ECG wearables, orthotic devices)
- Implantable Medical Devices (pacemakers, VADs, TAHs, neurostimulators, cochlear implants)
- Bioelectronic Medicine, Organ-on-Chip, and Regenerative Medicine solutions
Possible technological domains include (but are not limited to):
- Biosensors and Bio-signal Processing
- Advanced Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering
- Micro-robotics / in vivo biomedical robotics
- Wireless Power Transfer (e.g., inductive coupling)
- Energy Harvesting (heat, motion, bioelectricity, etc.)
- Microfluidic & Lab-on-Chip Systems
- Smart Drug Delivery Systems
- AI-driven Diagnostic Tools
- Neural Interfaces and Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI)
- Open to Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD students from KTH Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Politecnico di Torino (PoliTo), Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Wroclaw Tech).
- Students may participate individually, or in teams of up to 3 members.
- Interdisciplinary and cross-university teams are highly encouraged.
- Register via the official registration link below by the deadline: 30 April 2026
📝 Registration Form → - Note: You can register as an individual first, then find a teammate, or participate as a one-person team. If you later form a team, you do not need to register again—just submit accordingly.
- Submit required documents before the deadlines below.
- I. For the first-stage selection: One Technical Description (maximum 2 pages, PDF format). Please refer to Section 5 (Evaluation Criteria) for the main aspects that your proposal should address, as the evaluation is based not only on technical content but also on the practical application of ideas. The IEEE format must be used; templates can be found here: https://www.ieee.org/conferences/publishing/templates. Please use the A4 Word template or LaTeX template, including figures, tables, and references, if any.
- * All submissions must include a clearly identifiable original contribution by the participants. Work extending prior developments, documentation, or publications is admissible only if the participants' contribution can be properly demonstrated and if the submission advances beyond the state of the art, rather than simply reproducing established results from the literature.
- It must be submitted by 1 June 2026, via email ibd.competition@gmail.com
- Email Subject & File Naming Format: [IBD 2026 Submission] - [Team Name] - [Project Name]. Example: IBD 2026 Submission – Team Alpha – Intelligent Robotic System for Neural Rehabilitation
- Announcement of the Shortlisted Teams will be by July 31st, 2026.
- II. For the shortlist teams during the event day at PoliTo: Must: A Poster, a Presentation PPT; must be submitted by 2 September 2026, via email, ibd.competition@gmail.com; Optional: Video, prototype, documentation, any other related.
Each submission will be evaluated on a 1–10 scale in the following areas:
- Innovation — originality, creativity, and innovative application of technology
- Feasibility — practicality and technical viability
- Technical Accuracy — soundness of the engineering or scientific approach
- User (Patient)-Centered Design — patient usability, comfort, and relevance
- Potential Impact & Sustainability — contribution to the advancement of BMDs in real applications
- Note: This is NOT just a conceptual design contest. Every submission must integrate a specific technological component—such as AI, IoT, micro-robotics, wearable tech, advanced materials, microfluidics, wireless power/energy harvesting, or software frameworks—and clearly demonstrate how the technology addresses the problem and provides a practical solution.
- We encourage students to extend their theses and final-year projects and join this event. We accept work derived from a thesis only if it has been translated into a concrete application prototype or a functional Proof of Concept (PoC), or entries extended from academic theses, provided they demonstrate a transition from theory to an innovative application.
- This call prioritizes the application of ideas. We are looking for "What can this do?" rather than "What does the data say?". Researchers are not excluded; rather, we want them to latch onto their existing findings to build something new.
- Use your research as the foundation to build a tool, service, or product.
- Special attention will be given to submissions that demonstrate concrete technological implementation and clearly show how technology solves the problem at hand.
- Note: If you submit your work to us, it may be made public as part of the competition. If you wish to protect your intellectual property (e.g., patents), please ensure appropriate protection beforehand.
The evaluation panel consists of experts from academia and industry, including specialists in biomedical engineering, electromagnetics, electronics, biomaterials, and implantable devices.
PoliTo
KTH
Wroclaw Tech
I3P Incubator, PoliTo
PoliTo
PoliTo
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 31 March 2026 | Competition Call Launch |
| 30 April 2026 | Registration Deadline |
| 8 May 2026 | Webinar for all registered participants, with Q&A and team matching |
| 1 June 2026 (23:59 CET) | Submission Deadline |
| 31 July 2026 | Announcement of the Top 15 Shortlisted Teams |
| 4 Sep. 2026 | In-Person Event Day at PoliTo: Showcase, Talks, Award Ceremony |
Morning
- Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Presentation by the Teams – phase 1
- Coffee break
- Presentation by the Teams – phase 2
Lunch Break
Afternoon
- Expert talks by professors, researchers, and industry professionals
- Q&A with specialists in BMDs, implantable devices, sensors, and medical innovation
Coffee Break
Awards
- Announcement of final ranking and awards to the teams
I3P Incubator Visit
- Brief introduction to I3P and its startup ecosystem (incubation model, startups, and success stories)
- Informal interaction with startups and students
Networking
- Networking reception with academics, industry partners, and participants
- Social Dinner
Note: The detailed timeline will be provided after the registration deadline
- Certificates for all participants, including those not shortlisted
- Cash awards for the top-ranked teams
- Opportunity to meet industry and academic mentors
- Featured spotlight in Unite! dissemination channels
- Winning projects may be invited for further collaboration or development
For inquiries, partnership interest, or clarifications, please contact the Organizing Committee via ibd.competition@gmail.com or the organizers/coordinators from your university, as listed below.
The official website is https://www.wirelessimd.org/ibd_competition_2026/, where you can find the latest updates. We will also regularly share information about registered participants.
PhD Student, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wroclaw Tech
nadhiri.kaijage@pwr.edu.pl
This competition, including the event and travel reimbursements, is funded by the UNITE! Seed Fund.
