What EBME Expo 2026 Revealed About the Future of Healthcare Technology
Recently, Director Hazel Haskayne and Director Sebastian Newton attended the EBME Expo, one of the UK's leading events for healthcare technology and medical equipment professionals.
While much of the conference focused on clinical engineering, several themes emerged that highlight how healthcare technology, procurement and innovation are continuing to evolve across the NHS and wider healthcare sector.
Moving Towards More Intelligent Hospitals
One of the strongest themes throughout the event was the move towards more intelligent and connected hospitals.
Many of the talks and exhibitors focused on connected healthcare ecosystems enabled by artificial intelligence and software platforms designed to improve efficiencies, streamline workflows and ultimately support better patient care.
There was also a noticeable focus on the NHS taking a more strategic approach to technology purchasing. Rather than assessing individual capital purchases in isolation, discussions increasingly centred on broader questions such as:
What systems work well together?
How will they connect with existing technologies?
How will they improve the hospital overall?
This shift reflects a growing focus on creating integrated environments where technologies work together as part of a wider healthcare ecosystem.
Healthcare Technology Decisions Are Becoming More Collaborative
The event also demonstrated how healthcare technology decisions increasingly require input from multiple stakeholder groups.
Clinical engineering teams, procurement professionals, theatre staff, IT departments and operational leadership all play important roles in assessing new technologies. As healthcare organisations continue to seek more integrated solutions, the traditional silos between these groups are becoming less pronounced.
The result is a more collaborative approach to evaluating technologies and understanding how they fit within the broader needs of healthcare organisations.
Infection Prevention Remains a Key Focus
Infection prevention continues to be an area of growing importance across healthcare.
Discussions at the event highlighted increasing focus on infection prevention targets, as well as the need for technologies that can support healthcare providers in meeting them. A number of exhibitors showcased new devices and technologies designed to sterilise operating rooms more efficiently while maintaining high standards of infection control.
The continued attention given to this area suggests it will remain an important focus for future healthcare technology development.
Procurement Is About More Than Acquisition Cost
Procurement discussions at the conference suggested that purchase decisions are increasingly being evaluated on more than upfront acquisition costs alone.
Factors such as total cost of ownership, service support, sustainability and future scalability were frequently highlighted as part of the decision-making process.
As healthcare providers assess new technologies, there appears to be growing emphasis on understanding the long-term value that solutions can deliver over time.
Innovation Across MedTech Continues at Pace
The exhibition floor also showcased the breadth of innovation currently taking place across the MedTech sector.
From new laparoscopic scopes and infusion pumps to automated CPR machines, there was a wide range of emerging technologies on display. The variety of solutions highlighted the continued pace of innovation across the industry and the ongoing investment in developing technologies designed to support healthcare professionals and patients alike.
Final Thoughts
Across the event, several themes emerged consistently: more connected hospitals, greater collaboration in technology decision-making, increased focus on infection prevention, evolving procurement priorities and continued MedTech innovation.
Together, these trends highlight how healthcare providers are increasingly looking beyond individual products and considering how technologies can support wider operational efficiency, clinical workflows and patient care.