Focusing on Digital Healthcare: Health 2.0 Conference at Obuda University
On May 22, the John von Neumann Faculty of Informatics at Obuda University hosted the prestigious Health 2.0 Conference. The event centered on digital strategies and technologies that facilitate rapid and targeted information access for physicians, support continuous learning, and contribute to well-founded clinical decision-making.
“The Health 2.0 Conference offers a unique forum for various stakeholders in the healthcare sector. At Obuda University, we are committed to innovation, interdisciplinary knowledge, and the development of digital solutions. Our aim with this event is to foster joint thinking among physicians, healthcare decision-makers, representatives from the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries, digital health platforms, and professionals in communication and education,” said Dr. György Eigner, Dean of the John von Neumann Faculty of Informatics.
He added: “Our faculty conducts outstanding work in the fields of medical image processing, AI-supported diagnostic systems, and the analysis of digital health data.”
Dr. Zsombor Zrubka, Director of the University Research and Innovation Center (EKIK), emphasized: “Obuda University has played an active role in health innovation for many years. Our researchers are engaged in medical image processing, the development of diagnostic algorithms, rehabilitation robotics, and AI-based decision support systems. Several faculties at the university conduct research and development directly related to the modernization of healthcare. At the Physiological Controls Research Center (PhysCon), our experts focus on the measurement and interpretation of biosignals, aiming for highly accurate, non-invasive diagnostics and real-time monitoring.”
The availability of accurate information for physicians directly impacts the quality of patient care, the efficiency of healthcare processes, and the effectiveness of medical training. All actors in the healthcare ecosystem are affected, including those working in patient pathway management, therapeutic innovation, digital education platforms, and technological solutions for health communication.
Renowned, forward-thinking healthcare professionals gave presentations at the conference, including Prof. Dr. Tamás Haidegger, head of the Medical Robotics Research Group at Obada University and CEO of Obuda University Initium Venture Labs Zrt. He emphasized that the coming decade will present serious challenges for both doctors and engineers. In the past, robotic arms were primarily used in the automotive industry for hazardous tasks—today, they assist in surgeries across numerous medical fields. Medical robotics is undergoing rapid technological advancement, with around 300 projects currently aiming to commercialize robotic surgery innovations. The da Vinci system has become one of the most successful surgical robot models. Despite the automation, decision-making still remains in the hands of the surgeon. Globally, the number of robot-assisted surgeries has reached 30 million, and Hungary already has nine such surgical robots in its healthcare institutions, as noted during the conference. However, Prof. Haidegger stressed that the market is expected to change radically over the next 5 to 10 years, particularly regarding the issue of autonomy. The coming decade will pose a major challenge for engineers and doctors alike: determining to what extent physicians are willing to delegate autonomy to robots.
A special aspect of the conference is its outstanding independence in both content and organization. The Hungarian Health 2.0 community has operated for over a decade as a non-profit, business model-free initiative, relying solely on the voluntary intellectual contributions of its members and their commitment to healthcare digitalization. The community’s founder and leader, Gábor Gyarmati, CEO of Ripassa KFT., has been working for decades to promote and support the digital transformation of healthcare and the health industry. The main sponsor of the event was Richter Gedeon Plc., which supports the initiative not only financially but also as a long-term strategic partner to the professional community.
Digital Healthcare Advancements at the University
Several significant health-related projects are currently underway at Obuda University.
One of the most prominent is the MedLaBotX project, launched in collaboration with the National University of Singapore and Stanford University as part of the HU-rizont program. The goal is to develop digital twin-based medical and laboratory robotics solutions. Over the course of the three-year cooperation, researchers are working on new robotic algorithms applicable to surgical robotics and laboratory automation, with special emphasis on enabling artificial intelligence to effectively interact with the physical world.
Another key initiative is the Tamed Cancer project. Led by Rector Prof. Dr. Levente Kovács, the research group is developing a personalized, mathematically modeled approach to cancer treatment. Their algorithms aim to optimize tumor growth regulation, thereby reducing side effects and improving patients' quality of life.
The university has also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Bethesda Children’s Hospital. The shared objective is to advance pediatric healthcare and innovation by combining engineering and medical expertise. The partnership involves joint research and development in medical technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and informatics, as well as the exploration of establishing a joint innovation center.
He added: “Our faculty conducts outstanding work in the fields of medical image processing, AI-supported diagnostic systems, and the analysis of digital health data.”
Dr. Zsombor Zrubka, Director of the University Research and Innovation Center (EKIK), emphasized: “Obuda University has played an active role in health innovation for many years. Our researchers are engaged in medical image processing, the development of diagnostic algorithms, rehabilitation robotics, and AI-based decision support systems. Several faculties at the university conduct research and development directly related to the modernization of healthcare. At the Physiological Controls Research Center (PhysCon), our experts focus on the measurement and interpretation of biosignals, aiming for highly accurate, non-invasive diagnostics and real-time monitoring.”
The availability of accurate information for physicians directly impacts the quality of patient care, the efficiency of healthcare processes, and the effectiveness of medical training. All actors in the healthcare ecosystem are affected, including those working in patient pathway management, therapeutic innovation, digital education platforms, and technological solutions for health communication.
Renowned, forward-thinking healthcare professionals gave presentations at the conference, including Prof. Dr. Tamás Haidegger, head of the Medical Robotics Research Group at Obada University and CEO of Obuda University Initium Venture Labs Zrt. He emphasized that the coming decade will present serious challenges for both doctors and engineers. In the past, robotic arms were primarily used in the automotive industry for hazardous tasks—today, they assist in surgeries across numerous medical fields. Medical robotics is undergoing rapid technological advancement, with around 300 projects currently aiming to commercialize robotic surgery innovations. The da Vinci system has become one of the most successful surgical robot models. Despite the automation, decision-making still remains in the hands of the surgeon. Globally, the number of robot-assisted surgeries has reached 30 million, and Hungary already has nine such surgical robots in its healthcare institutions, as noted during the conference. However, Prof. Haidegger stressed that the market is expected to change radically over the next 5 to 10 years, particularly regarding the issue of autonomy. The coming decade will pose a major challenge for engineers and doctors alike: determining to what extent physicians are willing to delegate autonomy to robots.
A special aspect of the conference is its outstanding independence in both content and organization. The Hungarian Health 2.0 community has operated for over a decade as a non-profit, business model-free initiative, relying solely on the voluntary intellectual contributions of its members and their commitment to healthcare digitalization. The community’s founder and leader, Gábor Gyarmati, CEO of Ripassa KFT., has been working for decades to promote and support the digital transformation of healthcare and the health industry. The main sponsor of the event was Richter Gedeon Plc., which supports the initiative not only financially but also as a long-term strategic partner to the professional community.
Digital Healthcare Advancements at the University
Several significant health-related projects are currently underway at Obuda University.
One of the most prominent is the MedLaBotX project, launched in collaboration with the National University of Singapore and Stanford University as part of the HU-rizont program. The goal is to develop digital twin-based medical and laboratory robotics solutions. Over the course of the three-year cooperation, researchers are working on new robotic algorithms applicable to surgical robotics and laboratory automation, with special emphasis on enabling artificial intelligence to effectively interact with the physical world.
Another key initiative is the Tamed Cancer project. Led by Rector Prof. Dr. Levente Kovács, the research group is developing a personalized, mathematically modeled approach to cancer treatment. Their algorithms aim to optimize tumor growth regulation, thereby reducing side effects and improving patients' quality of life.
The university has also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Bethesda Children’s Hospital. The shared objective is to advance pediatric healthcare and innovation by combining engineering and medical expertise. The partnership involves joint research and development in medical technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and informatics, as well as the exploration of establishing a joint innovation center.
