On 27 May, ten finalist teams will compete for the 100K Jorge Ruas Award, alongside a keynote on AI in drug discovery by Yann Gaston-Mathé, Founder and CEO of Iktos. Join us!

The Tecnimede Open Innovation Competition has entered its final stage, with 10 finalist teams selected to present breakthrough pharmaceutical technologies at the 2026 Final Event.

The Final Event will take place on 27 May, from 14:00 to 18:10, at the Pavilhão do Conhecimento, bringing together researchers, startups, pharmaceutical industry leaders, investors, and healthcare innovation stakeholders for an afternoon dedicated to the future of pharmaceutical innovation.

Registrations are open: Secure your place here

The finalist projects demonstrate strong scientific merit, clear development potential, and compelling value propositions across areas such as AI-driven drug discovery, nanotechnology, gene therapy, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, immunomodulation, and advanced disease modelling.

The finalist teams

• Biodiffuse – A bio-based alternative to titanium dioxide used in pharmaceutical coatings, improving opacity while reducing the need for dyes and synthetic additives.
• CELLIMMUNE – A platform that converts human stromal cells into stable microparticles, enabling targeted and controlled immunomodulation in a ready-to-use format.
• Exobiosphere – Develops advanced human disease models in microgravity, enabling more physiologically relevant drug testing through high-throughput experiments in space.
• GILDED – A therapeutic platform for type 2 diabetes that delivers specific microRNAs to protect pancreatic cells responsible for insulin production.
• NanoPyl – An antibiotic-free nanotechnology designed to treat H. pylori infections by physically disrupting the bacteria, reducing resistance and preserving the microbiome.
• ohmPRO – A novel nanoparticle-based therapy with intrinsic anticancer activity, enhancing treatment efficacy while reducing the required dose of chemotherapy.
• PEPILSKIN – A multifunctional hydrogel for chronic wounds, combining antimicrobial action with tissue regeneration to accelerate healing in conditions like diabetic foot ulcers.
• SafeAlleleSCA – A precision gene therapy for Machado–Joseph disease that selectively silences the mutated gene while preserving its normal function.
• SilenSCAs– A CRISPR-based approach aiming to permanently inactivate the disease-causing gene in Machado–Joseph disease.
• VTμA Accelerate – A high-throughput tissue-on-chip platform that creates vascularised human microtissues for more predictive and scalable drug testing.

The finalist teams will present their technologies before an international jury composed of experts from academia, industry, healthcare, and investment ecosystems, competing for the 100K Jorge Ruas Award. Meet the jury here.

The event will also feature a keynote presentation by Yann Gaston-Mathé, Founder and CEO of Iktos, titled “AI in Drug Discovery: A practical look at where we are and the road ahead”. His presentation will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping pharmaceutical R&D and accelerating the discovery and development of new medicines.

Event programme

14:00 | Check-in & Welcome Coffee
14:15 | Welcome
14:25 | Tecnimede Open Innovation Competition & Prémio Jorge Ruas
14:35 | "AI in drug discovery: a practical look at where we are and the road ahead" by Yann Gaston-Mathé (Iktos)
15:00 | Finalist Team Presentations
17:15 | Coffee Break & Jury Deliberation
17:40 | Jorge Ruas Award Ceremony
18:00 | Closing Remarks

Join us on 27 May and discover the projects shaping the future of pharmaceutical innovation.

Secure your place and view the full programme here.