Throwback: Vector Medical Engineering Symposium 2026
The 4th Vector Medical Engineering Symposium took place on October 14 & 15, 2026 at the Vector Kampus Karlsruhe.
Symposium success at a glance
180+ MedTech Enthusiasts
2 days packed with know how and networking
3 inspiring key-notes
14 talks covered development strategies, tools, and challenges in embedded software
Topics covered Software-defined Medical Devices, AI in MedTech and interoperability
3 hands-on workshops
1 360 degree panel discussion
12 demo setups on MedTech development from Vector and international development partners
Program Focus
The agenda was structured around three core topics that are currently shaping medical device engineering.
AI in MedTech
From data-driven development and simulation to training, assistance systems and future clinical workflows: understand where AI can create realistic value in medical technology.
Software-Defined Medical Devices
Gain perspectives on architectures, embedded software platforms, virtual development, testing and lifecycle engineering for increasingly software-driven medical systems.
Interoperability & IEEE 11073 SDC
Explore practical approaches for connected medical devices, standardized communication, testable integration and vendor-independent interoperability in clinical environments.
Three focused topics were covered in 1h workshops
CANopen: In 20 min from EDS to Remaining Bus Simulation
CANopen is an important protocol standard in modern medical device communication. The compact hands-on experience showed how to efficiently implement a CANopen network simulation, using a given EDS file and a simulation and testing environment.
Swosh. The Unified Embedded Ecosystem ...
.. for Modern Medical Device Development.
Short-term hardware obsolescence can create major challenges for development teams, especially in complex, quality-critical systems.
This workshop provided a practical end-to-end demo how hardware changes can be managed efficiently and with reduced risk.
The focus was on a consistent shift-left approach.
Developing Medical Devices in the SDC Ecosystem
This workshop provided an introduction to the implementation of IEEE 111073 SDC-compatible devices and their testing.
