Medical technology is coming to the markets in Leuven and Heverlee this weekend as FTI Leuven brings innovations in healthcare directly to the public.
The event, called Patatten & Prothesen, is taking place on Saturday and Sunday at the two markets. A planned Friday edition was cancelled because of forecast stormy weather.
According to the organisers, innovation in health can feel distant for many people, even though it affects everyone. By bringing the festival to a familiar public space, they want to make healthcare innovation more accessible to a wider audience.
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Leuven is home to major institutions in healthcare, research and chip technology, including UZ Leuven, KU Leuven, UCLL and imec, all located within walking distance of one another.
One of the main attractions is Ask Me Anything, a mobile consultation room where visitors can put the same health question first to an AI-powered conversation partner and then to a human expert.
On Saturday, questions were answered by bioethicist Pascal Borry, sexologist Erick Janssen and endocrinologist Roman Vangoitsenhoven. On Sunday, visitors can speak to Maarten Larmuseau about genetic genealogy, Julie Vanderlinden about sleep, and Abdullah Elbi about AI and digital privacy law.
FTI Leuven has also recreated imec’s cleanroom, the controlled environment where chips are developed and which is normally accessible only to researchers and engineers.
At De Balie, visitors can see technological innovations from organisations including Brainphonics, Axiles Bionics, Voxdale, ReVision Implant, Cochlear and Thomas More. In the demo zones, start-ups are presenting their latest technologies.
Among them is Leuven-based ReVision Implant, which is developing a brain implant aimed at helping restore sight in blind people.
Patatten & Prothesen is part of FTI Leuven, which runs until 30 October under the theme Superhuman, Above All Human. Until then, visitors can also explore the Straatlabo installations in Leuven city centre.
