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Why convergence science, testbeds and digital twins must serve people not merely predict events.

This year the took place on 29 September – 2 October 2026 and brought together clinicians, policymakers, industry, and people with lived experience, with the commitment to translating ideas into actions.

"We believe non-academic stakeholders need to be involved from day zero - not simply at the point of implementation, but in defining the science, the evidence that matters and what success looks like. For us, testbeds and digital twins are not standalone technologies: they are convergence-science infrastructure, bringing together disciplines, real-world evidence and lived experience so we can generate new knowledge, test interventions, simulate possible futures, and build preparedness and equity into health systems from the outset.” – (Co-Director, School of Convergence Science, Health and Technology).

Europe’s health systems are being asked to do two difficult things at once: extend healthy life expectancy and reduce health inequalities and prepare for shocks that move faster than institutions can respond. ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, School of Convergence Science, Health and Technology and the convened a session on 30 September exploring how convergence science, digital twins and testbeds could help Europe improve prevention and health every day while strengthening preparedness for future shocks.

Drawing on the concepts of unexpected Black Swan events and high-impact Grey Rhino risks, this session convened leaders from across sectors to discuss actionable solutions that can enhance Europe’s resilience and capacity to respond to emerging challenges. Convergence science provides the operating model: bringing together disciplines, sectors and lived experience around a shared mission from the outset. Testbeds and digital twins are part of the infrastructure that makes this operational. Testbeds allow interventions, technologies and policies to be studied and evaluated in real-world settings; digital twins allow systems and choices to be represented, simulated and stress-tested before implementation. Linking the two creates a recurrent learning loop between real-world and in-silico evidence. Built well, this infrastructure can accelerate scientific discovery and translation while strengthening preparedness, equity and trust.

What does it take to build health resilience in Europe?

The first part of the session featured a panel chaired by , (), bringing together leaders from across policy, research, healthcare, philanthropy, and innovation, including (Deputy Director Jameel Institute), (Director of the Division of Health Systems at ), (CEO at ), (Medical Doctor, Head of Executive Office at ), (Co-Founder, ). Together, they explored how Europe can build greater resilience in the face of both foreseeable and unexpected challenges. Their discussion made one point unmistakably clear: resilience cannot be assembled during an emergency. It must be built in advance through shared capabilities that improve health every day and can be rapidly mobilised when needed.

“The role of convergence science here is fascinating because not only can we try to predict the future but we can test different scenarios and also test those assumptions against the real-world evidence and then have a recurrent learning loop to be able to come back with learnings and improve as you evolve.”  Ricardo Baptista Leite.

Building on lessons learned from outbreak responses, including the COVID-19 pandemic, panellists highlighted that resilient health systems depend on having the right capabilities in place before a crisis occurs. Decision-makers need access to multiple forms of evidence, from real-time and scenario modelling to economic analysis, supported by established data-sharing frameworks, technical infrastructure, and governance arrangements. Without these foundations, valuable time is lost when rapid action is required.

"I would say three different types of modelling approaches that answers three different needs of policy makers. So the first one is absolute real time modelling that takes data that we get every day from the field and converts it into outputs that will then answer questions such as in which health zone will the epidemic move next. Then we have a second type that's more the scenario modelling that can answer over a more longer time horizon. And then the third one is where convergence science is a practical application that we integrate into economic modelling" - Professor Katharina Hauck

The discussion also emphasised that digital twins and testbeds should not be treated as technology projects in isolation. Their value comes from being embedded in a wider convergence capability that connects scientific disciplines, health systems, policy, data, implementation and lived experience. Investment in this infrastructure must be guided by clear health objectives, robust scientific evidence, representative data, and public trust. Equally important is the integration of lived experience from the outset.

As Dave Henson, Co-Founder and Director of Go Assistive Technology and a double amputee, noted: “So, what I found both as someone with lived experience and someone who has studied other populations and their lived experiences that that experience helps the proper definition of the problem. And from there you can go take that experience and go and test any of your models or systems for its validation.” The panel argued that people affected by health challenges should help shape research, systems, and policies from the beginning, rather than being consulted only after solutions have been developed. Strong infrastructure can enable impact at scale, but only when it combines technological capability with scientific expertise, meaningful public involvement, and a focus on equitable outcomes.

What a health resilient Europe could look like in 2032

In a series of round table discussion that followed the panel discussion, participants imagined how Europe might respond better by 2032 to different scenarios of threats.

Although the scenarios discussed differed, a common set of priorities emerged. Panellists emphasised the need for interoperable health data that can support continuity of care across borders, with clear governance and accountability. They highlighted the importance of shared surveillance and early-warning systems capable of identifying risks at both local and national levels, alongside shared digital-twin capability, cross-border testbeds, and routine simulation and rehearsal to stress-test systems before disruption occurs. The discussion also underscored the need for adaptable workforces, prepared surge capacity, and mechanisms to recognise and deploy the skills of displaced health professionals when needed.

At the same time, resilience was seen as extending beyond healthcare alone. Panellists called for a One Health approach that recognises the connections between human and animal health, food systems, and the environment, particularly in tackling antimicrobial resistance. They also stressed the importance of trusted public communication, meaningful citizen participation, and stronger partnerships across sectors. Building resilience will require new alliances that reach beyond traditional health-policy circles to engage the communities whose livelihoods are increasingly affected by climate, environmental, and economic change.

"We're not producing the data just for the decision makers sitting in parliament. We're also producing the data that will influence the beneficiaries." Diogo Martins Head of Executive Office at Wellcome Trust

The panel also stressed that while technology can support better decision-making, it cannot replace human judgement and accountability. Models can integrate complex data, explore scenarios, and make trade-offs more visible, helping policymakers anticipate consequences before they become irreversible. However, they cannot determine societal priorities. Researchers must be transparent about the assumptions underpinning their analyses, policymakers must remain accountable for the decisions they make, and citizens and patients must play a meaningful role in shaping the tools and policies that affect them.

Asked what Europe should build first, Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, pointed to a systemic IT outage as an especially unsettling scenario. A prolonged failure of digital infrastructure would not affect health alone; it would test the interdependence of every essential service.

Preparing for such an event requires more than cybersecurity measures; it means testing how care, communication, and coordination can continue when digital systems are unavailable. As she noted, “This is not about having a UN or an NGO going somewhere, it's about the people being able and ready to respond. So, what I would like to see is how we test things involving people, involving communities, involving citizen that I've envisaged is a a no-tech scenario.”  The discussion reinforced the need for resilience strategies that place communities and people, not technology alone, at their centre.

Resilience is a daily practice

The session closed on a shared conclusion: resilience is not built in the midst of disruption. The foundations for resilience across Europe must be built now, long before they are needed.

The same convergence capabilities that support prevention, healthier ageing, longer healthy lives and reduced inequalities can also underpin preparedness for future shocks. This is why testbeds and digital twins matter as convergence-science infrastructure, not as isolated technology investments: they create the means to generate evidence, learn in the real world, simulate and stress-test choices, and adapt before failure occurs. The task now is to move from aspiration to implementation: building interoperable and trusted systems; bringing citizens, practitioners, policymakers and researchers together from the beginning; and ensuring that governance, validation and equity are as robust as the technologies they seek to guide.

The choice is not between improving health today and preparing for tomorrow. Properly designed convergence capabilities can do both: creating a Europe that can extend healthy life expectancy, reduce inequalities, learn and adapt continuously, and act faster, more equitably and transparently when pressure arrives.

This article was edited by (Co-Director School of Convergence Science, Health and Technology) and (Relationship Manager: School of Convergence Science, Health and Technology) before publication. 

For more information:  (pages 25-28) - Professor Anthony Bull, Professor Marisa Miraldo, Professor Iain McNeish and Professor Faith Osier (Co-Directors School of Convergence Science - Health and Technology) 

The video below shows the full session: