Experts in healthcare, technology, life sciences and public health will examine AI governance, interoperable data, precision medicine and clinical deployment.

TAIPEI, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2026 Global Health and Welfare Forum will convene 43 speakers and moderators from 11 markets on Oct. 19–20 to explore "The Future of Global Care: Achieving Trust-Centric Digital Health." The program focuses on how artificial intelligence, interoperable health data, precision medicine and next-generation care models can move from research to practical use across hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical-device companies and care networks.

Rather than treating AI as a standalone technology story, the forum brings together experts who work across the healthcare value chain. Karen DeSalvo, M.D., former chief health officer at Google and professor at Tulane University School of Medicine, will examine how AI governance can be translated into platforms and operating models. Allen Hsiao, M.D., chief health information officer at Yale New Haven Health, will address digital maturity and AI transformation inside a major health system. John Gillman, who leads strategic health initiatives for Google in Asia Pacific, will discuss FHIR-based interoperability and population-health infrastructure.

The program also highlights commercial and translational expertise. Andrea Cavalli, director of CECAM at EPFL, will connect genomics, computational methods and drug discovery. Nick Watts, director of the Centre for Sustainable Medicine at the National University of Singapore, will explore AI applications in healthcare decarbonization. Long Phi Le, M.D., deputy director of the AI Research Institute at Mass General Brigham, will discuss patient foundation models. Austin L. Chiang, M.D., chief medical officer for endoscopy at Medtronic, will examine how large language models and computer vision are entering the operating room. Yu Shyr, Ph.D., chair of biostatistics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Joshua K. Lin, executive director of an integrated healthcare data research center at Mass General Brigham, will focus on real-world evidence, electronic health records and claims data for precision care.

The forum will also address community care, health informatics, medical imaging, surgical robotics, remote care and responsible algorithms, with contributions from leaders at the Task Force for Global Health, Duke University, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the University of Sydney and other institutions.

Taiwan is one of the world's important semiconductor and ICT ecosystems. Technology companies, healthcare services and whole-person care sectors are introducing high-performance computing, AI accelerators and data platforms into medical research, clinical workflows and care services. IEK Consulting of the Industrial Technology Research Institute indicates that Taiwan's digital healthcare revenue was approximately NT$50.2 billion in 2022, representing a 10.1% year-over-year increase, with applications covering prevention, diagnosis, treatment, telehealth and hospital information systems. A 2023 survey by the Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC) of the Institute for Information Industry also showed that more than half of domestic smart healthcare companies intended to continue investing in smart healthcare product research and development. Among them, 57% of companies expected to increase their R&D headcount, while 65% planned to increase their investment in R&D costs. The above domestic industry data indicate that Taiwan's smart healthcare and medical AI are gradually advancing from technology research and development toward productization, clinical applications and implementation in care services.

Event information

• Event: 2026 Global Health and Welfare Forum
• Dates: Oct. 19–20, 2026
• Theme: The Future of Global Care: Achieving Trust-Centric Digital Health
• More information: https://www.ghwftw.org/