As part of the TechConnect Stakeholder Conference in Utrecht, participants had the opportunity to visit the University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMCU) and see first-hand how a leading hospital turns digital ideas into everyday clinical practice.

The visit opened with a session on robot‑assisted surgery: “From Master–Slave to a Real Intelligent Machine with AR and AI”, led by Willem Brinkman. Participants heard how surgical robotics are evolving from traditional master–slave systems to more intelligent, augmented environments, using augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to support precision, decision‑making and safety in the operating room.

This was followed by “The Ufound journey | The technology behind the UMC Utrecht device service” with Thijs Dijkgraaf, offering a behind‑the‑scenes look at the infrastructure that keeps complex medical devices running. The session highlighted how robust device management, data flows and service processes are essential foundations for any ambitious digital strategy.

The tour concluded with a visit to UMCU’s e‑Health Centre, E-health Centre, Robot-OR, Innovation Hub & Prototype facility to witness and test the robotic machines that are being used for assisted surgery. For a project dedicated to understanding human–technology complementarity, there is no better classroom than a working hospital actively managing its own digital transformation.

The visit focused on the gap between how technologies are designed to work and how they actually perform in practice, the importance of co‑designing solutions with the professionals who use them, and the organisational conditions that allow innovation to take root and grow.