The Intersection of Science, AI, and Patient-Centred Innovation

This month, Roma English Owen, AVP Data Intelligence at Talking Medicines, attended the Barcelona Deep Tech Summit — an annual event that brings together Europe’s leading startups, researchers, corporates, investors, and institutions working at the intersection of science, technology, and entrepreneurship.

Deep tech describes companies and technologies built on advanced science and engineering, designed to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Across three days in Barcelona, the summit explored themes such as The Future of Life and the Planet, Computing and Tech Sovereignty, and From Lab to Market, focusing on how breakthrough research can create real-world impact.

For Talking Medicines, whose mission is to make healthcare more data-driven and patient-centred, the discussions reinforced how advanced data science and AI can help bridge the gap between innovation and patient experience.

Session Highlights

The Future of Health(care)

Speaker: Zayna Khayat – Health Futurist, University of Toronto

Zayna Khayat’s keynote looked ahead to the next evolution of healthcare — one driven by data, transparency, and patient empowerment.

Relation to Talking Medicines
Her vision closely aligns with Talking Medicines’ mission to turn the voice of HCPs and patients into structured intelligence. As healthcare shifts from treating illness to empowering individuals, the ability to combine subjective experience with objective data becomes critical.

Key Takeaways

• Less than 3% of clinical trial data is accessed or used — a major opportunity for improvement through better data accessibility and integration.

• Combining objective and subjective diagnostics mirrors Talking Medicines’ approach of linking structured and unstructured patient data for actionable insights.

• Health data doubles every 75 days, underscoring the need for AI-driven interpretation and contextual intelligence.

• Data science, rather than traditional tech, will deliver more meaningful patient outcomes — reflecting Talking Medicines’ AI/NLP-powered model.

• The future of care will prioritise prevention and understanding, not just treatment.

• Engagement tools will evolve into devices patients already use — such as phones — improving access and participation.

Health + AI: Agents of Change in Medicine

Moderator: Aline Noizet – Founder, Digital Health Connector
Panel: Ali Parsa (Quadrivia AI), Sebastian Anastassious (Nine Capital), Ana Jimenez Pastor (Quibim)

This session explored how AI is redefining medicine, from diagnostics to decision-making. Discussions focused on multimodal models, interoperability, and the human element of technology adoption.

Relation to Talking Medicines
This directly aligns with Talking Medicines’ work at the intersection of AI, NLP, and life-sciences data intelligence — transforming unstructured real-world data into measurable insight. Like Talking Medicines, the speakers emphasised the value of structured, compliant data pipelines that bring clarity to fragmented healthcare ecosystems.

Key Takeaways

• AI is already embedded in healthcare — multimodal and LLM systems are in active use today.

• AI excels at predictable, repeatable tasks, freeing up human capacity for empathy, creativity, and strategy.

• Interoperability remains a challenge, reinforcing the importance of structuring and standardising data.

• Understanding stakeholders, workflows, and value flows is crucial — echoing Talking Medicines’ approach to bridging patients, HCPs, and pharma through a shared data language.

• A standout quote from the session: “AI gives clinicians time to be human again.”

The Journey of a Healthtech Pioneer

Moderator: Iolanda Marchueta i Hereu – Advisor & Professor
Speaker: Marta Llorens Borrell – Clinical Trial & Regulatory Manager, OXOLife

Marta Llorens shared the journey of OXOLife, a pioneering biotech company focused on fertility and reproductive health.

Relation to Talking Medicines
While less directly tied to Talking Medicines’ core work, this session resonated with the company’s values of innovation, integrity, and patient focus. It also reflected Talking Medicines’ contribution to understanding real-world patient experiences — particularly in under-served areas like women’s health.

Key Takeaways

• Women’s health remains significantly under-invested, with one in six people experiencing reproductive challenges.

• Global fertility rates are falling below replacement, signalling long-term implications for health systems.

• Progress depends on listening to real patient narratives and embedding empathy in healthcare innovation.

Final Thoughts

The Barcelona Deep Tech Summit showcased how deep science, AI, and data are converging to reshape industries — none more so than healthcare. From patient empowerment to AI-driven insight, the conversations reinforced the importance of using technology responsibly and humanely.

For Talking Medicines, the message was clear: the future of healthcare lies in understanding the voices behind the data — turning real-world experience into intelligence that drives more human, data-informed decisions.