Tenth Annual Meeting of Global Alliance of Medical Excellence

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Photo credit (Pic 1-8): Ingemar Hultquist, Lund University

The 2026 GAME Annual Meeting brought member universities together at Lund University on 24–25 August to explore a shared question: how can academic medicine move more effectively from scientific and educational ideas to meaningful societal impact?

Under the theme Innovation in Academic Medicine, the meeting highlighted the different ways GAME members are building innovation into research, education, clinical practice and university systems. While the models varied considerably across countries and institutions, several common themes emerged.

A recurring message was that strong innovation systems are researcher-centred and impact-focused. Lund University described an ecosystem that works with researchers well before a company is formed, combining scientific understanding, industry experience, investment, incubation and long-term support. The Chinese University of Hong Kong challenged conventional measures of commercialisation success, arguing for a stronger focus on the quality and value of intellectual property rather than simply the number of patents filed. 

Other members demonstrated that innovation extends well beyond traditional technology transfer. The University of Nottingham shared its large-scale transformation of medical education, integrating curriculum redesign, new facilities, simulation and change leadership. Korea University outlined how AI, research training and digital capability are being embedded across the medical education pathway, while the University of Bologna showcased the integration of AI, imaging, 3D modelling, augmented reality and surgical simulation. 

The importance of shared translational infrastructure was also strongly evident. LMU Munich described the emerging Munich Medicine Alliance, bringing together universities, hospitals and research organisations around shared clinical trial, health data and AI capabilities. Nagoya University presented an integrated pathway spanning early translational support, regulatory strategy and clinical research, while also highlighting the challenge of accessing sufficient specialist venture capital for biomedical start-ups. 

Monash University presented the breadth of its own innovation ecosystem, including its biomedical precinct, clinical trial network, research platforms, venture support, AI infrastructure and international commercialisation presence. A complementary presentation drawing on the US technology-transfer system reinforced the importance of selective investment, strong inventor incentives and measuring innovation by long-term impact rather than activity alone.

The meeting also looked ahead to the next generation of researchers. Discussions on PhD4GAME identified opportunities to strengthen joint supervision, student mobility, researcher matchmaking and shared training in innovation and commercialisation. The International Network for Neurodegenerative Disease Research provided a practical example of how researcher-led networks can build collaboration, mobility, publications and joint funding opportunities across GAME.

Across the meeting, one conclusion was clear: successful innovation does not depend on a single office, programme or facility. It depends on connected systems that bring together researchers, clinicians, students, infrastructure, industry, investors and international partners. Reflecting on the gathering, Professor David Gisselsson Nord, Vice Dean, Faculty of Medicine at Lund University, noted, "The GAME meeting on academic innovation in medicine was a wonderful exploration of different routes to successful entrepreneurship — a journey of inspiration across continents that opens up for many future collaborations." The discussions in Lund also pointed to a broader opportunity for GAME itself: to increasingly treat the capabilities of member universities as a shared global innovation platform.

GAME will return to The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2027, with AI in Medicine emerging as a potential theme for the next Annual Meeting.