- Strategic partnership announced at Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit (ADFHS) 2026 will connect HealthTech startups with Mediclinic Middle East’s clinical expertise and healthcare network
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – 21 October 2026: Mediclinic Middle East and Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, have announced a strategic partnership that will see Mediclinic Middle East join the Hub71+Life Sciences specialist ecosystem, strengthening access to clinical expertise and real-world healthcare insights for startups developing innovative healthcare technologies.
Formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026, the partnership brings together Mediclinic Middle East’s clinical expertise and healthcare network and Hub71’s startup community to support the development and adoption of emerging healthcare solutions.
As part of the ecosystem, Mediclinic Middle East will engage with HealthTech startups to identify opportunities for collaboration, offering clinical insights and guidance to help founders refine their solutions and explore potential applications in healthcare settings. The partnership will also enable Mediclinic Middle East to explore technologies aligned with its clinical priorities, including cancer care, fertility and IVF, musculoskeletal services, chronic disease management, women’s health, care beyond the hospital, virtual care and clinical augmentation.
Hein van Eck, Chief Executive Officer of Mediclinic Middle East, said: “Innovation has an important role to play in shaping the future of healthcare, but its real value lies in how it improves the care we deliver to patients. Through our collaboration with Hub71, we want to create opportunities for promising healthcare technologies to be developed and evaluated in real clinical environments, with direct input from healthcare professionals.
“By bringing together clinical expertise and entrepreneurial thinking, we can help accelerate solutions that address genuine healthcare challenges, while supporting Abu Dhabi’s growing life sciences and healthcare innovation ecosystem.”
Basma AlBadi AlDhaheri, Head of Growth and Value Creation at Hub71, said: “Startups have significant potential to transform healthcare when given access to the right industry partners and opportunities to validate and scale their solutions. Our partnership with Mediclinic Middle East will help bridge the gap between innovation and real-world adoption, enabling startups to develop, test and bring innovative healthcare solutions to market.”
As part of the Hub71+ LifeSciences specialist ecosystem, Mediclinic Middle East will also contribute to mentorship and knowledge sharing activities, providing startups with further opportunities to benefit from its healthcare expertise.
Launched in 2025, Hub71+ Life Sciences is a specialist ecosystem dedicated to advancing innovation across BioTech, MedTech and digital health. With the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) and the Health, Endurance, Longevity and Medicine (HELM) cluster as founding partners, the ecosystem connects startups with healthcare providers, regulators and investors to support the development, validation and commercialisation of innovative healthcare technologies.
The partnership further expands Hub71+ Life Sciences’ network of healthcare partners, supporting closer collaboration with startups and supporting the continued growth of Abu Dhabi’s life sciences ecosystem.
