From September 27 to October 1, 2026, Strasbourg hosted MICCAI, the International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention, bringing together the international community working in medical imaging and computer-assisted interventions.

MICCAI is one of the leading and most selective international scientific conferences in the field, bringing together scientists, clinicians, and industry working at the forefront of medical image computing, artificial intelligence and computer-assisted interventions. The conference and its numerous satellite events provide a unique forum to present and discuss the latest scientific advances, foster collaborations and explore their translation into clinical practice.

CLINICCAI: bringing clinicians closer to MICCAI

IHU Strasbourg was particularly pleased to see the 6th edition of CLINICCAI, a clinical day launched by IHU Strasbourg in 2021 to strengthen the participation of clinicians within the MICCAI community.

CLINICCAI creates a dedicated forum for exchanges between clinicians, computer scientists and engineers, with a particular focus on the clinical translation of technologies emerging from the MICCAI community. This mission closely reflects IHU Strasbourg’s ambition to bridge technological innovation and clinical expertise and accelerate the development of solutions that can ultimately benefit patients.

Two satellite events organized by the IHU–ICube CAMMA team

The IHU Strasbourg has taken another major step forward in its innovation strategy by officially joining the Alsace University Innovation Cluster (PUIA) as a founding member.

PUIA: National Recognition

Approved this summer, this designation follows an excellent evaluation of PUIA’s initiatives. Supported by the National Research Agency (ANR), Bpifrance, and the France 2030 plan, the cluster has fully demonstrated the effectiveness of its model. National experts particularly praised its ability to bring together stakeholders in the Alsace region.

A Natural Partnership

Joining this network of excellence is in line with the IHU Strasbourg’s mission: to rapidly transform scientific discoveries into concrete solutions for patients. By sharing its expertise within the PUIA, the institute will facilitate every stage of the innovation process, from the emergence of an idea to technology transfer and the commercialization of intellectual property.

Learn more about the Alsace University Innovation Hub (PUIA): https://www.unistra.fr/fr/entites/service/pole-universitaire-dinnovation-alsace

Between the engineering phase and the device’s arrival at the patient’s bedside lies a critical step: validating the medical device’s safety and efficacy. To navigate this demanding regulatory hurdle without slowing down the development timeline, the IHU Strasbourg offers innovators its expertise and a preclinical testing platform—unique in Europe—for surgery and interventional medicine.

A phased testing protocol, from virtual models to real operating room conditions

The institute offers support throughout the entire nonclinical evaluation cycle. Technologies are validated there from the early design phases using advanced simulation models, anatomical phantoms, ex vivo models, and synthetic and biological tissues. This iterative approach allows for adjustments to the ergonomics of instruments, ensures the reliability of surgical procedures, and tests the integration of imaging systems well before formal regulatory stages.

For advanced in vivo validation phases, the IHU has an unparalleled infrastructure: five experimental operating rooms configured as exact replicas of the institute’s clinical operating rooms. Equipped with interventional CT and MRI scanners, as well as a robotic C-arm, the platform brings together a multidisciplinary team on a daily basis, comprising surgeons, veterinarians, engineers, and human factors specialists. This collaborative effort ensures that trials are conducted under conditions that are strictly identical to those of human surgical practice.

The GLP Certification: A Passport to European and U.S. Markets

In a regulatory environment strengthened by the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR), the robustness of preclinical data directly determines market access. The IHU Strasbourg was the first French research center certified as compliant with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) for the nonclinical evaluation of medical devices, a certification renewed in 2023 and 2025.

This compliance gives the studies international legal validity: the reports produced can be directly incorporated into CE marking dossiers as well as into regulatory submissions to the U.S. FDA, which has already audited and validated several protocols conducted in Strasbourg.

With more than 160 industrial studies conducted to date, the preclinical platform serves as a trusted third party for international MedTech startups and manufacturers, transforming laboratory prototypes into solutions ready for the operating room.

To learn more:

• Learn more about the equipment and protocols of our preclinical department.
• A closer look at the institute: Read the articles and team testimonials in the special issue of *Or Norme* dedicated to the IHU Strasbourg.

From May 14 to 16, the city of Milan hosted ESGE Days 2026, one of the most influential European conferences on gastrointestinal endoscopy. At the event, Dr. Julieta Montanelli, a gastroenterologist and researcher at IHU Strasbourg, presented the promising findings of a study that could help improve the detection of small pancreatic lesions during endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) examinations.

The Challenge of Small Pancreatic Lesions

One of the biggest challenges in EUS is that the most critical abnormalities to detect are often the hardest to see. Small lesions—those measuring less than 20 mm—are particularly subtle. They may appear on the doctor’s screen for only a fraction of a second during the exam, increasing the risk that they will go unnoticed.

To address this issue, the IHU Strasbourg evaluated the impact of an innovative medical device based on artificial intelligence (AI). This tool, called “mAI Companion ®,” was developed in close collaboration with the companies iGlobe Scientific and Medi-Globe. The research protocol was conducted with a cohort of 32 international endo-sonographers with varying levels of experience.

Remarkable results

The data from this tandem randomized study are particularly telling. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) improved participants’ diagnostic accuracy from 70.5% to 82.0%. This significant improvement proved particularly valuable for identifying small solid tumors, where human visual vigilance is most often put to the test.

The Augmented Human: A True Team Effort

Beyond technological performance, this study illustrates how medical expertise and artificial intelligence complement each other, with the latter acting as a true “second observer” by helping specialists identify lesions that might otherwise easily go unnoticed.

This international presentation highlights the IHU Strasbourg’s ongoing commitment to addressing medical needs with original and concrete solutions that can be implemented for the direct benefit of patients.

ESGE (European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy): ESGE Days 2026
Link to the study: www.researchgate.net
Learn more about « mAI Companion ® »: www.medi-globe.de

Professor Thomas Baumert, professor of medicine at the University Hospitals of Strasbourg and director of the Institute for Research on Liver Diseases (Inserm U1110 / University of Strasbourg), has just been awarded the Raymond Rosen Prize 2 by the Foundation for Medical Research. Worth €40,000, this prize recognizes his pioneering work in clinical research, focusing on liver cancer and ways to cure it, and reflects a career dedicated to innovation in the service of health.

This award highlights the excellence of Strasbourg’s research into liver disease, hepatic fibrosis, and cancer, which brings together Inserm, the University of Strasbourg, the University Hospital, and the IHU.

These exemplary collaborations embody multidisciplinary translational research that propels scientific discoveries toward concrete applications. For example, advances in modeling hepatic cell circuits and early detection of lesions open up numerous prospects for more effective prevention strategies and personalized treatments.

Professor Baumert’s award is yet another illustration of the collective momentum within Strasbourg’s university hospital ecosystem to transform science into tangible hope for patients.