European Innovations in Diabetes Management Take Centre Stage at Diatec 2026

Digitalisation is transforming diabetes care, with artificial intelligence, interoperable systems and advanced monitoring technologies opening new possibilities for personalised and automated treatment.

On 23 January, Diatec 2026 showcased how digital innovations are redefining diabetes management. Featuring members of the MELISSA and MuSiC4Diabetes consortia, the panel “Breakthrough Projekte aus der DACH-Region” (Breakthrough Projects from Germany, Austria and Switzerland) spotlighted novel solutions and approaches that help reduce the daily burden on people living with diabetes and improve clinical decision-making. Both projects are part of EURICE’s health innovation ecosystem.

Interoperability as a Key Enabler for Modern Diabetes Care

Diatec is an annual conference dedicated to digitalisation in diabetes care and management, bringing together scientists, industry representatives, health insurance stakeholders and people living with diabetes. This year’s conference focused on interoperability; a topic of growing importance as monitoring devices and automated insulin delivery systems become increasingly embedded in everyday diabetes care. The plenary sessions in the afternoon highlighted both challenges and opportunities related to continuous glucose monitoring systems, shared device quality standards, and the added value of measuring metabolic parameters beyond glucose alone. These themes were further explored during the panel on scientific breakthroughs, where three EU–funded projects (PRAESIIDIUM, MELISSA and MuSiC4Diabetes) presented their latest approaches to the use of artificial intelligence and algorithmic forecasting in diabetes management.

MELISSA: AI-Based, Personalised, Innovative Diabetes Treatment Support

Stavroula Mougiakakou (University of Bern) presented the objectives and initial results of the MELISSA project. She illustrated how the project combines multiple data sources ranging from glucose sensors to physical activity trackers and nutrition apps to deliver individually tailored, AI-based treatment recommendations for people living with diabetes through a clinically validated diabetes management solution. “MELISSA provides clinical validation of reinforcement learning for personalised insulin decision-making at scale. It contributes to the transition from rigid, device-centred diabetes care to adaptive, data-driven decision support,” as Mougiakakou summarises the project’s vision.

MuSiC4Diabetes: Towards Implantable, Automated Insulin Delivery

A complementary approach to innovative diabetes management was presented by Martin Richter (Fraunhofer EMFT) as coordinator of the MuSiC4Diabetes project. He introduced the project’s vision of reducing the daily burden on people living with diabetes through the development of an implantable device that integrates continuous monitoring, algorithmic forecasting and automated insulin delivery. “We aim to develop a device that guarantees safe handling, is robust to disturbances, highly precise, and affordable,” Richter explained, a physicist with more than 30 years of experience in micropump development and leading the engineering of the high-precision insulin delivery system within the MuSiC4Diabetes project.

Advancing Digital Health Through Collaboration

The presence of two projects from EURICE’s health innovation ecosystem at Diatec 2026 reflects our ongoing contribution to European research in digital health. The conference provided a valuable platform for exchanging perspectives on emerging technological trends in diabetes management, strengthening existing collaborations and identifying opportunities for further development. By facilitating project coordination, communication and strategic exchange, we actively support the translation of innovative research approaches into future-ready solutions for diabetes management.