Hauptstadtkongress 2026 in Berlin, Germany

Hauptstadtkongress 2026 (HSK) is the annual flagship meeting point of Germany’s healthcare sector, bringing policy, hospitals, insurers and funds, pharma and medtech, digital solutions, the scientific community, and professional associations into one shared space.

This is not a “congress for the sake of a congress”. It is where reforms are debated, numbers are challenged, technologies are showcased, and—most importantly—agreements get made. Within the event’s fast-moving programme you will find both major plenary debates and hands-on formats where the conversation quickly turns into concrete next steps.

Video about Hauptstadtkongress: the atmosphere, pace, and energy of the industry

To get a feel for the rhythm in advance, watch the official video. It captures the scale, the stage formats, and the density of business conversations.

About Hauptstadtkongress 2026 : who should come

Hauptstadtkongress attracts a truly professional audience. If you need contacts at the “influences decisions” level, Berlin on these dates becomes the right address.

• Hospital and healthcare network leaders

  Management, quality, economics, staffing, digital transformation, and practical peer-to-peer exchange between institutions.

• Government and regulatory representatives

  Health and politics go hand in hand here: debates about reforms and how to implement them are led by top decision-makers.

• Insurers, funds, sickness funds, and associations

  Funding terms, efficiency, new models of collaboration, quality, and measurable outcomes.

• Pharma, medtech, diagnostics, and digital providers

  A chance to showcase solutions on the sector’s “shop window” and meet customers, partners, and opinion leaders in one place.

• Medicine and nursing

  Dedicated tracks and in-event congresses within HSK help you see the system more broadly and find practical ideas you can implement right after you get back.

Key milestones: how Hauptstadtkongress started and why it became “must-attend”

Hauptstadtkongress first launched in 1998 in Berlin, and since then has grown from a small industry gathering into a regular platform that many call the most important date in the German healthcare calendar.

Traditionally, the congress is seen as a place for open political dialogue about healthcare. Organisers also highlight another distinctive detail: the congress is often opened by Germany’s Federal Minister of Health.

Advantages of Hauptstadtkongress: strong numbers and a “congress + solutions market” format

People value Hauptstadtkongress for the intensity of its business environment. It is a format where strategy conversations sit right next to real products and services.

• Around 5,000 participants

  The official HSK pages give a reference figure: roughly 5,000 participants from all segments of healthcare. That creates diverse contacts, not just “talks within your own circle”.

• Confirmed 2024 statistics

  Sponsor materials list a total of 4,805 participants, with around 700 online. For exhibitors, this is a strong signal: the audience extends beyond those on site.

• hub27 and the space layout

  The exhibition forum and key halls sit close together, which increases the chance of real meetings during breaks. Organisers explicitly describe the exhibition area as the live centre of the congress.

• A vibrant Ausstellungsforum

  The exhibition forum hosts presentations, talk formats, interviews, and Speaker’s Corner-style sessions. It helps you do more than “show a booth”—you can gather an audience around your topic.

6 well-known participants at Hauptstadtkongress 2026 : who to look for at the Ausstellungsforum

What makes Hauptstadtkongress valuable is the exhibitor ecosystem itself: from public institutions to global technology and pharmaceutical players.

• Roche Pharma AG & Roche Diagnostics Deutschland GmbH

  Roche brings pharma and diagnostics together, which is especially relevant for hospitals building patient pathways around early detection and precision therapy. At the congress, this kind of player is interesting because it speaks not only about products, but also about system-level approaches to personalised medicine.

• Abbott Rapid Diagnostics Germany

  Abbott is widely recognised in diagnostics and rapid testing, a topic that directly impacts patient flows and decision speed. At HSK, companies like this often become a magnet for leaders focused on efficiency and process standardisation.

• AMBOSS

  AMBOSS is one of the best-known digital education products for the medical community. Interest at HSK is typically very practical: how to train faster, reduce the risk of errors, and embed knowledge into daily clinical work.

• Cepheid

  Cepheid is associated with molecular diagnostics and test automation. For labs and hospitals, it is a conversation about speed, accuracy, and scaling, and for management it is about how diagnostics shape treatment economics.

• TV-Wartezimmer

  A patient communication platform for waiting areas that helps clinics and practices improve information flow and service. At HSK, such solutions are valued for a simple idea: better communication reduces tension, builds trust, and improves the patient experience.

• Relias Learning

  Relias is known for digital training and compliance solutions in healthcare and social care. With staff shortages and high workloads, these tools matter because they help maintain quality systematically and speed up onboarding.

Tips for Hauptstadtkongress visitors: how to get maximum value

Hauptstadtkongress is designed so that success depends on preparation. A few practical moves will help turn impressions into results.

• Set three goals in advance

  For example: find a digital transformation partner, compare staff training solutions, discuss an implementation model for a hospital. With goals like these, you filter faster and keep momentum.

• Treat breaks as working time

  It is during pauses that the exhibition forum becomes the “live centre”: mini-presentations, interviews, and booth conversations create contacts you will not get in the big halls.

• Go to short-talk formats

  Talk rounds and Speaker’s Corner are great because in 15–20 minutes you can tell whether it is worth going deeper and booking a meeting.

• Save access to recordings

  The HSK website has a section with recordings of past-day streams. It is a good way to catch up on parallel sessions you could not attend in person.

Which solution categories are featured at Hauptstadtkongress 2026

The exhibition part of Hauptstadtkongress showcases the sector’s products, ideas, and concepts. In practice, it is a concentrated mix of solutions for medicine, nursing, and healthcare management.

• Digital health, data, AI

  Platforms, analytics, automation, tools for hospitals and cross-sector collaboration.

• Diagnostics and laboratory solutions

  Molecular diagnostics, rapid testing, infrastructure, and integration into hospital workflows.

• Pharma and specialised therapy

  Drug-based support, personalised approaches, collaboration models with hospitals and patient pathways.

• Training and workforce solutions

  E-learning, upskilling, compliance, faster onboarding, and quality support.

• Patient communication and service

  Information, better patient experience, tools for interaction between providers and audiences.

• Hygiene and operational efficiency

  Solutions that improve safety and process resilience, including cleaning and resource-saving technologies.

How to exhibit at Hauptstadtkongress

To join Hauptstadtkongress 2026 as an exhibitor, you usually start by booking space in the Ausstellungsforum and choosing your presence format: consultations, demos, booth presentations, talk formats, and short speaking slots.

• Define the role of your exhibition stand

  Leads, brand image, a product launch, or negotiations with specific customers require different layouts and different team workflows.

• Use the on-stand programme

  The Ausstellungsforum includes presentations, interviews, and live formats. It is a chance to create your own flow, rather than waiting for it.

• Make the space meeting-friendly, not noisy

  The winning stand at a congress is one where it is easy to talk business, quickly show cases, and lock in next steps.

If you want to arrive in Berlin with a ready-to-go solution and no extra hassle, consider exhibition stand construction or exhibition stand rental with ESBAU — a professional exhibition stand builder in Europe, helping you deliver a stand built for negotiations and a dense congress schedule.