This article will be included in the Healthy Living Environment Newsletter. You can subscribe here to stay updated.
Campus Salud Gandia 2026 brought together students, researchers, healthcare professionals and public institutions for an intensive 30-hour hackathon focused on one central challenge: developing innovative responses to urban health inequalities through the lens of equity and social determinants of health.
The event was organised by the Polytechnic University of València (UPV) and Fisabio, as JA PreventNCD partner, and supported by the Gandia Health Department and Gandia City Council. Students from across Spain enjoyed the multidisciplinary environment to work on practical solutions addressing real urban health challenges. The programme of activities combined collaborative work with expert-led talks, as well as small breaks for leisure and wellbeing activities.
From the opening session with institutional authorities and Knut-Inge Klepp, scientific coordinator of the JA PreventNCD welcoming participants
The opening session featured contributions from Marisa Caparrós, Managing Director of Fisabio; Knut-Inge Klepp, scientific coordinator of JA PreventNCD; Pedro Rollán, manager of the Gandia Health Department; alongside representatives from UPV and Gandia City Council. Speakers highlighted the importance of connecting research, healthcare systems, public institutions and young talent to address the growing complexity of non-communicable diseases and urban health challenges.
Using Gandia as a real-life urban laboratory, the hackathon challenged students to design innovative solutions addressing health and wellbeing challenges affecting the local population, with a focus on equity and social determinants of health. Throughout the event, participants explored topics including artificial intelligence applied to health promotion, rapid prototyping methodologies, citizen communication strategies and approaches for integrating social determinants into health innovation processes.
One of the defining aspects of the hackathon was its emphasis on collaborative and challenge-based learning. Working in multidisciplinary teams, participants developed proposals aimed at improving prevention, wellbeing and health equity in urban settings. The final presentations showcased a range of creative and socially oriented proposals, demonstrating participants’ ability to translate complex health challenges into feasible and impactful ideas.
One of the teams presenting their innovative solution to the jury and audience
Campus Salud Gandia 2026 contributes to improving healthy living environments from a youth perspective by strengthening citizen engagement, promoting participatory approaches to health, and supporting innovation processes. The initiative highlights the importance of youth participation and interdisciplinary collaboration in shaping healthier, more equitable urban futures.
Lluís Pascual i Vidal, Healthy Living Environments Communications Officer
Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (Fisabio), Spain