Polski
Podology with Heart and Technology's Pilot-Project Debt: What Moved the Rehabilitation Industry in September
September 2026 showed two faces of our industry: in Warsaw, podology education joined forces with helping sick children, while in Singapore, healthcare experts spoke up on an issue that affects every market – why so many promising rehabilitation technologies rarely make it past the pilot stage. Both stories are a good reminder that progress in rehabilitation isn't just about equipment, but also about people, trust, and consistent implementation.
01 · Podology and Education
Warsaw: Podology, Podiatry, and Helping Children in a Single Event
From September 9 to 13, 2026, the symposium "The Future of Podology, the First Steps of Podiatry" took place – three days in an online format, followed by a weekend in-person meeting held alongside the Beauty Forum trade fair in Warsaw [1]. The program brought together experts from the United Kingdom and Poland, including Dr. Ivan Bristow, with the substantive focus of the event centered on several specific topics: where the line between podology and podiatry actually lies, how to effectively treat warts, and what hygiene standards should apply in a podology practice [1].
What's most interesting, though, is the social dimension of the event. All proceeds from ticket sales, priced at PLN 99, went to the Herosi Foundation, which supports children battling cancer [1]. It's a rare example of professional development – gaining knowledge, exchanging experience, building industry standards – going hand in hand with real, tangible help for people in need. For trade fair organizers, this is also a source of inspiration: industry education doesn't have to be a mere exchange of knowledge for a ticket price; it can also become a tool for supporting those who need it most.
02 · Rehabilitation Technologies
Singapore's Warning: Enough Pilots, Time to Scale Up
If the Warsaw symposium showed how education and empathy can go hand in hand, the events in Singapore served as a reminder of another, more down-to-earth industry challenge – putting technology into everyday practice. During Medical Fair Asia and the accompanying debut of RehaCare Asia (September 9-11, 2026), which brought together more than a thousand exhibitors from 40 countries, the ASEAN Healthcare Readiness Index 2026 was presented [2].
The results are ambivalent: as many as 94% of healthcare leaders in the region say they are ready for the challenges of the coming years, yet at the same time 54% point to technology implementation as the main barrier [2]. Experts warned of a phenomenon that could be called "pilot debt" – the accumulation of ever more new test projects instead of consistently rolling out proven rehabilitation solutions into everyday clinical practice [2]. Importantly, it was emphasized that the success of implementation is determined not by the technology itself, but by clinicians' trust and real support for patients' caregivers [2].
This is a diagnosis that sounds familiar well beyond Southeast Asia. The European rehabilitation market faces a very similar dilemma – there's no shortage of innovative solutions, telerehabilitation systems, or platforms for monitoring patient progress, but their journey from trade fair demonstration to the physiotherapist's practice remains a bumpy one.
Summary
Summary
The past week nicely illustrates the two poles of our industry: on one hand, close-to-home, local initiatives combining education with helping others, and on the other, global challenges around actually implementing innovation. Both of these threads will also be present at the International Trade Fair for Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy, where clinical experts and technology providers alike will come together to show that good ideas can be successfully put into everyday practice. We invite you to visit the fair and join the discussion on how to move from pilots to real change in patient care.
Invitation
From charitable education initiatives to global debates on implementing rehabilitation technology – these same themes will be alive at the International Trade Fair for Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy. Meet specialists who don't just showcase innovations, but actually put them into practice in clinics and facilities. Check out the program and join the discussion on the future of the industry.
International Trade Fair for Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy 2026Footnotes
[1] Sympozjum Kerpro — https://sympozjum.kerpro.pl/[2] Medical Manufacturing Asia (press release) — https://www.medmanufacturing-asia.com/press-releases/asean-healthcare-leaders-call-for-shift-from-technology-pilots-to-everyday-care/