Samsung Takes Center Stage at VivaTech 2026 With a Bold Vision for Connected Care
At VivaTech 2026 — Europe's largest startup and technology exhibition — Samsung Electronics stepped into the spotlight to share one of its most ambitious ideas yet: a fully realized vision of connected care powered by an open collaboration ecosystem. The event, held in the heart of Paris and drawing innovators and business leaders from across the globe, provided the perfect stage for Samsung to outline how it plans to reshape everyday wellness through technology, partnerships, and a deeply integrated approach to health data.
The panel discussion, attended by approximately 1,000 global participants, was not merely a product showcase. It was a declaration of intent — a detailed blueprint for how technology companies, startups, healthcare providers, and device manufacturers can work together to make meaningful, lasting improvements in how people monitor and manage their health on a daily basis.
A High-Profile Panel With a Unified Message
The discussion featured a carefully assembled group of leaders whose expertise spans digital health, startup investment, clinical technology, longevity science, and biomarker research. Hon Pak, Head of the Digital Health Team for the Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics, joined four other influential voices on stage: David Lee, Head of Samsung Next; Mike McSherry, CEO of Xealth; Alina Su, CEO of Generation Lab; and Michael Dubrovsky, CEO of SiPhox Health.
Together, they painted a picture of a healthcare future that is proactive, personalized, and deeply connected — one where the boundaries between clinical care and everyday life begin to dissolve.
David Lee, who served as the moderator for the session, set the tone early with a statement that resonated throughout the entire discussion. "The future of health cannot be built by one company alone," Lee said. "It must be forged through an open ecosystem of collaboration among diverse innovators." This philosophy — that no single entity holds all the answers — became the central thread running through every topic covered on stage.
What Is Connected Care and Why Does It Matter?
Connected care is not a new term in the healthcare industry, but Samsung's interpretation of it carries significant weight given the company's unparalleled reach across consumer technology. At its core, connected care refers to the seamless integration of health monitoring tools, data platforms, and care services in a way that keeps individuals informed about their wellness in real time — without requiring a visit to a clinic or hospital.
For most people, health management has historically been reactive. You feel unwell, you seek care. Samsung's vision inverts this model entirely. By leveraging everyday devices — smartphones, smartwatches, earbuds, home appliances, and even televisions — Samsung aims to build an ambient health monitoring environment that flags concerns before they become crises, empowers users with actionable insights, and bridges the gap between consumers and healthcare professionals.
This vision is particularly powerful because Samsung is not starting from scratch. The company already has one of the most extensive consumer technology footprints in the world, and it is using that scale strategically.
Samsung's Open Ecosystem: The Engine Behind the Vision
One of the most compelling aspects of Samsung's approach is what the company calls its open collaboration ecosystem. Rather than building a closed, proprietary health platform that limits integration with third-party tools and services, Samsung has deliberately chosen to open its infrastructure to a wide range of partners across industries and geographies.
Samsung's portfolio spans an extraordinary range of product categories — from semiconductors and mobile phones to wearables, home appliances, and smart TVs. This diversity gives the company a unique vantage point. A Samsung Galaxy Watch can track a user's heart rate variability and sleep patterns. A Samsung television can serve as an interface for telehealth consultations. A Samsung refrigerator can eventually monitor dietary habits. When these data points are connected across a unified platform and shared responsibly with health partners, the result is a comprehensive, real-world picture of a person's wellness.
By integrating Samsung devices with platforms like Xealth — a digital health enablement company — or with the advanced biomarker testing capabilities offered by SiPhox Health, Samsung is actively demonstrating how its open ecosystem translates into real clinical and consumer value. Meanwhile, Generation Lab's focus on longevity and biological age testing represents another frontier where Samsung's hardware and data infrastructure can provide meaningful support.
The Role of Startups and Innovation Partners
Samsung Next, the company's global venture and innovation arm, plays a critical role in identifying and nurturing the startups that will ultimately power the next generation of connected care solutions. The presence of David Lee at the VivaTech panel underscored how seriously Samsung views early-stage innovation as a driver of its long-term health strategy.
By investing in and partnering with agile, forward-thinking companies, Samsung gains access to specialized expertise that would be difficult to develop entirely in-house. At the same time, these startups gain access to Samsung's global scale, distribution channels, and device ecosystem — a combination that can dramatically accelerate their path to impact.
Why VivaTech 2026 Was the Right Stage
Choosing VivaTech 2026 as the venue for this announcement was itself a strategic decision. As Europe's largest gathering of startups and technology innovators, VivaTech attracts the exact audience Samsung needs to engage: entrepreneurs, investors, health technology developers, and enterprise decision-makers who are actively shaping the digital future.
By presenting its connected care vision at this forum, Samsung signals that its ambitions extend well beyond the consumer electronics space. It is positioning itself as a foundational player in the global digital health ecosystem — one that is ready and willing to collaborate with anyone working toward the shared goal of better, more accessible, more proactive healthcare for all.
Looking Ahead: A Future Built on Collaboration
The insights shared at VivaTech 2026 make one thing abundantly clear: the future of healthcare technology will not be defined by competition between isolated platforms, but by the depth and quality of collaboration across open ecosystems. Samsung's approach — grounded in partnership, powered by a vast device portfolio, and guided by a genuine commitment to improving daily wellness — puts the company in a uniquely strong position to help lead that transformation.
As connected care continues to move from concept to reality, the partnerships forged at events like VivaTech will serve as the building blocks of a healthier, more informed global population. Samsung's vision is ambitious, but with the right ecosystem in place, it is well within reach.