WHIS Italia: Transforming Health & Wellbeing Through Innovation
The World Health Innovation Summit (WHIS), is committed to enhancing health and wellbeing through innovation across Italia. By collaborating with local leaders, businesses, and healthcare professionals, we deliver impactful programmes that foster community-driven solutions and address health inequalities.
Our initiatives in Bologna, Palermo, Milan, and Rome focus on prevention, social prescribing, and sustainable health solutions that align with Italy’s national and regional health priorities.
Our Programmes & Events
- WHIS Bologna: A hub for digital health and healthcare sustainability, integrating AI and data-driven solutions to improve patient outcomes and support healthcare professionals.
- WHIS Palermo: Championing social prescribing and holistic health approaches to enhance community wellbeing and tackle socio-economic health disparities.
- WHIS Milan: A centre for health innovation, bringing together investors, policymakers, and industry leaders to drive advancements in biotech, medtech, and precision health.
- WHIS Rome: Focused on global health diplomacy and policy innovation, uniting Ministries of Health, international organizations, and industry pioneers to shape the future of healthcare in Italy and beyond.
WHIS Italy provides a platform for collaboration, networking, and actionable solutions that transform healthcare systems and empower individuals.
What We Do
- Convene leaders across health, policy, finance, technology, and communities to turn ideas into action.
- Deliver global and city-based summits, strategic roundtables, leadership forums, festivals, and community programmes.
- Focus on prevention, innovation, health equity, and sustainable health systems.
Programs & Impact
- WHISKids: Promoting mental health and wellbeing for children
- WHISatWork: Enhancing workforce wellbeing and productivity through stress management (From Surviving to Thriving)
- WHISSeniors: Supporting healthy ageing with falls prevention and social connection (Turning Ageing Into Opportunity)
- WHISGreen: Advancing health and sustainability by reducing energy and water waste
- WHISTech: Transforming health and wellbeing through digital innovation
- Social Prescribing (Global Social Prescribing Alliance - GSPA)
*WHIS Wellbeing Needs Assessment Form.
All the above are ISO policy paper aligned - ISO Aligned Global Health Infrastructure
WHIS designs and delivers high-impact health and wellbeing events for governments, cities, corporates, investors, and communities.
From concept to execution, we manage every aspect of your event to ensure a seamless experience. We also provide strategic advisory, host expert roundtables, and convene policy discussions to drive meaningful impact.
WHIS Partnership & Collaboration Interest Form
Submit your interest in collaborating with WHIS to promote health innovation and wellbeing.
We’re always looking to work with innovative organizations and individuals who share our vision for advancing health, wellbeing, and innovation. Whether you’re interested in co-creating products, exploring membership opportunities, sponsoring events, or developing new initiatives with WHIS, this form helps us understand how we can collaborate.
Why Partner with WHIS?
- Credibility: Recognised by governments, global institutions, and health leaders
- Convening Power: Access to cross-sector decision-makers and communities
- Strategic Design: Events aligned with policy, workforce, and system priorities
- Action-Oriented: Focus on outcomes, not just conversation
- Global Reach: International network with local delivery capability
Get Involved
- Memberships: For individuals and organisations
- Partnerships: Collaborate on projects and innovation
- Investors: Back scalable solutions for global impact
Global Social Prescribing Alliance
- Global Playbook for Social Prescribing
- Artificial Intelligence in Digital Health and Social Prescribing (2026)
- Global Social Prescribing Workforce Development & Opportunities (2026)
- Prevention as an Investable Asset Class - Building Health, Wealth, and Sustainable Systems (2026)
- Global Social Prescribing Alliance Student Movement Playbook 2026
Email: info@whis.world
🌍 WHIS Italy – Chapter
🌍 WHIS Italia – Chapter
Chair: Maurizio Morini
📧 Contact info@whis.world for more information
WHIS Italy is the official Volunteer Chapter (Presentation) of the World Health Innovation Summit (WHIS) and Global Social Prescribing Alliance (GSPA). Our mission is to empower communities across Italy to co-create health and wellbeing initiatives, support social prescribing,
and connect with a global network of chapters driving positive change.
🔹 What WHIS Italia is Doing
- Community Wellbeing Projects: Running local initiatives to improve mental health, reduce isolation, and encourage healthy lifestyles.
- Youth & Student Engagement: Supporting students and young leaders to develop leadership, project management, and communications skills through community-led activities.
- Social Prescribing Support: Partnering with local health services and charities to connect people with community resources.
- Awareness & Advocacy: Hosting events, workshops, and campaigns to raise awareness of social prescribing and holistic health.
- Global Collaboration: Sharing best practices, learning from other chapters, and participating in WHIS international events.
🔹 Chapter Roles
Leadership & Operations:
- Chair Maurizio Morini : Leads WHIS Italia, supports members, and ensures local voices shape initiatives.
- Co-Chair: Helps guide strategy, partnerships, and local projects.
- Recruitment & Operations Lead: Coordinates team workflows and chapter organisation.
Communications Team:
- Director & Officers: Manage storytelling, media, and communications to promote chapter activities.
- Team Members: Support social media, design, and content creation.
Community Engagement Team:
- Head of Community Engagement & Officers: Build partnerships, gather stories, and implement projects in local neighborhoods.
🌟 Participation, Values & Inclusivity
- Participation is voluntary and locally managed; WHIS/GSPA provide guidance and support.
- Chapters uphold WHIS values: honesty, integrity, inclusivity, and respect.
- Open to all ages and communities, creating safe, accessible, and stigma-free spaces.
📱 Chapter Set-Up Requirements
- Local WhatsApp group for team coordination
- Gmail account whisvolunteer@gmail.com
- Social media channels to engage your community
🌐 Join the Network - here.
Connect with chapters worldwide and share your initiatives:
Join the Global WhatsApp Community
📝 Submit Your Submission to be a Global Chapter
Submit your team and chapter details via our Google Form, including vision, goals, roles, and social media accounts. Chapters receive an annual licence based on activity, impact, and alignment with WHIS / GSPA values.
✅ Build your team | ✅ Launch local projects | ✅ Connect globally
Bologna - World Health Innovation Summit 2025
Bologna - Summit Mondiale sull'Innovazione in Sanità - Promuovere l'Innovazione in Sanità e il Benessere della Comunità
Data: giovedì 15 maggio 2025
Luogo: Fondazione Golinelli Organization - Opificio Golinelli, Bologna
Tempo: 10:00 – 13:00 (Italian Time) - Italian registration - English registration (Places are limited).
WHIS Italia: Trasformare la Salute e il Benessere attraverso l’Innovazione
Il World Health Innovation Summit (WHIS) si impegna a migliorare la salute e il benessere attraverso l’innovazione in tutta Italia. Collaborando con leader locali, imprese e professionisti sanitari, sviluppiamo programmi ad alto impatto che favoriscono soluzioni guidate dalle comunità e affrontano le disuguaglianze sanitarie.
Le nostre iniziative si concentrano sulla prevenzione, sulla prescrizione sociale e su soluzioni sanitarie sostenibili, in linea con le priorità nazionali e regionali italiane.
Ecco la nostra prima iniziativa!
Punti salienti dell’evento:
✅ Interventi di apertura dei leader WHIS e dei rappresentanti regionali della sanità
✅ Visione di WHIS Italia e allineamento con le strategie sanitarie nazionali ed europee
✅ Approfondimenti sulla ricerca e innovazione da parte di istituzioni di eccellenza
✅ Il potenziale della prescrizione sociale per migliorare la salute delle comunità
✅ Supporto all’infanzia attraverso iniziative guidate dalla comunità
✅ Tavola rotonda dinamica sul rafforzamento delle partnership e sulla sostenibilità del sistema sanitario
Questo lancio è un catalizzatore per promuovere la collaborazione tra settori, rafforzare le comunità e sviluppare un ecosistema sanitario olistico in Italia. Unisciti a noi per innovare, ispirare e realizzare soluzioni sanitarie sostenibili per il futuro.
Agenda dell’Evento
10:00 – 10:30 | Benvenuto e interventi di apertura
- Maurizio Morini - Prof Piero Formica - WHIS Italia - One Health Project
- Federica Tadini, Fondazione Golinelli
- Pierluigi Stefanini, Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna
- Alessandro Chiarini, BI-REX
- Delegati da Regione Emilia-Romagna e Città Metropolitana di Bologna - Francesco Critelli
- Dubai Chambers, Stefano Antonelli, Chief Representative - Italy
10:30 – 10:40 | La Visione di WHIS in Italia e nel mondo
- Gareth Presch, Founder, WHIS
10:40 – 11:00 | Ricerca e Innovazione nella Salute e nel Benessere
- Maddalena Illario, University of Naples
- Cecilia Bartolucci, CNR
11:00 – 11:35 | Prescrizione Sociale, Sanità Innovativa e Salute della Comunità: le esperienze in atto
- Presentazione di Maurizio Morini, WHIS Italia
- Carla Ferreri, Former CNR Director of Research, GiustoPasto: l’alimentazione giusta per contrastare i disturbi dell’apprendimento nei primi anni di vita
- Stefano Nicoli - Surgeree: Oltre il Bisturi: XR, la Nuova Frontiera della Chirurgia Centrata sul Paziente
- Cristian Maggiolo, Senso Life APS: il Metaverso e la Realtà Virtuale nella cura delle malattie della terza età
11:35 – 12:30 | Tavola rotonda: Costruire un Ecosistema Sanitario Olistico (Centri di Innovazione MedTech)
Moderatore: Maurizio Morini, WHIS Italia
Partecipano:
- Mr. Pierluigi Stefanini (Fondazione del Monte)
- Federica Tadini, Fondazione Golinelli
- Alessandro Chiarini, BI-REX
- Cecilia Bartolucci, CNR
- Maddalena Illario, University of Naples
- Domenicantonio Galatà, Associazione Italiana Nutrizionisti in Cucina
- Ludo Pyis, The AREOPA Group
- Gareth Presch, Founder, WHIS
12:30 – 12:50 | Discussione aperta e sessione di domande e risposte
12:50 – 13:00 | Prossimi passi e conclusioni
Programma soggetto a modifiche – posti limitati.
Future events in Rome, Milan, Palermo etc.
Partnership opportunities contact: gareth@whis.world
*See our WHIS Bologna Guide
Speakers
Dubai Chambers, Stefano Antonelli, Chief Representative - Italy
Federica Tadini, Fondazione Golinelli
Francesco Critelli, Emilia-Romagna Region and the Metropolitan City of Bologna
Domenicantonio Galatà, Associazione Italiana Nutrizionisti in Cucina
Prof Maddalena Illario
Mr. Pierluigi Stefanin, Chairman, Fondazione del Monte
Cecilia Bartolucci, CNR - National Research Council of Italy
Alessandro Chiarini, BI-REX
Maurizio Morini, WHIS Italia
Carla Ferreri, Former CNR Director of Research
Prof Piero Formica, Author and Economist
Ludo Pyis, The Areopa Group
Gareth Presch, Founder, CEO, WHIS
Bologna - World Health Innovation Summit (ENG)
Bologna - World Health Innovation Summit – Advancing Health Innovation
& Community Wellbeing
Date: Thursday, May 15th, 2025
Venue: Fondazione Golinelli Organization - Opificio Golinelli, Bologna
Time: 10:00 – 13:00 (Italian Time) - Italian registration - English registration (Places are limited).
The World Health Innovation Summit (WHIS) Italia Launch marks the beginning of a transformative movement to enhance health and wellbeing across Italy. This event will bring together key stakeholders from healthcare, research, public policy, and the private sector to explore innovative, community-driven solutions that align with national and European health priorities.
Through engaging discussions, expert insights, and collaborative dialogue, the agenda will focus on critical areas such as social prescribing, healthcare innovation, mental health, autism support, and the role of MedTech in shaping the future of health ecosystems.
Highlights of the event include:
✅ Opening remarks from WHIS leaders and regional health representatives
✅ WHIS Italia's vision and its alignment with national health and EU strategies
✅ Insights on health research and innovation from leading institutions
✅ The power of social prescribing in improving community health
✅ Addressing children's care with community-led initiatives
✅ A dynamic panel discussion on strengthening partnerships and healthcare sustainability
This launch serves as a catalyst for fostering cross-sector collaboration, empowering communities, and driving forward a holistic health ecosystem in Italy. Join us as we work together to innovate, inspire, and implement sustainable health solutions for the future.
Agenda
10:00 – 10:30 | Welcome and opening remarks
- Maurizio Morini - Prof Piero Formica - WHIS Italia - One Health Project
- Federica Tadini, Fondazione Golinelli
- Pierluigi Stefanini, Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna
- Alessandro Chiarini, BI-REX
- Francesco Critelli, Emilia-Romagna Region and the Metropolitan City of Bologna
- Dubai Chambers, Stefano Antonelli, Chief Representative - Italy
10:30 – 10:40 | WHIS Vision
- Gareth Presch, Founder, WHIS
10:40 – 11:00 | Research and Innovation in Health and Wellbeing
- Maddalena Illario, University of Naples
- Cecilia Bartolucci, CNR
11:00 – 11:35 | Social Prescribing, Innovative Healthcare and Community Health: Current Experiences
- Maurizio Morini, WHIS Italia
- Carla Ferreri, Former CNR Director of Research, the right nutrition to combat learning disabilities in the early years of life
- Stefano Nicoli - Surgeree: Beyond the Scalpel: XR, the New Frontier of Patient-Centered Surgery
- Cristian Maggiolo, Senso Life APS: The Metaverse and Virtual Reality in the treatment of old age diseases
11:35 – 12:30 | Building a Holistic Healthcare Ecosystem (MedTech Innovation Centers)
Moderatore: Maurizio Morini, WHIS Italia
Partecipano:
- Mr. Pierluigi Stefanini (Fondazione del Monte)
- Federica Tadini, Fondazione Golinelli
- Alessandro Chiarini, BI-REX
- Cecilia Bartolucci, CNR
- Maddalena Illario, University of Naples
- Domenicantonio Galatà, Associazione Italiana Nutrizionisti in Cucina
- Ludo Pyis, The AREOPA Group
- Gareth Presch, Founder, WHIS
12:30 – 12:50 | Open discussion and Q&A session
12:50 – 13:00 | Next steps and conclusions
*Subject to change - Limited availability.
Future events in Rome, Milan, Palermo etc.
Partnership opportunities contact: gareth@whis.world
*See our WHIS Bologna Guide
Read about: WHIS Italy 2025: Launching Innovation for Health and Wellbeing
Who Should Attend?
Who Should Attend?
The WHIS Italia Launch is designed for a diverse audience of stakeholders committed to advancing health innovation, community wellbeing, and sustainable healthcare solutions. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with key leaders, explore partnership opportunities, and contribute to shaping the future of health in Italy.
We invite:
Healthcare Leaders & Policymakers – Government officials, regional health administrators, and policymakers focused on public health, innovation, and sustainability.
Investors & Philanthropic Organizations – Venture capitalists, impact investors, and foundations interested in funding innovative health and wellbeing initiatives, including digital health, MedTech, and community-driven solutions.
Medical & Research Institutions – Universities, research centers, and healthcare professionals looking to collaborate on cutting-edge research and implementation strategies.
Technology & MedTech Innovators – Startups, entrepreneurs, and companies developing breakthrough technologies in digital health, AI-driven healthcare solutions, and precision medicine.
Community & Social Enterprises – NGOs, patient advocacy groups, and organizations working on social prescribing, mental health, and community-led health initiatives.
Corporate & Business Leaders – Companies invested in workplace wellbeing, employee health programs, and sustainable healthcare solutions.
Autism & Special Needs Advocates – Experts, caregivers, and organizations supporting autistic children and families through innovative care models.
WHIS unites investors, Ministries of Health, and industry leaders to support innovative health technologies that deliver health for all.
This event is a unique opportunity to connect, collaborate, and co-create sustainable health solutions that drive positive impact across Italy and beyond.
A chi è rivolto l’evento?
Il lancio di WHIS Italia è pensato per un pubblico eterogeneo di stakeholder impegnati a promuovere l’innovazione sanitaria, il benessere delle comunità e soluzioni sanitarie sostenibili. I partecipanti avranno l’opportunità di interagire con leader di rilievo, esplorare partnership e contribuire a definire il futuro della salute in Italia.
Sono invitati:
- Leader sanitari e decisori politici – Funzionari governativi, amministratori regionali della sanità e responsabili politici attivi in sanità pubblica, innovazione e sostenibilità.
- Investitori e fondazioni filantropiche – Venture capitalist, investitori ad impatto e fondazioni interessate a finanziare iniziative sanitarie innovative, inclusa la salute digitale, il MedTech e le soluzioni comunitarie.
- Istituzioni mediche e di ricerca – Università, centri di ricerca e professionisti sanitari interessati a collaborare su progetti all’avanguardia.
- Innovatori tecnologici e MedTech – Startup, imprenditori e aziende che sviluppano tecnologie rivoluzionarie per la salute digitale, soluzioni basate sull’IA e medicina di precisione.
- Comunità e imprese sociali – ONG, gruppi di advocacy e organizzazioni impegnate nella prescrizione sociale, nella salute mentale e in iniziative sanitarie locali.
- Imprese e leader aziendali – Aziende attive nel benessere sul lavoro, programmi di salute per i dipendenti e soluzioni sanitarie sostenibili.
- Sostenitori dell’autismo e dei bisogni speciali – Esperti, caregiver e organizzazioni che supportano bambini autistici e le loro famiglie attraverso modelli di cura innovativi.
WHIS unisce investitori, Ministeri della Salute e leader di settore per sostenere tecnologie sanitarie innovative che garantiscano salute per tutti.
Questo evento è un’opportunità unica per connettersi, collaborare e co-creare soluzioni sanitarie sostenibili in grado di generare un impatto positivo in Italia e oltre.
Our Partners
TEAM
Dr Amir Hannan MBE - Chairman World Health Innovation Summit
Chair WHIS Italy Chapter Maurizio Morini
Founder, Gareth Presch