SABEC2027: Southern African Biomedical Engineering Conference 2027 UCT, Graduate School of Business Cape Town, South Africa, March 11-12, 2027

Southern Africa Biomedical Engineering Conference (SABEC)

Theme: Biomedical Engineering Without Borders

Dates: 11-12 March 2027

Venue: Graduate School of Business, Cape Town

A Vision for Innovation and Collaboration

The Southern Africa Biomedical Engineering Conference aims to be a pivotal event, the first of its kind, bringing together leading minds, innovators, and industry stakeholders to advance the field of biomedical engineering across the Southern Africa region. This conference will serve as a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange, fostering collaborations, and showcasing groundbreaking advancements that address critical healthcare challenges in Southern Africa and beyond. We seek to inspire the next generation of biomedical engineers and drive impactful solutions for a healthier future.

Conference Highlights: A Two-Day Immersion in Biomedical Excellence

Our two-day conference has been meticulously designed to offer a rich and interactive experience, blending scientific discourse with practical engagement and networking opportunities. These are the key activities:

• Panel Discussions and Keynote Sessions where various speakers will dive into various topics of interest.

• Student Hackathon: A high-energy, competitive event where students collaborate to develop innovative solutions to real-world biomedical challenges. This fosters creativity, problem-solving skills, and interdisciplinary teamwork.

• Industry Exhibitions: A dedicated space for leading companies, startups, and research institutions to showcase their latest products, technologies, and services. This provides invaluable networking opportunities and insights into industry trends.

• Networking Dinner: All delegates will be treated to a networking evening dinner on the second day to crown the event.

• Call for Papers & Scientific Sessions: Featuring presentations of cutting-edge research and developments across various sub-disciplines of biomedical engineering. Topics for submission will include, but are not limited to:

Track 01: Diagnostics, Imaging & Biomedical Signals

From point-of-care tests to advanced imaging and physiological signal analysis. Work that helps clinicians see, measure and detect — affordable diagnostic platforms, imaging physics and computational analysis, and the processing of physiological signals from bedside monitors, wearables and remote sensors.

1. Point-of-care diagnostics, biosensing and in-vitro diagnostic technologies

2. Medical imaging modalities, imaging physics and image-guided intervention

3. Radiomics, quantitative imaging and computational image analysis

4. Biomedical signal processing, physiological monitoring and remote patient monitoring

5. Portable, low-cost and field-deployable diagnostic and imaging platforms

Track 02: Biomaterials, Regenerative Medicine & Therapeutics

Materials, cells and delivery systems that repair, replace and treat. Engineered materials and biological systems used therapeutically — from smart biomaterials and bioprinted tissue through to drug delivery, immunoengineering and laboratory model systems.

1. Biomaterials, smart materials, surface engineering and implant materials

2. Tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, bioprinting and biofabrication

3. Drug delivery, nanomedicine and precision therapeutics

4. Organ-on-chip, microfluidics and in-vitro model systems

5. Immunoengineering, vaccine technologies and infectious disease interventions

Track 03: Biomechanics, Rehabilitation & Assistive Technologies

Human movement, prosthetics, orthotics and technologies that restore function. How the body moves, loads and fails, and the devices that restore mobility, independence and participation — a field carrying particular weight in a region with a high burden of trauma, stroke and disability.

1. Experimental and computational biomechanics, human movement and gait analysis

2. Prosthetics, orthotics and assistive mobility devices

3. Rehabilitation engineering, wheelchair technology and sports technology

4. Neural engineering, neurotechnology and brain–computer interfaces

5. Injury biomechanics, ergonomics and occupational health

Track 04: Medical Devices, Robotics & Advanced Manufacturing

Device design, surgical robotics, implants and manufacturing for medicine. The engineering and production of medical hardware — from concept and human-centred design through robotics and biomechatronics to the manufacturing routes that make local device production viable.

1. Medical device design, implantable devices and cardiovascular technologies

2. Surgical robotics, automation and human–robot interaction

3. Biomechatronics, soft robotics and bio-inspired actuation

4. 3D printing, additive manufacturing and design for local production

5. Human factors, usability, safety and human-centred design

Track 05: Artificial Intelligence, Data Science & Digital Health

AI, informatics and connected care, from algorithm to bedside. Computational and digital approaches to health: machine learning and clinical decision support, health and omics informatics, telehealth delivery, and the modelling of physiology at scale.

1. Machine learning, generative AI and clinical decision support

2. Health informatics, bioinformatics, multi-omics and precision medicine

3. Digital health, telemedicine, mHealth and Software as a Medical Device (SaMD)

4. Computational physiology, digital twins, multiscale and epidemic modelling

5. Explainable AI, model validation and performance on African populations and datasets

Track 06: Clinical Engineering & Health Technology Management

Keeping health technology working, safe and well-managed across the system. The practice of managing medical technology in real health systems — procurement and planning, maintenance and repair, safety and measurement, and the workforce that holds it together.

1. Healthcare technology management, procurement, planning and lifecycle costing

2. Medical equipment maintenance, repair, refurbishment and biomedical workshops

3. Medical physics, radiation safety and clinical measurement

4. Oxygen and medical gas systems, infrastructure and surge capacity

5. Systems integration, interoperability, service models and workforce

Track 07: Appropriate Health Technologies

Low-cost, high-impact engineering designed for resource-limited settings. Deliberate design under constraint — technology built to be affordable, repairable, locally producible and genuinely usable at primary and district level, with evidence from the field rather than the bench alone.

1. Frugal design, reverse innovation and cost-constrained engineering

2. Appropriate technology for primary, district and rural healthcare

3. Open-source hardware, repairability and locally manufacturable devices

4. Task-shifting technologies and last-mile health delivery

5. Field evaluation and real-world performance in low-resource settings

Track 08: Planetary Health & Sustainable Healthcare Technologies

Green hospitals, circular design and climate-resilient health systems. Reducing the environmental footprint of healthcare while making it robust to climate stress: sustainable device design, circular reprocessing, energy-independent equipment and resilient infrastructure.

1. Sustainable and green medical device design, life-cycle assessment

2. Circular economy, reprocessing, refurbishment and healthcare e-waste

3. Energy-efficient, off-grid and solar-powered medical technologies

4. Climate-resilient health infrastructure, cold chain and supply chains

Track 09: Regulation, Translation & Entrepreneurship

Moving technology from bench to market to bedside in Africa. Everything between a working prototype and a technology in routine use — regulatory approval, clinical evidence, economic justification, commercialisation and the systems work required to scale.

1. Regulatory science, device standards and quality systems (ISO 13485, SAHPRA, AMA)

2. Clinical validation, trials, real-world evidence and emergency use pathways

3. Health technology assessment, health economics and reimbursement

4. Commercialisation, intellectual property, start-ups and industry partnership

5. Implementation science, health systems engineering and scale-up

Track 10: BME Education, Ethics & Society

Building the next generation of engineers, and doing it responsibly. How the discipline reproduces and governs itself — curricula and accreditation, pipelines and mentorship, and the ethical, legal and data-governance questions that come with engineering in health.

1. Curriculum design, accreditation and biomedical engineering education in Africa

2. Capacity building, workforce development, mentorship and student innovation

3. Ethics, equity, inclusion and responsible innovation

4. Health data privacy, cybersecurity and governance

5. Community engagement, co-design and patient and public involvement

During submission, please select the most suitable conference topic. You are also welcome to include other tracks if the existing ones don't fit your abstract or paper exactly. 

  Submission Categories 

Authors may submit: 

• Abstracts for oral or poster presentation (max 300 words)  

• Full conference papers for consideration in the conference proceedings (max 4 pages including figures, tables, and references, see further details below) 

• Submissions may include research, case studies, and implementation studies.  

  Conference Proceedings 

Authors wishing to publish full conference papers will be required to prepare manuscripts in accordance with the IFMBE Conference Proceedings Series guidelines. The IFMBE author guidelines and templates are available at: 

https://ifmbe.org/ifmbe-proceedings-series/  

 Presentation Requirements 

Accepted contributions are expected to be presented in person at SABEC 2027. 

To support scholarly exchange, networking, and engagement across the biomedical engineering community, at least one author of each accepted contribution is ordinarily required to attend the conference and present the work in person. Additionally, each registered delegate may not present more than two contributions. 

Under exceptional circumstances, the Scientific Committee may permit virtual presentations. However, authors should note that in-person presentation is a requirement for inclusion of the abstract in the book of abstracts and full paper in the conference proceedings. 

Important Dates

Questions?

Email sabec@uct.ac.za with the subject line "SABEC2027 Call"   

We look forward to your contributions to SABEC 2027 as we work together to advance Biomedical Engineering Without Borders: Bridging Innovation and Access in Africa.