Siemens Healthineers, Saudi Ministry of Health launch SHIFT Innovation Center Riyadh

A new chapter in Saudi Arabia's healthcare story just began. Siemens Healthineers and the Saudi Ministry of Health have opened the SHIFT Innovation Center Riyadh, a hub built to fast-track healthcare transformation through collaboration, technology, and talent. This is not just another innovation center. It's the Kingdom's bold step toward becoming a regional beacon for health innovation under the banner of Vision 2030.

"With the launch of the SHIFT Innovation Center in Riyadh, we are creating an ecosystem where innovation meets collaboration," said Björn Bodenstein, Managing Director of Siemens Healthineers Saudi Arabia. His words capture the spirit of the project — a place where global expertise and local ambition come together to tackle real-world challenges.

How does it work?

At its core, the SHIFT Innovation Center Riyadh is a playground for problem solvers. It brings together government bodies, universities, hospitals, and startups to design scalable tech solutions for the healthcare sector. Think of it as a co-creation lab where bright minds experiment, test, and build.

The center rests on three sturdy pillars:

• Innovation Infrastructure: Access to advanced tech tools, federated learning models, and expert guidance to fuel data-driven care.
• Technology Accelerator: Spotting and scaling promising startups with global potential.
• Capacity Building: Hosting hackathons, workshops, and bootcamps that train healthcare professionals in digital innovation and clinical excellence.

By combining these elements, the center serves as both a launchpad for innovative ideas and a classroom for the next generation of healthcare leaders.

Why does it matter?

Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in innovation as a solution to healthcare inefficiencies. This center is more than a shiny building — it's a strategy to empower local talent, improve patient care, and make healthcare more sustainable.

As Amira Romani, SVP of Global Innovation & Technology at Siemens Healthineers, put it, "Open innovation is about connecting the dots and creating a thriving ecosystem locally and globally." Her point hits home. By joining the global SHIFT network — alongside centers in Erlangen, Bangalore, Shanghai, Istanbul, and Madrid — Riyadh is directly connecting to a flow of knowledge and solutions that could transform the region's healthcare future.

It's about making sure innovation doesn't stay locked in labs — it reaches hospitals, clinics, and patients who need it most.

The context

Saudi Vision 2030 is not just about oil diversification — it's about reimagining how the country takes care of its people. The launch of the SHIFT Innovation Center fits perfectly within this national transformation agenda. It aligns technology, education, and healthcare under one roof, setting the stage for a smarter, healthier society.

In Siemens Healthineers' own words, the company aims to "pioneer breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably." The Riyadh center embodies that mission, marking Saudi Arabia's rise as a hub where global innovation meets local purpose.

It's not hard to imagine this initiative as a spark that lights up a broader movement — one where the Kingdom doesn't just adopt healthcare innovations but creates them.