Vincenzo Ventricelli leads Philips' operations across the META region, with a tenure that spans three decades with Philips. Based in Dubai since 2008, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Philips Middle East and Türkiye in 2020, with his role expanding to include Africa from January 2021. He oversees Philips' collaborations with healthcare systems across the care continuum, deepening the organization's presence as a long-standing strategic partner in regional healthcare transformation through AI-powered care ecosystems, and sustainable health technology - contributing to its aim to improve 2.5 billion lives a year by 2030.

1.Give us an overview of your organisation. What are your key activities and strategic focus within the healthcare sector, particularly across the GCC and MENA region?

Philips is a global leader in health technology with a clear purpose: to improve people's health and well-being through meaningful innovation. As such, we see huge opportunities to make a difference through innovation, design, and sustainability - partnering with healthcare customers to increase productivity and improve outcomes. Built on a foundation of over 134 years of innovation, we combine advanced technology with deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver solutions across diagnostic imaging, patient monitoring, image-guided therapy, and healthcare informatics. Philips has been present in the region for over 85 years. Across the UAE and the Gulf, we're committed to supporting national visions for smarter, more inclusive, and sustainable healthcare systems. Our vision is guided by a fundamental belief: in healthcare, time means more. Healthcare professionals need more time to focus on patients, not processes. Our innovations are designed to give that time back - automating workflows, connecting data across the patient journey, and enabling clinicians to deliver the right care, at the right time, in the right place. Time for earlier diagnosis. Time for personalized treatments. Time for real-time insights. And ultimately, time for what matters most: caring for patients.

2. What emerging trends and critical challenges do you believe are most significantly influencing the industry's trajectory in this region?

Healthcare in the region is moving from aspiration to execution. What were once pilots are now large-scale, system-wide transformations, supported by strong policy, infrastructure investment, and ambition to become global healthcare leaders. Digital and virtual care have become core infrastructure. Our Philips Health Trends Research UAE 2025 shows 79% of residents have a positive sentiment toward telehealth, with 93% convinced of its benefits. AI is also shifting from pilot to practice—77% of residents are confident in AI’s ability to enhance healthcare delivery, from diagnostics to efficiency. Sustainability is now a decision driver, with over 80% of respondents favoring providers with strong environmental practices.

3. What is your strategic outlook for the healthcare sector over the next decade? How do you anticipate the industry will evolve?

Healthcare will become more predictive, more accessible, and more personal powered by technology but deeply human-centered.AI will evolve from a tool to an active teammate inside the clinic, automating routine tasks, preparing insights, and supporting decision-making before clinicians even see patients. This gives healthcare professionals back what they need most: time to connect, listen, and care.Care will increasingly move beyond hospital walls through virtual care, hospital-at-home models, and remote monitoring. At the same time, data and analytics will enable unprecedented personalization—tailoring care not just to medical history, but to individual needs, preferences, and circumstances. This combination creates real potential for better systems and better health.

4. What role does innovation play in your organisation's strategic framework? Please elaborate on your R&D initiatives and share insights into any significant projects currently in development or recently launched.

At Philips, innovation is about solving real clinical challenges—not technology for technology’s sake. Our R&D is guided by one question: does this improve outcomes while giving healthcare professionals more time with patients? We co-create solutions through deep partnerships with healthcare providers. A strong example is our collaboration with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and Malaffi. By September 2024, we achieved full medical image connectivity across Abu Dhabi—100% of X-rays, CTs, MRIs, and ultrasounds, totaling 4 million images, securely accessible. In 2024, this expanded to AI-powered image analysis, enabling faster diagnoses, prioritization of urgent cases, and smarter clinical decision-making.

5. How is your organisation integrating sustainability principles into your healthcare operations? If any, what specific initiatives have you implemented to minimise environmental impact and advance sustainable healthcare practices?

Sustainability is built into how we design, deliver, and partner. Our philosophy is simple: better care and lower environmental impact must go hand in hand. We're already carbon-neutral in our operations. By the end of 2025, we aim to run on 75% renewable energy and send zero waste to landfill. In 2024, Philips achieved 100% EcoDesigned new product introductions - products designed to increase energy efficiency, avoid hazardous substances, optimize materials, and improve packaging. Our BlueSeal MRI technology exemplifies this. The industry's first helium-free 1.5T MR portfolio has saved more than 6 million liters of helium since 2018. Its PowerSave+ feature ensures additional energy savings by switching automatically to standby mode during idle time. And because these scanners don't require helium refills, they can be deployed in mobile units - bringing advanced diagnostics to remote and underserved communities.

6.What innovations or solutions is your organisation planning to present at WHX Dubai 2026? Are there any particular offerings you are especially excited to showcase and experience yourself?

At WHX Dubai 2026, we will showcase AI-enabled innovations that combine clinical excellence, sustainability, and workflow efficiency. Highlights include BlueSeal Horizon, the world’s first helium-free 3.0T MRI, delivering faster scans, sharper images, and AI-driven automation for confident, first-time-right diagnosis. We’ll also present Verida CT, the world’s first detector-based spectral CT fully powered by AI, optimizing the entire imaging chain to improve image quality, accelerate workflows, and support earlier disease detection. Together, these solutions demonstrate how connected, AI-enabled care is already improving outcomes across the region.

7. Is there anything else you would like to add?

WHX Dubai remains a vital platform for collaboration, innovation, and shared learning as regional healthcare ambitions accelerate. For Philips, it’s always been about listening to first-understanding local priorities and realities—then co-developing solutions through partnership. Over the years, WHX Dubai has helped deepen our collaboration with governments, healthcare systems, and partners across the region, advancing connected, AI-enabled care that delivers meaningful improvements in patient outcomes.