NSW/ACT & SMBE Professional Development Day 2026

Vanessa Galina
21 hours ago
3 min read

Engineering Under Pressure: Delivering in High-Risk Environments

The IHEA NSW/ACT Branch and the Society of Medical & Biological Engineering NSW are pleased to invite members, industry colleagues and healthcare sector professionals to the 2026 Professional Development Day, taking place on Friday 4 December 2026 at the Kerry Packer Education Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, followed by a networking cruise on Sydney Harbour.

This annual Professional Development Day is a flagship event for the healthcare engineering and biomedical engineering community, bringing together professionals from across healthcare infrastructure, clinical technology, facilities management, project delivery, infection prevention, operations and industry.

With the theme Engineering Under Pressure: Delivering in High-Risk Environments, the 2026 program will explore the realities of working in complex, high-pressure healthcare settings, where infrastructure, technology, people and patient safety are deeply connected.

Delivering under pressure in healthcare environments

Healthcare facilities are among the most complex and demanding environments in which to design, maintain, upgrade and operate infrastructure and clinical technology.

From critical equipment failures and infrastructure outages to urgent works, competing operational priorities, infection prevention requirements and rapidly evolving healthcare demands, professionals are often required to make important decisions under pressure.

These decisions must be made while maintaining patient safety, operational continuity, compliance, communication and confidence across clinical, engineering, biomedical and facilities teams.

The 2026 Professional Development Day will provide an opportunity to explore these pressures through real-world case studies, practical lessons and shared experience from those working at the frontline of healthcare engineering, biomedical engineering and healthcare operations.

A practical and relevant professional development program

The event will focus on practical knowledge, sector collaboration and lessons learned from real healthcare environments.

Topics will include:

Delivering and maintaining safe, reliable healthcare environments
Managing risk and responding to operational challenges
Delivering projects in live healthcare environments
Infection control and patient safety during works
People, resilience and wellbeing in healthcare engineering
Emerging technologies and biomedical innovation
Collaboration between healthcare teams, contractors and industry partners
Lessons learned and practical case studies from the field

The program is designed to support meaningful professional development for those responsible for keeping healthcare environments safe, operational and responsive under pressure.

Who should attend?

This event is relevant for a wide range of professionals working across healthcare infrastructure, engineering, technology, operations and support services, including:

Healthcare engineers
Biomedical engineers
Facilities managers
Project managers
Infection prevention professionals
Infrastructure and asset managers
Clinical technology and medical equipment specialists
Contractors and consultants working in healthcare environments
Industry partners and suppliers
Healthcare leaders and operational decision-makers

By bringing together technical, clinical, operational and industry perspectives, the Professional Development Day will encourage stronger collaboration and a broader understanding of the challenges facing healthcare facilities and biomedical services.

One day, two valuable experiences

The 2026 Professional Development Day offers both a formal learning program and a unique networking experience.

The day will begin at the Kerry Packer Education Centre at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where attendees will hear from speakers and subject matter experts addressing key issues across healthcare engineering, biomedical services and high-risk operational environments.

Following the professional development program, attendees will continue the conversation with a cruise on Sydney Harbour. This relaxed networking experience will provide an opportunity to connect with colleagues, meet industry partners, strengthen professional relationships and reflect on the day’s key insights.

Together, the program and harbour cruise create a valuable opportunity to learn, connect and collaborate with peers from across the healthcare sector.

Sponsorship opportunities available

Sponsorship opportunities are available for organisations seeking to connect with healthcare engineering, biomedical, facilities and infrastructure professionals across NSW and the ACT.

Sponsorship provides an opportunity to:

Engage directly with healthcare decision-makers
Connect with engineering, facilities and biomedical professionals
Showcase products, services and expertise
Build brand awareness across the healthcare sector
Position your organisation as an industry leader and innovator

Sponsor presentations are encouraged to align with the event theme and provide educational value through case studies, lessons learned, innovation, operational challenges or emerging industry trends relevant to healthcare engineering and biomedical services.

A range of sponsorship options are available, including Platinum, Gold and Silver sponsorship opportunities.

We look forward to welcoming members, sponsors, speakers and industry colleagues for a valuable day of professional development, shared learning and connection as we explore what it means to deliver under pressure in high-risk healthcare environments.