Future Health Worldbuilding Competition 2025

Fifteen years from now, Australia’s biggest healthcare system will likely face significant challenges due to factors like climate change, population and demographic changes, and rising costs. There will also be significant opportunities thanks to emerging technologies, breakthroughs in medical research, and advancements in all aspects of life and work.

The Future Health Worldbuilding Competition was an exciting, free competition open to young people in Years 7 – 10 in NSW. It provided students the opportunity to dive into these megatrends that are expected to shape the future of healthcare in NSW and produce a creative vision of the future. Prizes included an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour at our largest innovation centre and workshops with health professionals.

See work from our finalists and learn about the worldbuilding competition by following the links below.

View all finalists​Visit the competition hu​b​

​41 student finalists presented their visions at the Future Health Symposium on November 3 2025 to the esteemed judging panel. Finalists received pitch coaching in the lead up to the Symposium where on they day they had 2-minutes to tell their story about the future of healthcare.

These fantastic students and their presentations were incredible and it was a very tough task for the judges who were evaluating the students creativity, empathy, story telling and wow-factor. Here are some of the key quotes that we were especially inspired by on the day.

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​Before reaching the finals, all competition entrants had to complete a range of Futures Thinking activities including the Three Horizons tool, a persona and a STEEPV analysis of their future world. 

All submissions have been thematically analysed, and the following 5 guiding insights have em​erged from the 126 students who participated:​

• Healthcare is human-centered but enhanced by AI and robotics
  
• Care is personalised and preventative, supported by wearable sensors, telehealth and genomic tools
  
• People are digitally literate and mindful of data ethics
  
• Mental health and social connection remain priorities for healthcare and the community
  
• Individuals co-design their health journeys with clinicians and intelligent systems, aiming for sustainability, equity and collective well-being.
  

Competition sponsors

NSW Health would like to thank ​our sponsors fo​r supporting the Future Health Symposium 2025.​​​​​