Bet I can do it? The potential of gamification in health prevention
How gamifiable are digital health solutions? That was the topic of discussion between Peter Neske and Kyra E. Lukas, moderated by Christoph Brosius, during the GiG xTalks. Conclusion: Gamified approaches offer strong impulses and promising perspectives for health promotion and prevention.
About the GiG xTalks
How can digital health solutions be designed using playful approaches? The GiG xTalks are hosted by MFG | Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg and are part of the GiG – Games & Gamification in Healthcare initiative. The event series explores both early-stage ideas and projects that have already introduced gamified solutions to the healthcare market.
How can the drive for progress and goal achievement be leveraged in health prevention?
Kyra E. Lukas and Peter Neske discussed this question using real-world examples, highlighting how games and gamified applications can foster motivation. They also examined implementation and impact from a healthcare industry perspective.
Use cases presented:
- BARMER bonus system: Used to strengthen customer loyalty through gamified incentives.
- Biocircuit: An AI-powered circuit training system that uses digital rewards to visualize progress and boost motivation.
- HUMANOO health app: Encourages user ambition through leaderboards and financial incentives.
- Six to Start: Game developers who engage younger audiences with smartphone-based fitness games.
Kyra E. Lukas, co-founder of Trapped Predator, an indie game studio and media startup based in Ludwigsburg, spoke about the largely untapped potential of playful approaches as motivational tools in preventive health applications.
Peter Neske, Innovation Lead at the Pfizer Healthcare Hub Freiburg, shared insights from the healthcare industry. He showcased how Pfizer is already applying gamified strategies, for example in personalized therapy support programs and smoking cessation apps.
More on this: Pfizer and Alex Therapeutics join forces on smoking‑cessation app for the German market
Conclusion: Games hold significant potential in the field of health prevention.
However, gamified approaches in regulated environments like healthcare must meet high standards in usability, data security, and privacy. The GiG xTalks offered an inspiring look into the diverse possibilities of games in health prevention and demonstrated that Baden-Württemberg is well-positioned with initiatives and networks such as MFG, BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH, and LinkHealth@BW.
Pfizer shares insights into its quantum project at 'Quantum meets ...'
At the bitkom event series “Quantum meets …”, Peter Neske, Innovation Lead at the Pfizer Healthcare Hub Freiburg, and Dierk Bartel, Chief Digital Officer at Pfizer, shared insights into the company’s use of quantum annealing technology at its Freiburg manufacturing site. Under the title “Innovation, courage and strong networks: A potential success formula for quantum technologies in industry”, they outlined how quantum annealing is being applied to optimize production planning processes.
Quantum meets health & pharma
The “Quantum meets…” event series by bitcom explores the real-world applications of quantum computing across various sectors. Experts from industry, academia, and government come together to discuss the opportunities and challenges of this transformative technology.
The third edition of the series, “Quantum meets Health & Pharma,” focused on the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.
What concrete potential does quantum computing hold for diagnostics, drug discovery, and personalized medicine? How can quantum algorithms be meaningfully combined with artificial intelligence? And most importantly: what conditions must be in place to ensure that quantum solutions can be deployed in healthcare in a secure, scalable, and interoperable way?
Innovation, courage & strong networks: A possible success formula for quantum technologies in industry
In their keynote, Peter Neske and Dierk Bartel demonstrated that quantum technology is already delivering measurable and impressive results today. At Pfizer’s manufacturing site, quantum annealing was applied for the first time in a real-world industrial setting. The project focused on optimizing production planning by comparing quantum annealing with classical optimization methods. The outcome confirmed expectations: while both approaches improved the initial planning scenario, the quantum-optimized method delivered the best results. The algorithm produced an optimized production schedule in a relatively short computation time, significantly reducing the overall production cycle.
Read more: Quantum Annealing in a proof of technology
Three key takeaways
- Be bold: Driving innovation requires courage and resilience.
- Think in partnerships: A strong internal and external ecosystem is a powerful enabler.
- Learn by doing: Take the first step, gain experience, learn, and improve.
Additional insights that evening came from Jan Pilhar and Dr. Jan-Rainer Lahmann of IBM, as well as Anton Simen and Narendra Hegade from Kipu Quantum. It was a well-rounded event that offered exciting glimpses into current research and pilot projects — and plenty of space for critical questions.
Pfizer’s quantum annealing project on stage at the 2025 industry forum in Windisch
Quantum technologies are no longer a distant dream. They’re already having a measurable impact today. But how can organizations begin exploring such a complex and forward-looking field? With this question in mind, Pembe Gül Bilir spoke at the 2025 industry forum in Brugg-Windisch, sharing how Pfizer’s manufacturing site in Freiburg tested quantum annealing in a proof of technology.
How can transformation in manufacturing succeed? What roles do corporate culture, technology, and new skill sets play? And what does real innovation look like in practice? These were the key questions explored at the 2025 industry forum in Windisch on May 22, where leading voices from across the industrial sector came together to share insights and experiences. The spotlight was on real-world transformation processes, concrete use cases, and the latest developments shaping the digital and technological future of industry.
Pembe Gül Bilir, Innovation Engineer at the Pfizer Healthcare Hub Freiburg and project lead for the quantum annealing initiative, took the audience on an inspiring journey into the world of quantum technologies. She demonstrated:
- How quantum annealing can be used to optimize production planning
Why strong networks are essential for entering the world of quantum technologies—and which other factors are critical for success - And how companies can take meaningful first steps toward application and integration
The future starts with dialogue
The 2025 industry forum made clear: transformation is already underway and quantum technologies are becoming a key pillar of this evolution. Those who invest, connect, and experiment today are actively shaping the industry of tomorrow.