Agentic AI and IoT: powering safer smart hospitals

Hospitals don’t run on hope—they run on data. Every decision, every procedure, every interaction depends on information moving efficiently through complex systems. Yet, healthcare systems around the world face chronic inefficiencies: long wait times, equipment shortages, and operational bottlenecks that directly affect patient outcomes.

In Episode 58 of IoT Leaders, Nick Earle sits down with Dr. Burak Bardak, CTO of Borda Technology, to explore how IoT and agentic AI are reshaping hospital operations. They discuss how connected devices, real-time tracking, and intelligent agents transform healthcare facilities into dynamic, optimized ecosystems. For anyone interested in the future of healthcare, this episode offers practical insights into how smart hospitals operate more like precision-engineered production lines than traditional medical facilities.

Listen/watch the full episode.

From IoT to agentic AI in smart hospitals

Dr. Burak Bardak has spent nearly two decades bridging IoT, AI, and healthcare. From his early research in AI-enhanced imaging and edge processing to his work with indoor and outdoor positioning, he brings a deep technical perspective to healthcare operations.

“About six years ago I joined Borda Technology… we build the next generation technology for indoor tracking. We can achieve up to 10 centimeters precision with battery powered tags.” — Dr. Burak Bardak, CTO, Borda Technology

This precision underpins the foundation of smart hospitals. Assets, staff, and patients are all tracked continuously, creating a rich data environment. But raw data alone isn’t enough. That’s where agentic AI comes into play, turning information into actionable insights and dynamically optimizing processes across hospital operations.

Tracking assets, staff, and patients in real time

At the core of Borda’s solution are small, battery-powered tags and locators. These devices track assets such as IV pumps, wheelchairs, patient monitors, and beds, as well as staff and patients, within a hospital environment.

“These tags… can sense vibrations, temperature, movement… We can track the asset’s location along with sub-meter level accuracy.” — Dr. Burak Bardak

Staff wear credit card–sized devices that monitor location for safety and operational efficiency. If a healthcare worker is under stress or faces a safety incident, an alarm triggers with precise location data, and security can respond immediately.

“Unfortunately, there can be attacks on healthcare workers… This triggers an alarm in the background with the exact position of that particular staff.” — Dr. Burak Bardak

Patients are also tagged, usually at admission, using reusable wristband-like devices. This enables hospitals to monitor patient flow, manage occupancy, and integrate health records seamlessly. The result is a real-time model of all activity within the hospital—a “Sims game” of moving people, assets, and workflows.

Using IoT data to optimize hospital operations

With all assets, staff, and patients tracked, hospitals gain visibility into operations that was previously impossible. They can monitor usage rates for expensive equipment, ensure maintenance and calibration, and prevent over-procurement.

“Our system provides some visibility to reorganize the assets to the right places… They can reduce the investment they have to put in by 30%.” — Dr. Burak Bardak

This data-driven approach directly improves operational efficiency. Beds are cleaned and ready faster, equipment is available when needed, and staff spend less time searching for resources. The hospital’s workflows become more predictable, reliable, and safe for both patients and healthcare workers.

Agentic AI: turning IoT data into dynamic decisions

Collecting data is only the first step. The next layer is agentic AI, which uses this information to optimize processes in real time. Unlike traditional static workflow systems, these agents dynamically adjust to changing conditions and operational challenges.

“We are building agents in the background… proactive asset management. It is an AI agent that monitors equipment usage in real time… This will basically increase utilization and prevent new purchases and also reduce operational workload.” — Dr. Burak Bardak

Agentic AI can manage asset allocation, trigger maintenance alerts, optimize cleaning schedules, and adjust workflows for patients and staff. If a room is not ready, the system automatically updates the patient flow, minimizing wait times.

“Workflow optimization… We can tell which asset is used with which patient. If the asset needs to be maintained or disinfected… We can put in a work order for cleaning… and reduce the wait time.” — Dr. Burak Bardak

By taking over routine operational decisions, agentic AI frees staff to focus on patient care, improving both efficiency and quality.

Enhancing patient safety and care quality

Beyond operational efficiency, IoT and agentic AI directly improve patient safety and the quality of care. Hospitals can now monitor and maintain medical equipment in real time, ensuring devices are always calibrated and ready for use. This prevents errors that could harm patients, such as an IV pump delivering an incorrect dosage.

Staff safety is also enhanced. Real-time alerts and precise location tracking allow hospitals to respond immediately to incidents, reducing stress and risk for healthcare workers. By automating routine monitoring and maintenance tasks, agentic AI frees staff to focus on patient care and clinical decision-making rather than administrative or operational duties.

This integrated approach ensures that patients receive safer, faster, and higher-quality care, while hospitals operate more efficiently and effectively.

Cross-hospital benchmarking and performance insights

Agentic AI enables hospitals to measure performance not only internally but across multiple facilities. For hospital groups managing several sites, it becomes possible to compare metrics like asset utilization, room occupancy, procedural durations, and staff efficiency.

“We can actually compare two different hospital buildings… We can compare the processes, asset utilization rates… duration of operations for different hospitals and different doctors for the same procedure.” — Dr. Burak Bardak

This benchmarking provides actionable insights for management, highlighting operational inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement at scale.

Scaling smart hospitals globally

Borda Technology’s system is deployed internationally, demonstrating the versatility and scalability of IoT-driven agentic AI in healthcare. From Türkiye to Europe, North America, and beyond, hospitals are leveraging real-time tracking, AI agents, and workflow optimization to improve outcomes while reducing costs.

“We do have some customers in Europe as well. It’s all around the world.” — Dr. Burak Bardak

By integrating IoT devices, staff workflows, and patient data with AI agents, hospitals can operate with the efficiency of advanced manufacturing lines while maintaining the adaptability required in healthcare environments.

The future of healthcare is data-driven and intelligent

Smart hospitals powered by IoT and agentic AI are redefining how healthcare facilities operate. By combining precise asset tracking, staff monitoring, patient flow management, and dynamic AI-driven optimization, hospitals can:

• Reduce wait times and operational bottlenecks
• Improve asset utilization and reduce unnecessary purchases
• Increase staff and patient safety
• Enhance overall care quality
• Benchmark performance across multiple facilities

As Dr. Burak Bardak explains, this approach turns complex, 24/7 hospital operations into manageable, optimized ecosystems:

“Everything will be connected to each other… The adaptive AI will solve the problems where you need an actual human controlling the healthcare worker… It frees them up to solve the problem as opposed to doing the admin.” — Dr. Burak Bardak

The integration of IoT and agentic AI in smart hospitals represents a major leap forward in healthcare management—one that promises efficiency, safety, and better patient experiences at scale.

Catch the full episode

Episode 58 of IoT Leaders dives deeper into how Borda Technology is transforming healthcare with IoT and agentic AI. From real-time tracking to workflow optimization and cross-hospital benchmarking, this discussion offers practical insights for anyone responsible for healthcare operations or interested in the future of smart hospitals.

Click to listen or watch the podcast episode in full.