Despite decades of devoted research, cancer remains a tremendous health threat and societal burden. Europe's Beating Cancer Plan aims to improve the lives of more than 3 million people by 2030 by improving prevention, early detection, diagnostics, therapeutics, and quality of life. The biggest single hurdle here is the highly inadequate way cancer data, both from research and healthcare, are still being dealt with. While other areas of society (e.g. e-finance, e-commerce, logistics, travel, meteorology, etc.) have fully exploited advances in data and information technology to serve organisations as well as individual consumers, so far this has failed in the health domain. Consequently, cancer data are hard to Find, Access, make Interoperable and Reuse. Evidently this is not caused by lack of suitable technology, but rather by organisational, social and cultural causes. Inherently, solving the problem requires a cultural shift from the current craftsmanship approach to cancer research and data, to a drastic collaboration model at industrial scale. CANDLE therefore aims to scale-up and improve existing (inter)national health data infrastructures, align maximally with national EHDS implementations in member states, including HDAB’s, DAAMS’s and SPE’s. CANDLE will also identify and resolve potential barriers (https://www.health-ri.nl/en/participation/obstacles-removal-trajectory ) that jeopardize effective implementation of UNCAN.eu and ECPDC digital platforms. CANDLE aims to equipe data users and NCDN developers with a ‘ready-to-use' CANDLE Resource Kit in a process oriented (research journey, patient journey, data life cycle) way. In summary, CANDLE will provide an avenue towards a successful and highly desired data transformation in European cancer research and serve as a catalyzer for the UNCAN.eu and ECPDC platforms by advancing the development of NCDNs to reach the goal of the Cancer Mission and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, i.e. reducing the burden of cancer.

The Xpanding Innovative Alliance (XiA) project is dedicated to advancing interoperability within the healthcare sector, particularly in anticipation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) regulation. Through a comprehensive educational initiative, XiA aims to address the skills gap in advanced digital health interoperability standards among healthcare providers, digital health solution providers, and individuals. By developing high-quality educational materials and courses, XiA seeks to equip stakeholders with the necessary skills to embrace EHDS-related standards and foster a culture of interoperability. Utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach, the project will offer online educational content and immersive learning experiences tailored to the needs of healthcare professionals and organizations. This initiative will not only educate a large workforce in advanced interoperability standards but also establish partnerships with other institutions to amplify its impact. The primary objectives of XiA include developing personalized learning pathways, accrediting educational initiatives, and promoting the integration of digital transformation, interoperability, and cybersecurity skills. Through micro-credentialing and partnerships with academic networks, XiA aims to ensure the sustainability and scalability of its educational programs. By fostering cross-border collaboration and engaging external entities, XiA seeks to empower healthcare providers, enhance the competitiveness of digital health companies, and strengthen the skills of EU health professionals. Through an open approach to interoperability standards and education, XiA aims to sustain its efforts and drive lasting impact in the field of digital healthcare.

xShare envisions everyone sharing their health data in EEHRxF with a click-of-a-button. The xShare button to be featured across health portals and patient apps and allow people to exercise their data portability rights under GDPR. Hence, the European EHRxF will be the driver for research and innovation in EHDS. xShare will establish the European EHRxF Standards and Policy Hub, the “Hub” partnership of six standards developing organizations (CEN/TC251, HL7 Europe, IHE Europe, SNOMED, CDISC, IEEE) market actors (DIGITAL Europe, MedTech-Europe and EUCROF), supported by competence centers, nationals and regional authorities and European SMEs. xShare will develop: 1) Harmonized common specifications, create and maintain xBundles i.e., collection of common data specifications including FHIR implementation guides, tools and data sets, and educational support for key EHRxF health information domains as noted in the EHDS draft regulation Annex 1. 2) A set of common elements across EHRxF health information domains applicable across EHDS-1 (Xt-EHR), public/population health (EHDS-2), and clinical research. 3) Extended harmonized IPS specification to include care plans and making it fit for the purpose of clinical research use cases i.e. clinical trial eligibility, real world data, patient reported outcomes, and returning clinical research data to patients. 4) xShare feature the xShare Button in 8 adoption settings in Hospital network (Italy), National portal (Greece, Ireland, Cyprus), regional network with emphasis in medical tourism and the connection of the public to the private sector (Catalunya and Madeira), entry of digital health applications to the myHealthSpace ecosystem in France. Care plans will be demonstrated in Denmark. xShare investigate the feasibility and value of the EU xShare Industry label as a vehicle towards implementing the draft EHDS regulation. Lastly open calls at the last year of the project aim to onboard with EHRxF almost 100 settings across Eu...

AMR-EDUCare, EduCation on Antimicrobial REsistance for the health workforce, targets the prevention and reduction of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)’s health burden by filling educational gaps on AMR for both clinical and non-clinical health workforce. Southern and Eastern European countries, where the incidence of AMR is highest, are also those where there is a particular deficit in training on AMR prevention. For this reason, the project will target countries in these geographical areas. Through a nimble and relevant educational programme targeting four audiences - doctors, nurses, community pharmacists and health management professionals - the project will equip the health workforce with the necessary knowledge and skills to address AMR in the areas of prescription, waste management and patient empowerment. The training modules developed and delivered will adopt a strong focus on behavioural change and digital health skills for a more resilient and sustainable healthcare sector that improves the patient experience and delivers better health outcomes.

Nepalese Education in E-health - Master (NEEM) targets the shortage of specialists in health information systems in Nepal through establishing two master programmes at Kathmandu University and Pokhara University. Each programme will admit 10 students the first year and expand to 20 over a two years period. The programmes will include a lab where research students will collaborate with the Ministry of Health and other Nepalese organisations on health information systems in Nepal and which be developed into a model for the Provincial Health Information Hubs envisaged by the MoH. The labs will also be used for in-service training of health personnel. The European partners University of Oslo (UiO) and The University Institute of Lisbon have long experience in working with partners in LMICs and Europe on eHealth. The University of Oslo is also involved in projects for course development with partners in India and Africa, and course material developed in these projects will be used as a basis and adapted for Kathmandu and Pokhara universities. Eight lecturers from the Nepalese partners will be funded by the project for PhD education; one at UiO and seven at Indian universities which UiO collaborates with in academic projects in the health information systems area. Eight master students will do exchange visits between Nepal and Europe, and scholarships will be awarded to four female master students in Nepal. Expected impacts are that the master programmes will continue running after project funding ceases, that Kathmandu and Pokhara universities attract collaborative projects in Nepal and internationally, and that master programme graduates gain skills which are useful in their work.

Blockchain is a key technology for economy and society digital transition. According to  the World Economic Forum, 10% of global GDP will be stored in blockchains by 2027 and the World Trade Organization, citing a study by Gartner, estimates that by 2030 the use of blockchain technology could add $3 trillion to international trade. According to PwC "blockchain technologies can boost the global economy by $1.76 trillion by 2030" with the sectors that will benefit most being public administration, education, and health. Despite this huge opportunity, Portugal has yet to take advantage of it: according to the EU Blockchain Ecosystem Development report, in 2020 Portugal holds an average maturity at European level.  This Agenda brought together several blockchain organizations, creating a cluster of 24 Portuguese blockchain companies, 15 Research and Technology Organisations (RTO), 5 Public Entities, 2 Associations and 10 other Associated Partners, connected by business and technology, aiming to become global players and, thus, contributing  to a significant change in the specialization profile of the Portuguese economy, by investing on cutting-edge technology and hiring highly qualified personnel. 

The Master's Degree in Managing Digital Transformation in the Health Sector (ManagiDiTH) is an innovative initiative in the European educational panorama, the result of a project financed by the European Union and led by the School of Applied Digital Technologies (Iscte-Sintra), in collaboration with two other universities: the Laurea - University of Applied Sciences, in Finland, and the AUTH - Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in Greece. This Master's degree aims to train future professionals, both in the technological and healthcare areas, with essential skills to face the challenges and opportunities that the digital era brings to the healthcare sector. Given the rapid acceleration of technological development, there is an urgent need to equip professionals with the necessary tools to navigate this constantly evolving scenario. With a multidisciplinary and innovative curriculum, the ManagiDiTH master's degree integrates three fundamental components: societal, digital and health. Furthermore, students can choose between two areas of specialization: Data Science or Interoperability. This flexibility allows each student to personalize their training according to their interests and professional aspirations. Thus, students have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in areas such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, automation, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies that are redefining the way healthcare services are provided and managed. The study program, consisting of three semesters with a total of 90 ECTS, provides a solid theoretical basis combined with practical experiences and real projects in the sector. Teaching is taught in English, following the most recent pedagogical guidelines related to Distance Learning, which allows the participation of students of different origins and nationalities. The highly specialized teaching staff, coming from diverse academic and professional backgrounds, constitutes an added value of this master's ...

XpanDH is a CSA aiming at mobilizing and building capacity in individuals and organisations to create, adapt and explore purposeful use of interoperable digital health solutions based on a shared adoption of the European Electronic Health Records Exchange format (EEHRxF) across Europe. This pan-European effort will use a “network-of-networks” approach ensuring that digital health actors are motivated and supported by tailored guidance and real examples to help early adopters to advance to the concrete use of EEHRxF embedded digital health solutions to add value to health and care and promote Personal and European Health Data Spaces. XpanDH pursues the main goal of maturing and accelerating a sustainable and scalable interoperability environment for digital health innovations based on the EEHRxF, around 5 Goals: 1) To develop robust technical specifications and resources for the EEHRxF building; 2) To establish the X-Bundle Readiness model; 3) To verify the usefulness of the X-Bundle in real-world with a set of early adopters grouped under selected adoption domains; 4) To mature a pan-European digital health ecosystem of solution providers and end-users, 5) To develop a framework for sustainable ecosystem. The consortium will thrive on past and ongoing eHealth interoperability projects and services, and particularly on the X-eHealth and DigitalHealthEurope projects recommendations, through digital health data activism and strong patient engagement. It brings together 26 Digital Health Actors under a co-creation and co-implementation concept, supported by a Policy Board (linking to Governments and the eHealth Network). To expand its impact, 10 XpandDH networks of hundreds of health stakeholders will be nurtured to form a vibrant pan-European (Digital) Health space converging on common, usable, and reliable tools for real interoperable services that adoption of the EEHRxF and enhance healthcare cooperation for better health towards a European Health Union.