The DTRIP4H consortium, supported by Spinverse's digital health team during their project proposal phase, has been awarded a substantial EUR 11.9 million lump sum grant from Horizon Europe. This new initiative called ‘Decentralized Health Digital Twin Ecosystem Consisting of RIs (DTRIP4H)’ aims to transform European healthcare research infrastructures by using cutting-edge generative AI and digital twin technologies integrated with virtual reality (VR). Digital twin technologies driven by generative AI will enable the creation of virtual models of physical systems, allowing researchers to test and enhance real-world processes.
The European research infrastructure (RI) ecosystem under entities such as European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) and European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) addresses the multifaceted challenges confronting healthcare innovation. Despite their potential, these RIs encounter significant hurdles of research investment gaps, fragmentation, inequitable access, data management complexities, sustainability concerns and governance issues. Such impediments prevent the functioning of these RIs but also weaken their capacity to raise a unified EU market for research, innovation and technology.
The emergence of digital twin technologies presents a transformative opportunity to boost RIs into a new domain of accessibility, interoperability and integration within the EU and global digital research and innovation ecosystem. Deployment of digital twins within RIs can enhance the evolution of health research and care, providing an advanced platform for simulating and analysing complex biological systems. However, the current digital twin landscape is characterised by disparate datasets and a lack of standardization. This prevents the uninterrupted exchange of information, holding back innovation. Ensuring equitable access to high-quality, multidomain datasets is critical, as is the need to address the complexities of data sovereignty, privacy and trust.
Consortium to advance state-of-the-art in European research infrastructures
The four-year DTRIP4H project, led by Tallinna Tehnikaülikool (Tallinn University of Technology) from Estonia and DigitalTwin Technology GmbH (DTT) from Germany, is set to launch in the beginning of 2025. The consortium brings together 24 partners from 14 European countries, including SMEs, large enterprises, hospitals and leading research infrastructures, such as European infrastructure for translational medicine (EATRIS) and Environmental Exposure Assessment Research Infrastructure (EIRENE). This group boasts multidiscipline expertise in technology, healthcare, research and development, translating cutting-edge research into tangible societal benefits.
The DTRIP4H consortium aims to advance the state-of-the-art in European research infrastructures, ultimately strengthening research capabilities by closing the gaps that prevent access to critical assets and capabilities across research infrastructures that address pressing health challenges. The DTRIP4H project emphasises a people-centred approach. It will use state-of-the-art Federated Learning (FL) methods, Generative AI with DT technology in accordance with EU data strategy (COM 2022066) to develop a privacy-preserving, trustworthy, open source and decentralised digital twin environment (DDTE) to advance DT solutions for health research.
These advanced digital tools will offer researchers with enhanced capabilities for data visualisation, analysis and access, ultimately advancing healthcare research, reducing healthcare costs and accelerating the development of novel therapies through cutting-edge technology. This innovation boosts future health research and care, enhancing accessibility, interoperability and integration across the European health research landscape.
Spinverse supported the successful proposal preparation
Spinverse digital health team played an important role in facilitating and conceptualising the DTRIP4H project, fostering collaboration among academia, industry, healthcare providers, and research infrastructures. Beyond proposal development, Spinverse provided support to the project consortium during the Grant Agreement Phase (GAP).
Dr. Pirjo Spuul from Tallinna Tehnikaülikool and Mr. Rahul Tomar from DigitalTwin Technology GmbH collaborated with Spinverse in coordinator’s role throughout the project proposal phase. Dr. Spuul says: “Our collaboration with Spinverse has been highly effective and professional. The entire process was well-organized, fostering seamless coordination and teamwork among the partners, enabling everyone to deliver their best. I definitely recommend working with Spinverse due to their expertise, structured approach, and dedication to excellence, which have consistently led to successful outcomes.”
Mr Rahul Tomar adds: “Working with Spinverse digital health team was a smooth and efficient experience thanks to their deep expertise in EU funding. Their insightful guidance and thorough understanding were instrumental in refining our application, helping us craft a more compelling and impactful proposal.”
The Spinverse project team, led by Consultant Prakash Sivakumar is pleased with the successful outcome. Prakash concludes: “The preparation process was both challenging and rewarding, as we strived to fully align with the expectations outlined in the call text. I was pleased to see how our internal Spinverse project team and consortium partners collaborated effectively to finalise the concept and prepare a competitive proposal within a very short timeframe.”
Learn more about the project here from March 2025 onwards: https://www.dtrip4h.eu/
This project supports the following UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG): |
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Would you like to learn more about our digital health projects and how we can support you in making an impact in the digital health and life sciences? Get in touch with us.
Dr. Jayden Khakurel
Digital Health & Data Leader, D.Sc. (Tech.), MBA
jayden.khakurel@spinverse.com
Tel: +358 50 478 3637