The Big Data for Smart Society (GATE) is the first Centre of Excellence in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe to provide for scientific excellence and innovation in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence at regional and European level. The Centre is led by Sofia University “St Kliment Ohridski”, in partnership with Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technologies and Chalmers Industrial Technologies.
GATE is supported by EU Horizon 2020 programme, Regional Development Funds and industry to establish a unique research environment and a globally competitive Digital Hub for Big Data and AI Innovations in Future Cities, Intelligent Government, Smart Industry and Digital Health. The research focus is on cutting edge technology areas of Data Management, Data Analysis, Data Visualization and Engineering of Big Data Systems, with emphasis on Explainable AI, Semantic Technologies and Interoperability, Real-Time Data Analytics, Digital Twin and DataOps.
GATE accumulates significant expertise and inspires and cultivates the next generation of AI and Data scientists and professionals in Bulgaria. The research potential in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence is empowered by the strong research international network and partnerships with globally leading organizations.
GATE is the Bulgarian Hub of International Data Spaces Association (IDSA) and the catalyst of national endeavor toward Data usage and Data sharing in both industrial and public domains. GATE aims to be a driver for community engagement of businesses and public administrations and an enabler for the incubation and acceleration of innovations based on data sharing and utilization at the national and regional levels. The hub also facilitates IDS technologies adoption acceleration by providing technical expertise related to IDSA architecture and components application and implementation for the realization of industrial and public Data Spaces. GATE initiated and operates the first Bulgarian Data Space – an Urban Data Space for data sharing and for providing Data as a Service. It supports the development of a City Digital Twin of Sofia.
The Motivation Behind Joining VELES
VELES is an essential next step in GATE’s endeavors, as IDSA hub, to stimulate a data-driven national and regional economy through the initiation of data spaces in strategic sectors such as healthcare.
By providing advanced infrastructure – platform, data, services and testing and experimentation facilities GATE aims to build through VELES a recognizable national and Regional Smart Health Data Space with credible potential. Boosting data driven collaboration between government, health professionals, industry and academia, GATE aims to be the heart of a vibrant and self-sustainable data sharing ecosystem around the Regional Smart Health Data Space to provide value for its partners and stakeholders.
Responsibilities & Contribution
GATE will coordinate the project and will also lead the activities for establishing the foundation of VELES Data Space in terms of advanced architecture and technologies to provide for data quality, security and interoperability and to prepare the seamless integration and interoperability with EU Health Data Space. GATE will also contribute to ensuring a strong ethical and lawful data governance and rules for secure and safe data exchange and will support the realization of new data sharing business models and data driven innovations.
GATE will also contribute towards the realization of the Bulgarian pilot. In the Digital Health application domain, GATE research is focused on Alzheimer’s disease. The Amyloid-Tau- Neurodegeneration (ATN) biomarker framework is a means of evidencing the biological state of Alzheimer’s disease and non-Alzheimer’s pathophysiology. GATE proposes a prediction of ATN status through known risk factors and dementia scores, which addresses this limitation through empowering targeted recruitment via web-based brain health volunteer research registers. The ATN prediction is granted by AI in the form of ML modeling relative to the best regression models. The rationale for this approach is the evidence that data-driven approaches such as ML can outperform classical statistical methods in the field of diagnostics. In addition, they can continuously ‘learn’ and improve over time as data accumulates.
Furthermore, GATE focuses on Responsible AI and trust creation in people and businesses, by providing for multilevel AI Explainability, based on understandable natural language explanations, to simplify and visualize how ML algorithms make decisions and to enable model transparency. In the context of VELES, this will be especially useful for healthcare practitioners and patients.
GATE also aims at a more democratic and widespread AI, building on novel decentralized ML algorithms that can cope with distributed collectives of local models through federated learning and knowledge distillation, device-centric AI and ML crowd training. This eliminates the necessity for transferring sensitive data and provides for data analysis to be performed at the data place of origin.
JOIST Innovation Park is an inclusive phygital ecosystem that boosts innovation and knowledge transfer in the fields of entrepreneurship, technology, science, art, and design. As the largest Innovation Park in Southeast Europe, JOIST embeds an innovation culture by creating new ways for innovation to reach individuals and businesses of diverse backgrounds and goals.
Comprising 4 clusters (eHealth, EduTech, AgriTech, and eTourism), it offers a broad range of services and spaces to learn, network, collaborate, play, exhibit, and grow. JOIST enhances knowledge distribution and management, boosts entrepreneurial spirit, amplifies and accelerates impact and business results, establishes collaborative networks, facilitates local community development and inspires pupils, students and youth.
JOIST is the port of call for academic institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises, startups, business-minded individuals, scientists, innovation enthusiasts and anyone interested in developing new ideas, products and services.
The Motivation Behind Joining VELES
Digital Health is a cluster of JOIST’s strategy. VELES will serve this strategy, helping JOIST to gain knowledge and experience in the field of Health Data Spaces. They expect that VELES will enhance knowledge exchange, innovation testing, and build strong partnerships in the field of Health Data Spaces.
Responsibilities & Contribution
JOIST will bring to VELES:
Expertise in the long-term sustainability of results.
Imago-Mol is the only medical imaging cluster in Romania and the European Union. It is a non-governmental organization whose objectives are to support the growth of the innovation competitiveness of its members, as well as of the North-East Region in the targeted and tangents fields, by developing a cooperation framework based on the diversification and optimization of the use of medical imaging in an innovative way, aiming to improve the efficiency of the healthcare system in line with the principles of precision and personalized medicine.
Imago-Mol’s main domainsof interest are the following: R&D&I in molecular and structural imaging, in vivo and in vitro medical studies, medical data integrated systems, tele stroke, digital healthcare, Big Data and AI in medicine, personalized and precision medicine, studies on radiopharmaceuticals, trainings and seminars for competences development.
The Motivation Behind Joining VELES
By joining VELES, Imago-Mol is looking forward to gaining valuable insights into building data health spaces and being one of the supporters of the smooth integration of Romania into the European Health Data Space (EHDS).
Responsibilities & Contribution
Imago-Mol is actively involved in designing the transition path strategy for the Regional Health Data Space, will run the pilot on cerebral tumours in the North-East region of Romania. Moreover, Imago-Mol is the lead of the communication and dissemination work package.
Telelink Business Services (TBS) is a fast-paced organization that enables people and organizations to adopt new technologies while they focus on their core business. They do their best to understand their customers’ needs and tap into their global talent to help them transform digitally with compelling next-generation IT solutions, so they can seize new opportunities.
The modern technology landscape has already become too complex. Complicated business problems require ever-so-smart solutions, but those are not easy to get. That’s why TBS’s mission is to simplify the complex and enable businesses to do great things by utilizing technology.
Focusing on four product families– Information Security, IT Infrastructure, IOT, and Digital Transformation – enables them to deliver on their commitment to the preferred technology advisor for organizations of different sizes and sectors. They are committed to continuous improvement and focus on establishing long-lasting customer and partner relationships, based on trust and competence. In a world of rapid technological change, TBS helps organizations transform, excel, and stay ahead of the competition.
The Motivation Behind Joining VELES
Telelink Business Services, in collaboration with GATE and IDSA, serves as a main driver behind the idea of the VELES project, which aligns with the objectives of the Regional Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialization (RIS3) in healthcare.
TBS is motivated to leverage cutting-edge technologies such as Big Data, AI, and IoT to foster transformative advancements in healthcare, aiming to reshape the smart healthcare landscape of South-East Europe and improve the well-being of the region’s population.
The expected outcomes of the VELES project include advancements in healthcare technology, personalized medicine for Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Cerebral tumors, and Dementia, fostering smart health innovations, reshaping the healthcare landscape, improving population well-being, and promoting regional research and innovation strategies.
Responsibilities & Contribution
Telelink Business Services will be engaged in tasks related to the development of the Regional Health Data Space, the definition of use cases, the evaluation of four pilot activities, as well as the entire project implementation. The planned pilot pillar for Bulgaria is reaching a level of personalized medicine for Alzheimer’s disease.
The Hellenic Digital Health Cluster (HDHC) is the first private organization focusing on the exploitation of digital health innovations in Greece. It was founded in March 2021 in Athens. It is the dynamic initiative of the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), the largest research centre in Greece, and includes 30 innovative and dynamic companies in the digital health ecosystem in Greece and internationally. HDHC aims to place Greece among the leading countries in the field of digital health.
HDHC is a cluster organization legal entity that strengthens the resilience of the Greek digital health ecosystem through networking and supporting actions. HDHC builds the innovation capacity of its members, especially SMEs, by providing or channeling specialized and customized business support services and upskilling. It creates links between academic and research institutions with the industry to facilitate the adoption of processes and technologies reinforcing transformation and enhancing the digital economy. HDHC boosts access to global supply and value chains as a facilitator of strategic partnering across clusters.
The Motivation Behind Joining VELES
HDHC’s and VELES‘ visions are perfectly aligned. On one hand, HDHC focuses on promoting innovation and fostering cooperation for the provision of high-quality health services to citizens. Its mission has the following aims:
Concentration and interconnection of the most important organizations active in the field of digital health in Greece
Growing them, strengthening their innovation potential, and their extroversion
Strengthening the Greek digital health ecosystem so that Greece can be included among the dominant countries in the field of digital health
Innovation actions
Improving the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem and acting as a mediator between authorities, society and business.
At the same time, VELES aims to foster health data sharing regional and national strategies, to secure improved clinical practice, to preserve patient privacy and to empower citizens’ smart healthcare through access to innovative, cyber secure and data-driven digital health services.
HDHC, as a cluster organization with a diverse profile of cluster members related to digital health, is in an advantageous position to support the development of a Regional Smart Health Data Space in Greece, that will include a novel transformational framework, R&I and investment strategy and action plan for research, development and adoption of innovative and secure digital solutions that underpin the delivery of sustainable healthcare services.
VELES is a significantly innovative initiative for the national digital health-related ecosystem, but also for the establishment of the European Health Data Space. HDHC expects that the exploitation efforts that will occur in collaboration with the cluster members will ensure the effective sustainability of VELES’ results.
At a national level, they foresee that they will reach the relevant Ministries for Health/ Digitalization/Education& R&DI, regional authorities, civil society organizations and relevant public health departments, which will enhance the innovation uptake, putting Greece at the center of European digital transformation. Additionally, they will transfer smart health knowledge and good practices from other EU countries into Greece and support innovation uptake education and training, as well as policy and investment strategies.
Responsibilities & Contribution
As a cluster organization, HDHC will bring the insights and difficulties of the Greek health data ecosystem that will be derived from the engagement of our cluster members and relevant stakeholders. Being the leader of Work Package 2, they will coordinate the project’s first important steps to examine the special characteristics of the Smart Health Regional ecosystems in the partner countries, such as the local problems and challenges, the key stakeholders, as well as, performing a comparative gap analysis in Smart Health research, innovation and business, uptake capabilities & needs.
At regional and national levels, they will highly contribute to:
providing a transition path focusing on better smart health services and efficient data exploitation
proposing a joint framework for digital transformation and delivery projects
facilitating the validation process through the organization of discussion sessions with key stakeholders
the design and implementation of the pilot use case in Greece, on cancer treatment
civil society and policy engagement, while playing a key role in it, since HDHC bridges the gap between academia, public authorities, SMEs and corporates in Greece.
Finally, being a cluster, HDHC can connect different stakeholders, projects and initiatives and create synergies among different actors to maximize the impact of VELES.
The National eHealth Authority (NeHA) is a legal person of public law and has been established under The Electronic Health Law of 2019 (59 (I) / 2019) issued by publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Cyprus in accordance with Article 52 of the Constitution, which describes the duties, powers and the authorities.
The purpose of this Law is to establish a framework for the use of electronic health for the prevention of disease, the promotion of health and the effective and safe provision of health services to citizens, the implementation of the National eHealth Record system for all citizens, the regulation of the storage and use of biomedical information and telemedicine.
Responsibilities & Contribution
The participation of NeHA in VELES will help the sustainability of the European Health Data Space regulation and will increase the potential of R&I projects.
Moreover, NeHA can foster collaborations between different organizations, industries, or academic institutions, leading to knowledge exchange, cross-disciplinary insights, and joint efforts to address common goals.
The Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI) is an autonomous research funding agency in Romania, under the authority of the Ministry of Education, and working closely with the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, whose mission is to promote quality and leadership for higher education, research, development and innovation.
The Agency’s goals are to:
Set up the framework for higher education and scientific research within the national budget and other sources
Fund high quality research projects
Provide science policy expertise.
UEFISCDI has a long track record of implementing forward-looking projects targeting higher education, science and innovation, professions and skills, research infrastructures, etc. It has been innovating in foresight methods, real-time argumentative Delphi, horizon scanning and big data, and others.
The Motivation Behind Joining VELES
The Agency’s participation in the VELES project is driven by its commitment to advancing research, development, and innovation in different research areas, including healthcare.
The alignment of the project’s goals with Romania’s National Strategy for Research, Innovation, and Smart Specialization (2022-2027), as well as the emphasis on digitalization, data-driven solutions, and cross-country cooperation, makes VELES a strategic opportunity for UEFISCDI to contribute to the regional and European health innovation ecosystem.
Through the Agency’s contributions to the project, it expects to achieve certain outcomes that will enhance the current situation in the region:
Strengthening Ecosystem Collaboration: By fostering a collaborative Regional Smart Health Data Space, it aims to strengthen cross-country collaboration among stakeholders, enabling the efficient exchange of health data, knowledge, and expertise for the development of innovative healthcare solutions.
Enhancing Innovation Framework: UEFISCDI’s involvement in developing the long-term strategic agenda and action plan will provide a framework for sustained research and innovation in digital healthcare. This will lead to the creation of an innovation ecosystem that aligns with national and regional priorities.
Overall, UEFISCDI’s engagement with VELES reflects its commitment to advancing RDI in health-related fields and contributing to the creation of a sustainable and impactful Smart Health Innovation Ecosystem in South-East Europe.
Responsibilities & Contribution
UEFISCDI plays a crucial role in VELES, specifically in coordinating two key tasks:
Regional Smart Health Data Spaces Enablement and Ecosystem’s Stakeholder Engagement: UEFISCDI will lead the efforts to establish a collaborative ecosystem for sharing health data and engaging relevant stakeholders across the South-East EU countries involved in the project. This involves facilitating the establishment of national and regional self-sustainable ecosystems around the Smart Health Data Space by engaging with and supporting both demand and supply-side relevant actors, in order to foster a conducive environment for data-driven healthcare solutions.
Long-term common R&I and investment strategic agenda and action plan: UEFISCDI will contribute to the development of a comprehensive long-term strategic agenda and action plan for R&I that will outline the priorities, goals and activities required to advance the smart health ecosystem in the South-East EU region. The Agency’s expertise in R&I funding, policy development, and stakeholder engagement will be essential in shaping a roadmap that aligns the efforts of all participating countries.
Health & Life Science Cluster Bulgaria (BIO Cluster BG)is a non-profit organization that brings together businesses and organizations with key activities focused on the practical application of life sciences & health – innovative companies in the fields of drug discovery, genetic research, 3D human tissue printing, software solutions for medical and outpatient care, drug manufacturing, nutrition supplements, green technologies, bio-based technology, food tech, agrotechnology, and many more.
The Cluster focuses its efforts on developing a technology agenda at all levels: regional, national, and international. Health & Life Sciences Cluster facilitates confidence-building relations to fulfill the needs of our stakeholders for strengthening innovation through cross-disciplinary and international partnerships.
Today’s BIOBG main topic is the Smart Health Innovations driven by data sharing, data analytics – using AI/ML-enabled technologies, to shift to Patient-centered and Personalised Healthcare.
The Motivation Behind Joining VELES
Joining VELES is a unique opportunity for BIOBG to contribute to placing the ground of the RSHDS (Regional Smart Health Data Space) and participate in the development of policies and their validation in an effective environment so that Bulgaria and the region are prepared to become an effective part of the European Health Data Space.
Significantly increasing the potential of data exploitation for health and research purposes is part of their short-term agenda. As part of VELES, BIOBG is committed to bringing together the industry players and the researchers in biotech and health and to paving the way for Smart Health and innovations in the widening countries in the region.
The Health & Life Sciences Cluster Bulgaria became part of VELES with great enthusiasm and expectations for the expansion and development of big data in the field of health, as well as the accompanying ecosystem of producers, administrators and users. Big data in health are in their initial stage of development and exploitation in Bulgaria. Therefore, they strongly believe that VELES will pave the way for expansion, diversification and accelerated development of many existing and new stakeholders, which will add value to a richer and socially beneficial ecosystem in the field of medical data.
Through the establishment of Regional Smart Health Data Space (RSHDS) and the demonstration process of its innovation potential, BIOBG expects to:
prove a sustainable process of the secured health data transfer and to enable all stakeholders to benefit from EU-wide data sharing,
bring Bulgaria and the region to EHDS
provide Personalised medicine through sharing European data infrastructure, allowing researchers and healthcare professionals to pool resources across the EU
empower the society with common digital tools and finally shift to Person-centered health care.
Responsibilities & Contribution
BIOBG has several roles in separate work packages within VELES, the key ones being planning and grounding the RSHDS (Work Package 3) and demonstrating the RSHDS innovation potential (Work Package 4) by implementing the second use case (Pilot 2) for illustrating the Alzheimer disease data processing, benefits and opportunities of digitalization, identifying the challenges linked to the respective health domain.
BIOBG will rely on the extensive knowledge and experience of local practitioners, business experts and policymakers. In addition, BIOBG will contribute to the know-how transfer between participating widening countries by processing and exchanging health data through the RSHDS, improving health outcomes and cost-effectiveness.
3aHealth is a leading organization specializing in the development of intelligent, citizen-centered eHealth and mHealth solutions, stemming from their extensive experience in research and development.
Their core expertise lies in providing specialized solutions, including bespoke software development, interoperable systems, and patient-centered solutions that enhance the quality of care. Their solutions adhere to EU guidelines and directives for interoperability standards and protocols, ensuring certification by international bodies.
The Motivation Behind Joining VELES
The motivation for joining the project lies in their dedication to research excellence and their commitment to contributing to the advancement of the healthcare industry. The Regional EU Smart Health Data Space offers a strategic opportunity to collaborate with like-minded organizations and stakeholders, driving growth, competitiveness, and job creation within the healthcare value chain.
They expect the project’s successful implementation to bring about significant improvements to the current healthcare situation. The creation of a European Health Data Space, together with cutting-edge technologies, will enable personalized medicine, informed decisions, and improved disease prediction. By aligning endeavors in a coordinated approach, the project will pave the way for an Excellent South-East Europe Smart Health Innovation Ecosystem enabled by a Regional Smart Health Data Space.
Responsibilities & Contribution
By participating in this project, they can actively contribute to the development of innovative healthcare solutions and services, promoting better exchange and cross-border access to health data.
3aHealth will actively support the Multi-ecosystem demonstration and validation of an R&I pilot use case based on the 3Ds Framework and participate in dissemination activities via industry communication channels.
Also, they will provide valuable insights and technical know-how, aiding the design and implementation of the Regional Smart Health Data Space.
Archangelos Michael Elderly People Nursing Home / Rehabilitation Centre for Patients with Alzheimer’s (AMEN)is a charitable, non-profit organization set up in 1984 in Cyprus.
AMEN has been providing a Day Care Centre for Alzheimer’s patients for over 34 years. The interdisciplinary team that works at the Centre on a daily basis consists of Clinical Psychologists, Social Workers, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Music Therapists, Trainers, Painters, and Aesthetics practitioners.
The team works collectively using methods and techniques to provide daily treatment for patients and their family members. AMEN’s mission is to provide continuous and high-quality services to people who are suffering from Dementia. Their focus is on the customization of services and programs based on the needs of each patient.
The Motivation Behind Joining VELES
Through VELES Smart Health Data Space, AMEN aims to support the co-creation with citizens/users by validating the VELES innovations through a series of participatory exercises.
The establishment of the VELES Excellence Hub is expected to significantly increase the innovation potential in the Cyprus ecosystem. VELES will further support personalized and more precise healthcare delivery.
Responsibilities & Contribution
AMEN will contribute to precise healthcare delivery through advanced research that will accelerate the development of data-driven health innovations and their adoption in the Cyprus economy and society.
AMEN will be strongly involved in the tasks of Work Packages 2 and 4, providing expertise and Smart Health data related to people with dementia. More precisely, AMEN will be validating the VELES innovations through a series of participatory exercises.