UNITE programme launches in Brussels to bridge Europe’s digital health divide
EIT Digital has announced the official launch of UNITE, a major pan-European programme aimed at transforming healthcare through digital deep tech innovation.
Selected as part of the European Commission’s Regional Innovation Valleys initiative under the New European Innovation Agenda, the 4-year project is kicking off with a meeting of all consortium partners at the EIT House in Brussels.
As healthcare systems across Europe face growing challenges, from aging populations to healthcare workforce shortages, there is an urgent need for innovative digital solutions. The UNITE consortium, led by EIT Digital, brings together a diverse group of partners to address these pressing issues.
The healthcare challenges Europe faces today require a unified, innovative response. Through the UNITE initiative, we are empowering regions and companies to develop and scale deep tech solutions that will enhance the efficiency, accessibility, and quality of healthcare systems across the continent.
Federico Menna, CEO of EIT Digital.
The group of partners includes Region Sjaelland in Denmark, Thüringer Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und Digitale Gesellschaft in Germany, the Region of Central Macedonia in Greece, Regione Lombardia in Italy, Malopolska Voivodeship in Poland, Unitatea Executiva Pentru Finantarea Invatamantului Superior, a Cercetarii, Dezvoltarii si Inovarii (UEFISCDI) in Romania, the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration in Ukraine, and Scottish Enterprise in the United Kingdom.
UNITE will activate open calls for proposals to cascade funding to highly innovative European companies in the digital health domain. These calls will support start-ups, scale-ups, and SMEs in delivering deep tech solutions that can bridge regional innovation gaps, enhance Europe’s global competitiveness, and secure equal access to healthcare for all.
A key objective of the project is to streamline public procurement processes and sharing of health data across partner regions, ensuring that innovative solutions can be integrated into regional healthcare systems more efficiently. Furthermore, UNITE will activate online training programmes tailored to key stakeholders in the digital health ecosystem, establishing a baseline of knowledge across regions and fostering a deeper understanding of the innovations that are shaping the future of healthcare.
The importance of the UNITE programme is underpinned by significant financial support from the European Commission. The budget for the consortium’s activities is close to EUR 20 million. At least half of the programme’s budget will be allocated to supporting 3-5 interregional innovation projects focused on the development and deployment of next-generation digital health solutions.
By 2028, the consortium will also provide policy recommendations to decision-makers at both regional and European levels, ensuring that the lessons learned from the UNITE programme can be integrated into future initiatives.
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