EU invests €35m in AI-based cancer research

The European Commission launched a 35 million euros call for proposals here on Tuesday to support the development of artificial intelligence-based image recognition systems and other tools and analytical methods for diagnosing the most common forms of cancer. The aim is to advance prevention, prediction and treatment, according to a Commission press release.

The call comes under the Horizon 2020 programme, through which the Commission invests a total of 177 million euros in enabling the digital transformation of health and care and in trusted digital solutions and cybersecurity in health and care.

Mariya Garbiel, commissioner for the digital economy and society, said that "Together with the member states, we must put in place a framework that balances individual concerns and health system constraints, while unleashing innovation in healthcare for the benefit of all Europeans."

On July 10, Gabriel will convene the second high-level roundtable that brings together representatives of the European Commission and the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technology industries, as well as civil society representatives.

She plans to discuss the roadmap set out in the Commission's "Communication on enabling the digital transformation of health and care in the Digital Single Market" adopted in April 2018, as well as other key issues, such as the next steps on the recently adopted recommendation on the interoperability of electronic health records, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

She will also highlight the importance of taking forward the exchange of health data across borders and addressing the relevant privacy and data protection aspects.