The European Union is funding 13 projects, which have digital tools and Artificial Intelligence at the heart of their innovative approaches, to deliver new solutions to protect healthcare workers, quickly detect and prevent the spread of COVID-19, and improve intensive care – all to contribute to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the need for high-quality data, digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence analytics tools. These technologies have been a key part of the EU’s response to this sudden and severe health threat.

To strengthen the public health preparedness and response, and accelerate the deployment and market uptake of mature digital health technologies for better prevention and optimised treatment, the European Commission launched a Call for Expression of Interest under the H2020 Societal Challenge 1 addressing COVID-19.

Within the next 24 months, 13 selected projects, with a total funding of €55.2 million, will deliver solutions in four complementary areas:

• Using telemedicine to assist intensive care against COVID-19
• Delivering new devices and tools for faster, cheaper and easier diagnosis of COVID-19
• Using telemedicine and AI to diagnose and monitor patients safely and to reduce the burden on health systems
• Protecting health workers through new technologies

Planned first prototypes are expected to become available in the coming 6 to 12 months.

Press release